Hey, homeschoolers! I love systems. When I started my series for A Year of Living Productively, I thought I would come up with the perfect productivity system for me and my readers. I have also looked for homeschooling systems, parenting systems, and cooking systems to make my life easier. I know I’m not the only one who loves systems. They sell. I…

Hey, homeschoolers! A homeschool mom posted on Facebook, “I bake homemade bread … but not enough.” I saw in her what I so often see in myself and other homeschool moms: the tyranny of not enough. Whatever we accomplish is immediately invalidated, whether we say it out loud or not. We might think it’s no big deal. Maybe our “not enough” is just bein…

It’s not too early to plan for homeschool retirement! Here are my best tips for preparing for this season now. Watch on YouTube Sponsor Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum? CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoo…

Hey, homeschoolers! Are you incorporating online learning into your homeschool this year? Should you? That wasn’t even an option when I started homeschooling in 1999. But now it is, and I’m so excited to share an interview I did with online learning platform founder Amir Nathoo. Sponsor Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum? CTCMath specializes…

Hey, homeschoolers! I’ve always been fascinated by life change, thus my pursuit of a career in psychology. But psychology alone didn’t produce the changes I desired in my life. And what’s funny to me is that I can only share steps for how to change your homeschool life in hindsight. I didn’t have a plan. So if you’d like some things to change in yo…

Hey, homeschoolers! I grew up in a rural area where no one I knew took dance classes. Dance was confined to occasional, awkward PE classes. Our nieces were into competitive dance and acro, however, so when I had a preschool-aged daughter of my own, I was excited to enroll her in dance. She enjoyed it, but it was an expensive, time-consuming activit…

Hey, homeschoolers! I think media literacy is a course we should consider including in our high school curriculum plan. When I learned that friend Nate Noorlander was teaching a class on it, I asked him to rejoin me on the podcast to discuss it. Nate gave me a new perspective that I hope blesses you as it did me. Watch on YouTube Takeaways Media li…

Hey, homeschoolers! Whether you are interested in motivating yourself or your children, understanding the three motivational states described in Mark Forster’s book How to Make Your Dreams Come True will help you achieve your goal. Sponsor Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum? CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a…

Hey, homeschoolers! In this episode, I’m sharing my top tips for getting more done. Sponsor Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum? CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short an…

Hey, homeschoolers! Few things are as distressing as having an anxious child. I’m revisiting the topic today. Watch on YouTube Sponsor Summary In this conversation, Melanie Wilson discusses anxiety in homeschoolers and provides a three-part framework for managing anxiety. The first part of the framework is prevention, which includes ensuring regula…

Hey, homeschoolers! I am excited about today’s episode, not only because of the topic that I think addresses a real need we have as parents, but also about my guest. I experienced the pain of feeling different as a child and so did my kids. There’s different good and different bad, right? But kids don’t often like any kind of difference that makes …

Watch on YouTube Summary In this conversation, Melanie Wilson shares a life-changing strategy for homeschoolers to have a better homeschool year. She introduces the ‘What’s Better’ strategy and explains its benefits for self-image, mood, and behavior. She provides examples of how to implement the strategy and offers tips for dealing with negative e…

Hey, homeschoolers! This is one of the topics I have been asked to talk about over the years but I’ve frankly avoided. Not only can it cause problems with website and social media platforms that flag the posts but there are strong opinions about the issue. I don’t like wading into controversial waters if I can help it. But then I met Kristen Miele …

If you feel like your homeschool year is fizzling out, you’ll appreciate these tips for ending well. LISTEN ON ITUNES LINKS GrammarGalaxyBooks.com/treasure. Instagram at Psychowith6 Rochelle Barlow’s Learn American Sign Language in 31 Days The Organized Vacation Challenge my recent podcast on being disappointed in your homeschool year The post Spec…

Hey, homeschoolers! If you have a teen daughter, I think this episode is a must-listen. I interview Shannon Popkin and Lee Niehuis, authors of Comparison Girl for Teens, and I haven’t been able to stop talking about it. There is so much wisdom here about our girls and how to help them manage comparison and friendship in a God-honoring way. Shannon …

Hey, homeschoolers! Have you considered learning robotics in your homeschool? I don’t have an engineering brain so I enrolled my kids in in-person and online classes. My youngest is now majoring in computer science in college. His classes had a major impact on his career direction. Today on the podcast, you’ll hear about the advantages of including…

Hey, homeschoolers, we know we aren’t weird and unsocialized as a popular blog implies, but you might wonder if we are weirder than kids in public school. I was relieved when my oldest son, after having been in a public high school for a few weeks, told me that he thought that the public school kids were just as weird as homeschoolers. We know that…

Hey, homeschoolers! How to help an anxious, frustrated, or bored child is the most common question I get. In this episode, I’ll share a three-step approach you can use to help your child manage any negative emotion. Watch on YouTube Summary In this episode, Melanie Wilson addresses the common concern of homeschooling parents regarding their child’s…

Hey, homeschoolers! If you’ve ever considered attending a homeschool conference, this is the year to do it. If you’ve attended in the past, I have three reasons you should attend again. In short, you should attend for the curriculum, the speakers, and the fellowship with other homeschoolers. Some resources I mention in today’s episode are: Great Ho…

Hey, homeschoolers! I had the opportunity to talk with my good friend, Dr. Carl Werner, for this episode. He is an expert in evolution who has devoted decades of his life to examining the evidence for evolution. His most recent book is about human evolution. The evidence he has amassed is stunning. Now more than ever I believe we have to share his …

Hey, homeschoolers! I never thought I would have five boys, but I am so glad I do. I love them to the moon and back and judging by the response my episode on homeschooling boys got, so do you. That’s why I was excited to read Durenda Wilson’s new book on the topic and to hear her thoughts on why it’s so important to think about how we are raising o…

Hey, homeschoolers! You’ve been there. You’ve blown it with your kids. Maybe you lost your temper or disciplined in a way that you’re not proud of. In this episode, my guest and I will discuss how to redeem those parenting failures. Before I introduce Andee Martineau, I want to be clear about my perspective on discipline. It is first of all grounde…

Watch on YouTube In this conversation, Melanie Wilson addresses the question of whether chaos is normal in homeschooling. She defines chaos as unexpected and unplanned interruptions and explains that it is common for homeschooling moms to experience chaos, especially when starting their homeschooling journey. She emphasizes that chaos can be frustr…

Hey, homeschoolers! I was a stay-at-home mom when I started homeschooling. I did freelance writing and speaking and premarital counseling at my church. But I wasn’t spending even twenty hours a week on work until my last two kids were teens. Because of that, I assumed that it simply wasn’t possible to work and homeschool too. My guest Dr. Celia Zam…

Teach Truth ~ with Dr. Melanie Wilson and Elizabeth Urbanowicz Are you ready to teach truth? Join as as we explore the topic. Thanks to our sponsor, A Fanthom Presents Film – The Ark and The Darkness – Movie Trailer here: NoahsFlood Hey, homeschoolers! Any time a teacher uses a story to teach children, I am all for it. Stories are not only the most…