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Welcome to Play Skillfully, a podcast from the author of the award-winning curriculum A Year of Playing Skillfully and parent favorite, The Homegrown Preschooler. Join Kathy Eggers as she shares the latest research on the role of play and provides practical ideas to assist you in cultivating wonder and connection with your children. Kathy is the author of A Year of Playing Skillfully, A Summer of Playing Skillfully, The Homegrown Preschooler and 101 Easy, Wacky, Crazy Activities for Young Ch ...
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Practicing Self-Compassion as a Parent with Keri Vasek
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In this conversation, Kathy Eggers and Keri Vasek discuss the joys and challenges of parenting and homeschooling. They reflect on the importance of trusting one's intuition and not letting outside voices dictate parenting decisions. They also explore the bittersweet experience of watching children grow up and the grief that comes with it. The conve…
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Navigating Multigenerational Relationships
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In this conversation, Kathy Eggers, Alecia Warneke, and Kari Oakley-Miller discuss the dynamics of grand-parenting and mothering adult children. They explore the importance of maintaining a nurturing relationship with their children even after becoming grandparents. The conversation touches on topics such as setting expectations, communication, and…
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Deciding to Homeschool, Understanding Your Why with Rachel Ryder
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31:27
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In this episode, Kathy Eggers and Rachel Ryder discuss the decision to homeschool and provide resources and advice for getting started. They emphasize the importance of understanding your why and finding support from other homeschoolers. They also recommend resources such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and I…
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Raising Children to Have an Adventurous Spirit with Dr. Roger and Jan Smith
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45:37
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To get a copy of Dr. Roger Smith’s book Parenting with Influence or to learn more about their ministry, check out their website, rogersmithmd.com. In this episode, Kathy interviews Dr. Roger Smith and his wife Jan about raising kids with an adventurous spirit. The Smiths share stories of their own children’s adventurous experiences, such as startin…
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Click HERE to check out Moms of Spicy Ones! For more information, check out Kathy's book, The Homegrown Preschooler and curriculum, A Year of Playing Skillfully. Thanks for listening. If you have topics you would like for us to discuss or people you would like to hear from, let us know at hello@kathyeggers.com or shoot us a message on social media.…
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In this episode Lesli and Kathy dive into the topic of Gentleness. Some parenting coaches to check out or follow if you are interested in learning more about Gentle Parenting: LR Knost Mary Van Geffen Desitni Davis Moms of Spicy Ones sign-ups open September 1, 2023. Watch our Instagram stories, starting on 9/1 for a discount code. Additional Resour…
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In this episode, Kathy talks about the approaching school year and offers tips and suggestions for making the transition a smooth one for preschoolers. 1. Start by setting goals for you and your family. Kathy’s favorite way of doing this is to gather magazines, pencils, paper and glue and invite children to make goal posters and include topics they…
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This month in our curriculum, A Year of Playing Skillfully, we are focusing on the character trait of forgiveness. Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines forgiveness as “to pardon, to overlook an offense and treat the offender as not guilty.” We thought this was a very matter-of-fact definition for such a complex emotional process. Listen to Episode 31 …
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Character Builders: Encouraging Patience in Your Home
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This is a rebroadcast of a favorite episode from 2020. Tips for building patience in yourself: 1. Relationships over results. Also consider the fragility of the people you are dealing with. Be gentle. You honestly never know what other people are dealing with at home, or what broken system they are trying to work within. The way we respond to other…
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Heart Issues and More with Dr. Kathy Koch
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This week Kathy had the privilege to speak with Dr. Kathy Koch, founder of Celebrate Kids and discuss several hot topics for parents today. They talked about Kathy’s books 8 Great Smarts and Start with the Heart. Dr. Kathy shared some amazing wisdom about getting to the hearts of your little ones as well as your teens. You can learn more about Dr. …
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Last week, Kathy and Lesli hosted a webinar on organizing your day, your curriculum, your materials and more. Julia and Amanda, two moms currently using AYOPS shared their plans, pictures, and ideas on organizing. Webinar attendees asked questions and those questions are answered at the end of this podcast. Lesli suggested a book by Marcia Somervil…
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Motherhood Ramblings with Kathy, Keri Vasek, and Rachel Ryder
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Recently, Kathy had the privilege of spending the weekend with Rachel and Keri. During the visit they decided that their topics of conversation would make a great podcast, so they grabbed a computer and pushed record. In this episode, Kathy discusses many “hot” topics of today. They talk about reading, parenting, self-care, podcasts, and the balanc…
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I have had the privilege of being a mother for almost 26 years. During my time as a mother, I have adopted six children, had two failed adoptions, birthed two children, gained two children through marriage, and said goodbye to one of my children (as we lost him to Leukemia on May 16, 2020). Parenting has had many highs and lows over the years and I…
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Is YES Really the Best? With Guest Keri Vasek
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I mentioned in last week’s podcast that Keri and I recorded this podcast a couple of years ago and I was going to play some snippets for you on the show notes. However, after listening to this podcast again I decided you would want to hear the whole thing, it was good! I plan to have Keri on the show again to catch you all up on her journey of moth…
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If Kathy was Speaking at your Conference This Year
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Since Kathy and Lesli are not speaking at Homeschool Conferences this year, we thought you would like to hear them share some of the things they would tell you from a podium. Kathy has combined two of her fan favorite talks to share with you today. Grab a tissue and be prepared to take a trip down memory lane. For more information, check out Kathy'…
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Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Preschoolers
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This week, Lesli and Kathy talk Valentine’s Day. This holiday is special to both of our show hosts and they definitely take a trip down memory lane as they share about this holiday of love. For more information, check out Kathy's book, The Homegrown Preschooler and curriculum, A Year of Playing Skillfully. Thanks for listening. If you have topics y…
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An Evening with Experienced Moms (Who Use our Curriculum)
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This episode is a recording of a recent webinar. Lesli and Kathy invited some experienced moms to join them and discuss questions about our curriculum, homeschooling, and parenting. Some great advice was given and amazing resources were shared. Suggested Resources and More . . . For more information, check out Kathy's book, The Homegrown Preschoole…
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Cooking with Young Children - Feat. Samantha Barnes and Raddish Kids
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This week we are airing a conversation Kathy had with Samantha Barnes from Raddish Kids. Raddish Kids is a subscription-based cooking club for children. Kathy and Lesli have both used Raddish Kids and love the real tools and print rich instructions included each month. This would make a great Christmas present for your children. When cooking with c…
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Finding Your Groove with A Year of Playing Skillfully
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This episode is actually the recording from a Webinar Lesli and Kathy hosted this week. We hope you enjoy! We discuss routines and schedules, organizing supplies, Invitations to play, and much more! For more information, check out Kathy's book, The Homegrown Preschooler and curriculum, A Year of Playing Skillfully. Thanks for listening. If you have…
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Character Builders – Encourage Thankfulness in Your Home
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Definition of Thankfulness from Websters 1828 Dictionary: “Impressed with a sense of kindness received and ready to acknowledge it” Thankfulness implies a readiness to act! In this podcast, Kathy and Lesli talk about concrete ways to teach this to children throughout your day. This is a great month to not just think happy thoughts about how much we…
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This week Kathy catches up with podcast favorite, Keri Vasek. Join in to hear Kathy and Keri talk honestly about life with four children. In this episode, Keri shares how she found A Year of Playing Skillfully and how she has implemented it over the years with her growing family. You don’t want to miss this conversation. Get ready to laugh and be i…
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Homeschooling Your Kindergartener Using A Year of Playing Skillfully
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Today on the Play Skillfully podcast, Kathy and Lesli discuss how to use their award-winning curriculum, A Year of Playing Skillfully for the kindergarten year. Main Idea: Look for progress...not perfection! Developmental Information: If you question what you are asking of your child, use the website naeyc.org as a resource. The National Associatio…
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Character Builders: Encouraging Orderliness in Your Home
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This week Kathy and Lesli talk about the A Year of Playing Skillfully October character trait, Orderliness. Orderliness is often described as systematic arrangement. Put simply, everything has a place. Kathy and Lesli share the importance of modeling orderliness for young children and practicing orderliness at home. When practicing orderliness, Kat…
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This week Kathy continues sharing from her special weekend a couple of years ago with moms from all over the country. In this episode, Kathy shares her thoughts on keeping your marriage strong during the early years. She also continues answering some burning questions about motherhood. You don’t want to miss this episode For more information, check…
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This past week was Kathy’s birthday, so we thought it would be fun to play you a podcast that was recorded during her 50thbirthday party two years ago. Original show notes are below. As I approached 50 (my birthday is September 10th), I started thinking about the legacy I was leaving behind. As a young college student, I was discipled by several am…
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The Pop-Up Preschool: Teaching Children in the Places They Live
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This week Kathy shares how to turn your home into a pop-up preschool over a weekend. Kathy encourages parents to use items from home instead of running out and buying store bought “educational” items. Kathy suggests focusing on developing the whole child by offering a variety of invitations to play throughout the day. The following are the areas of…
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What is happening in this crazy world? Doesn’t it seem that someone is playing a cruel trick on us? We can’t travel, we can’t see a movie at the theatre, we have to work from home and we now some of us have to homeschool our kids. WHAT??? For some of you that last one is the biggest challenge. What do you do if you hadn’t planned on your day being …
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What Really Matters in Homeschooling, Parenting and LIFE
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52:23
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This week, we are getting back to it. So sorry for the long break, but life has been difficult for me as I have been spending the last three months grieving the loss of my darling son, Joshua who passed away on May 16th after a 16-month battle with Leukemia and my mother who suddenly died just 48 hours after Joshua. Some things will never make sens…
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On this episode, Kathy is interviewed by her daughter Sarah! Sarah asks her mom the following questions: 1. Let’s start with our family. Tell everyone about our big, crazy family 2. Have you always liked children? 3. When did you know you wanted to work with children? 4. Who were the big influencers for your life and career? 5. What did you do befo…
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How to Talk with Your Kids about COVID-19 and Other Hard Things
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We hope you enjoy this recording from our recent webinar with Jennifer Wilmouth and Kelsey Ondreziek from Grow Counseling. We asked for their help with some questions about these tough times and they had some amazing answers. 1. We know that stress can present itself in many ways. What are the ways you are seeing Covid-19 (and everything that goes …
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This episode was originally recorded a few years ago for my podcast, The Real Kathy Lee. Lesli and I loved this episode so much that we thought it needed to be added here, too. In this episode, Lesli and I talk about the importance of including art in your home. We discuss process driven art instead of product driven art for young children under th…
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Building Patience in You and Your Children
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Kathy and I recorded this podcast several weeks ago, BEFORE we knew how much patience the world was going to need. We hope this timely episode on patience fills your cup today, and helps your last nerve stretch a little bit farther. This is the first in our series of podcasts on Character traits. We will be adding one per month to go along with the…
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Lesli and I decided it was time to join the world of podcasting. If you know us, you know we both love to talk and share our passion about play and early learning. Since we decided to take the year off from conferences, we figured this was the perfect time to get this podcast party started. In this episode we give you a little background about us a…
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