Brave Writer

Latest Episodes:

84. (S5E9) Awesome Adulting | with Jessica Hammond Jan 07, 2019

Show notes

Jessica Hammond is a homeschooling mother of two who feels conflicted as she tries to spin half a dozen plates. She has a laundry list of passion projects and hobbies, and she wants to be able to devote time and energy on those passions without feeling guilty.

“I want to be present and engaged with my kids during our days. But I also want to accomplish interesting projects of my own. And right now, it feels a constant tug of war between the two, Jessica says. “How can I adjust my mindset and trust that I really am going to get enough time for all of it?”

Sound familiar? With your various roles as a parent, spouse, and home educator, have you ever stopped and wondered where your own personal fulfillment fits in? How to nurture your Awesome Adult self?

If so, then our talk with Jessica will help you, too.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Sign up for The Brave Learner Conference (July 19, 2019 in Cincinnati, OH): https://thebravelearner.com/conference
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019
Looking to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

83. (S5E8) Cultivating Connection in a Large Family | with Jardel Manalo Dec 24, 2018

Show notes

Jardel Manalo is a homeschooling mother of five, ranging from the ages of two to 12, who also opened her school doors to a wonderful 12-year-old young woman named Samantha.

That’s a lot of children at a lot of different stages in life – a situation we know many of you can relate to – and that can create a lot of pressure for us to perform, both as parents and teachers.

Jardel says, “I don't feel like I am able to connect with each of my children daily, both personally and academically ... Is this ok? Often, it leaves me feeling like such a failure because I'm failing at connecting with some of the kids ALL the time.”

You’re not a failure, Jardel, and neither are any of you reading – but for your own sanity, you might need to adjust your expectations.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019)
Looking to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

82. (S5E7) Finding Balance in High School | with Karen Goldstein Dec 17, 2018

Show notes

Karen Goldstein and her son Elijah are struggling with the difficult transition into high school. It can be a challenge to fit in the oftentimes-rigorous high school work while still allowing breathing room for a laid-back, enjoyable lifestyle – and holding on to the love of learning throughout it all!

“More subjects leaves less time for in-depth exploration, field trips, time in nature, rabbit trails, and down time. I miss that. There is only so much time in a given day. We are both working harder than ever,” Karen says. “Working hard isn't a bad thing but I am wondering how to make high school feel smoother?”

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019)
Looking to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

81. (S5E6) Community is Self-Care | with Jennifer Hunter Dec 10, 2018

Show notes

Today’s guest, Jennifer Hunter, is a mother struggling with a problem that afflicts many homeschooling parents.

Jennifer says, “My homeschool challenge is that I am lonely! My kids are all young, and while I am honoured to be spending my days helping them learn, it isn’t always stimulating for me.”

We expect this is something that every homeschooling parent experiences at one point or another. We all love our kids, of course, but it can be difficult to connect with other families, or even just our personal friends, when they operate on a completely different schedule.

But it’s also really important that we do because community is a critical part of our mental health! Luckily, though, Julie has been there and done that, and she has some great tips for finding communities online and in your area.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019)
Looking to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

80. (S5E5) When Learning Isn’t Fun | with Anne Trott Dec 03, 2018

Show notes

There’s a dilemma that plagues every homeschooling parent’s mind at some point in their journey, filling threads online and conversations in person: How can we make learning fun?

And then the natural follow up question comes up: Do we have to make learning fun? Because the truth is that education won’t be fun 100 percent of the time.

This is the dilemma brought to us by our guest Anne Trott, who asked how she can push through these challenging moments and teach perseverance, without hurting her relationship or connection with her kids.

It’s a fine line some days, but Julie has some advice to guide you through the difficult days

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019)
Want to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

79. (S5E4) Checklist Lovers: Planning From Behind | with Jennifer Vetter Nov 26, 2018

Show notes

Jenniver Vetter is a brave mother of six who has been homeschooling for nine years. She has embraced the emphasis on relationship and freedom in learning that homeschooling offers, but she worries that her children also need to learn skills that don’t lend themselves as easily to fort building and play.

Jennifer asked, “How do I balance the love and creative side of learning with the nuts, bolts and rules side of learning?”

We know this is a big question in the Brave Writer community, but Julie has a few ideas for how homeschoolers can meet both of those goals.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019)
Want to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

78. (S5E3) What About Technology? | with Lindsay McCarthy Nov 19, 2018

Show notes

In this day and age, we are so connected to technology. We carry these magic little screens with us everywhere – and if you’re anything like us, it can start to feel like a third arm! We use them for work and for entertainment, and when our kids see us using these tools, they want to use them too.

But what is too much screen time for our children, and what is an appropriate use of that time?

Today we’re going to explore those questions with our guest Lindsay McCarthy, a homeschooling mother of a boy and a girl ages nine and five. Lindsay also runs a Facebook community called The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families.

When Lindsay reached out for help, she said, “One of my biggest struggles is how to help my kids love to read when they are bombarded with easier ways of entertainment and fact-finding due to technology.

“We have a limit for them of 2 hours of screen time a day, but often get complaints from them when we enforce that rule. I'd love some tips on how to balance technology in our homeschool.”

So how do we foster a family culture that values what technology offers, without allowing it to take over? Listen to find out.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Please consider donating to Tammy Kim and family, survivors of the Camp Fire in CA. They’ve lost their home and everything in it. gofundme.com/tammykimfund
Join The Miracle Morning for PARENTS & FAMILIES Community on Facebook
Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019)
Want to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

77. (S5E2) Growing a Mind & Cultivating Curiosity | with Christa Gregg Nov 12, 2018

Show notes

Today we’re going to talk to a brave mother who wants to support her children’s dreams, is inspired by everything she’s learned about on Brave Writer... but feels stumped. She wants her family to be immersed in a culture of learning, without always being in “school mode,” but she’s struggling to figure out how.

That brave mother is Christa Gregg, a homeschool mother of three children with a Master’s degree in social work and a background in counseling.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Preorder Julie’s upcoming book at thebravelearner.com (releasing Feb. 5th, 2019)
Want to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

76. (S5E1) Embracing Elements of Home | with Tammy Kim Nov 05, 2018

Show notes

Over the past four seasons, our help inbox has been flooded with What Abouts: What about the kid who won’t work hard? What about college? What about chores?

There are vexing dilemmas that come up in a lot of our home education journeys, and they can lead to a lot of questions and self-doubt. Homeschooling is hard! We get it, and we’re here to help.

So we’re calling this season Ask Julie because Julie Bogart is here to help you figure these questions out, while discussing all the ways you can improve your experience of being home with your kids!

We’d like to thank the wonderful parents who have given us permission to see the insides of their family lives. It’s incredibly brave to expose their insecurities and feelings of inadequacy so that we can grow together, and we’re honored that they shared their time.

So each episode of this season will feature a parent’s or a group of parents’ dilemma, their conversation with Julie, and a follow-up communication sharing how it all turned out.

If you’re thinking that all sounds wonderful, but how can I get all of these ideas in one convenient place – well, you’re in luck! Julie has a new book coming out, The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life, which will be published on February 5th, 2019.

So let’s meet our first parent, Tammy Kim, who brings forward one of the most common and vexing of homeschool dilemmas: she is experiencing a sense of overwhelm and worry over her effectiveness as a homeschool educator!

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
Learn more about Julie’s new book at thebravelearner.com
Want to kickstart your writing program this school year? Download the FREE 7-Day Writing Blitz (and tag your creative young writers using #BWBlitz on Twitter & Instagram!)

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

75. (S4E32) The Same Page | with MacKenzie Koppa Oct 01, 2018

Show notes

Our guest MacKenzie Koppa (aka Bold Turquoise) is the creator of a slew of resources for families: the Cultivating the Lovely podcast, the Lovely Homeschool online course, and the brand new The Same Page podcast.

The Same Page is practically designed with Brave Writer families in mind. The core of each episode is memory work encompassing poetry, Shakespeare, historical facts, and scripture.

So in five minutes or less, you can get a spoonful of great literature and, over the course of multiple episodes, you and your family can memorize them while enjoying a shared experience.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: http://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

Learn more at boldturquoise.com
Connect with Mackenzie: Instagram | Twitter
Listen to The Same Page
Listen to Cultivating the Lovely
Read: The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart

Brave Writer is produced by Podcast Masters

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