Your prescription for happier, healthier homeschooling. Christian psychologist, author, and homeschool mom of six Dr. Melanie Wilson shares research-backed, doable strategies for the things that steal your sanity — stress and burnout, time management, organization, motivation, and curriculum decisions — with plenty of encouragement along the way. For homeschooling parents who want calmer, more joyful days. Follow the show and homeschool with more sanity and grace.
How To Implement Family Learning
Apr 19, 2022
Show notesTo read the transcript of our interview with links to curriculum, click here.Have a happy homeschool week!
Hey, homeschoolers! When you are teaching more than one child, one of the best sanity-savers is using a family-learning approach. I had to teach this way with six kids and I made sure that Grammar Galaxy could be taught to students at multiple levels. My guest Kathy Gossen gives us simple tips for getting started.
Before we get to the interview, I want to thank my sponsor: College Prep Genius. Here’s more about it.
There is a huge gap when it comes to preparing and paying for college. Without proper guidance, most families (especially homeschoolers) are at a loss on where to begin for college entrance as well as scholarships and often end up with twenty years of college debt. If this is you, it’s a must to Register for the Path to College at www.CollegePrepGenius.com/PPU free ($2995 value)
Family Learning with Kathy Gossen
Guest Kathy is a good friend and a homeschool momma to three precious girls. She is the author of And the Word Became Flesh and Encompass Preschool Curriculum, and is also the host of The Homeschool 5 in 10 podcast. She loves researching and sharing streamlined homeschool tips, tricks, and resources at CornerstoneConfessions.Com.
Kathy and I discussed:
the best subjects for family learning
the subjects that aren’t easy to teach using this approach, and
how to make the transition to family learning a smooth one.
I hope you enjoy our interview!
To read the transcript of our interview with links to curriculum, click here.Have a happy homeschool week!
Special Replay: What to Do When Your Child Won’t Say I’m Sorry
Apr 12, 2022
Show notes
Hey, homeschoolers!
If you have more than one child or if your child has had conflict with another, you know this situation. Your child has said or done something to hurt someone. Your natural inclination is to tell the child to apologize. But what if she won’t? Or what if he does, and everyone knows it’s not genuine? What should you do?
That’s what I asked my guest, Lynna Sutherland. You will love what she has to say. I know I did.
This new podcast is specifically geared toward helping homeschool moms teach and enjoy science.
It’s hosted by homeschool dad, scientist, and former college professor, Greg Landry.
Topics include:
– When to take which middle and high school science classes
– Why you should laser focus on the ACT and ditch the SAT
– What they learned from finding and choosing colleges for their homeschooled daughters
– How teaching science should differ for likely science major students and non-science students
– Do you have a palmaris longus?
– What you should know about CLEP and AP
– The unusual benefit of daily graphing
– Your science teaching questions answered
– 4 science teaching mistakes and how to avoid them
– And much more
Listen to this upbeat, encouraging, sometimes humorous podcast for homeschool moms…
including the science story of Greg Landry meeting his wife.
Search for Homeschool Moms Science Podcast on your podcast app or visit https://www.collegeprepscience.com/podcast.
Solutions for Sibling Rivalry with Lynna Sutherland
Now to introduce my guest. Lynna Sutherland is a homeschool mom of eight kids ages teen to toddler. She loves to encourage moms to take a heart-based, gospel-centered approach to parenting and sibling conflict resolution. Lynna is the host of the Sibling Relationship Lab podcast and the creator of the Sibling Opposition Solution online course for parents and the Sibling Investigations devotionals for families.
Special Replay: Help for Homeschooling Distractible Kids with Carol Barnier
Apr 05, 2022
Show notes
I’ve been the recipient of Carol’s wit and wisdom for years, but I was still inspired by my interview with her. If you have a can’t-sit-still kiddo or you’re a what-did-I-come-in-this-room-for mom like me, you’ll love this episode.
Carol explains:
The kind of activity active children need while homeschooling
How to work with a child who takes forever to finish a lesson
How to help your kids remember how to add and subtract fractions
A simple way to make workbook problems fun
An advantage of being a distractible mom, and lots more!
Special Replay: Help for Anxious Homeschool Moms
Mar 29, 2022
Show notes
Hey, homeschoolers!
Did you notice the new intro? I thought it was time for a change as we begin a new year and a new decade.
As I also prayed about topics to share on the podcast this year, I asked myself what I see as the biggest need of the homeschooling moms I talk with. One subject immediately came to mind: anxiety.
Before we dive in, I want to thank my sponsor: the Homeschool Moms Science podcast.
This new podcast is specifically geared toward helping homeschool moms teach and enjoy science. It’s hosted by homeschool dad, scientist, and former college professor, Greg Landry. Topics covered include: – when to take which middle and high school science classes – What you haven’t been told about the ACT and SAT – What we learned from finding and choosing colleges for our homeschooled daughters – How teaching science should differ for likely science major students and non-science students – The keys to studying science – The unusual benefit of daily graphing – Your science teaching questions answered – 4 science teaching mistakes and how to avoid them – And much more
Listen to this upbeat, encouraging, sometimes humorous podcast for homeschool moms… including the science story of meeting his wife.
Special Replay: Motivation Myths That Hinder Your Homeschool
Mar 22, 2022
Show notes
Hey, homeschoolers!
After 21 years of homeschooling, I know that motivation runs high at the beginning of the year. But it doesn’t take many weeks before that initial enthusiasm starts to cool. You begin looking forward to Christmas break sooner than you thought you would.
We realize that we need to use some motivational tricks for ourselves and our kids in order to finish the things that we’ve planned. The problem with our motivating efforts is we often buy into several motivation myths that I’m going to describe in this episode. If we do, we will likely continue to struggle.
If you are interested in motivating your homeschooler, I’ve created a video class that you can you use with your spouse or other caregiver that will help you create an effective motivational plan. It includes a handbook for taking action and not just taking in information.
Special Replay: Unschooling To Prepare Teens for Life
Mar 15, 2022
Show notes
Hey, homeschoolers! Do you have teens or will you soon? When you are homeschooling teenagers, the day they leave your home looms large. Whether they plan to attend college, begin working, or start their own business, you want to give them the best preparation possible. My guest today is going to help us prepare our kids for whatever lies ahead.
But first, I want to thank my sponsor, CTC Math.
Sponsor
Before we dive in, I want to thank my sponsor, CTC Math.
The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.
Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). Using a multi-sensory approach having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.
Now for today’s topic: preparing teens for life after homeschooling. My guest today is Karla Marie Williams, prolific author and homeschooling mother of six, whose new book is called Teens Unleashed. You’ll want to grab your copy and also give a listen to the excellent interview I did with Karla on unschooling.
Karla inspires me! If you’re not following her on social media, you’ll want to do that today. Find Karla on Facebook and Instagram.
Thanks again to CTC Math for sponsoring this episode. Join me next time as I discuss mistakes in homeschooling. Have a happy homeschool week.
How To Help My Son With Depression
Mar 01, 2022
Show notes
Hey, homeschoolers! This episode has a different format than what I usually publish. It’s the audio from a YouTube video by the same name. If you’d like to watch it instead, head to YouTube.com/melaniewilson. Otherwise, just expect a couple of video references.
I’m Dr. Melanie Wilson, Christian psychologist turned homeschool mom of six. Few things are as frightening for us moms as when a son or daughter is depressed and we feel helpless. We can’t make our teen stop being depressed, much as we would like to. But there are some very powerful things we can do for a depressed child. Read the full transcript with resource links
3 Simple Grammar Tips For Homeschool Moms
Feb 08, 2022
Show notes
Hey, homeschoolers!
I wrote the curriculum series Grammar Galaxy in part because I’m a grammar nerd. Grammar has always come easily to me and I love it. But hand me a Rubik’s cube or another visual-spatial puzzle and I just can’t get it. If visual-spatial skills are your strength, you could send me written instructions for solving it and I might understand.
In the same spirit, I want to give those of you whose weakness is grammar some auditory instructions that might help.
Why Grammar Matters to Homeschool Moms
I have three reasons.
We want to be clear in our communication with others. Not all grammar errors result in confusion, but some do and can have a negative impact on us socially and even financially.
We want to model correct grammar for our kids. In speaking and writing, we want to teach them how to be clear and honorable by using good grammar.
3 Grammar Tips for Homeschool Moms
Now let’s get to the tips.
Tip #1: Use an -ly adverb if the word explains how.
Adjectives and adverbs are often confused. Both parts of speech are describing words. Adverbs describe verbs with where, when, and how. A common mistake is to use an adjective that doesn’t have an -ly ending to describe how.
Think different. Incorrect. How should you think? Think differently.
Drive careful. Incorrect. How should you drive? Drive carefully.
Add the -ly to the following adjectives in your mind or out loud.
Give generous.
He was acting suspicious.
Print your name neat.
Tip #2 Use the pronoun I instead of me to discuss what you did or plan to do.
Me is an object pronoun. It is used when something is done to or for you. We use I when we are the subject, talking about what we did or will do.
We wouldn’t say, “Me went shopping.” It just sounds wrong. But when another person is involved, we might say, “Me and my friend went shopping.” It could sound natural to you.
To identify the error, take the other people out of the subject. Here’s another example.
Me and my neighbors watched the fireworks. Take the neighbors out and you have: Me watched the fireworks. We know that’s wrong. The best correction is My neighbors and I watched the fireworks. It’s more polite to put yourself last in the subject.
Yesterday, me and Jamie had coffee. Incorrect. Yesterday, Jamie and I had coffee.
I wish that me and my friends lived in the same neighborhood. A tricky one with a clause, but take the friends out. I wish me lived in the same neighborhood. Incorrect. I wish that my friends and I lived in the same neighborhood.
Your turn. Correct the following sentences in your mind or out loud.
Hannah and me had a great time thrifting. (Hannah and I had a great time thrifting.)
Tomorrow you and me should go. (Tomorrow you and I should go.)
Did I tell you that me and the other moms are taking a girls’ trip? (Did I tell you that the other moms and I are taking a girls’ trip?)
Tip #3 With has, have, or had, use the past participle form of the verb that ends with the /n/ sound if available.
The perfect tense can be challenging to remember, so I’m sharing this little cheat to help. We use the helping verbs has, have, or had with the past participle to indicate timing of the activity. A common error is to use the past tense rather than the past participle with has, have, or had.
For example, I had went to the restaurant on time. Went is the past tense of go, but it is not the past participle–gone is. The correct sentence is I had gone to the restaurant on time.
You know the line “You had me at hello” from the movie Jerry McGuire? I know I had many of you until I said past participle. So I’m going to simplify this by telling you that when using has, have, or had, choose the verb form that ends in the /n/ sound if there is one. I had went to the restaurant on time. Went doesn’t end in the /n/ sound but with /t/. Is there a verb form of went that ends in /n/? Yes. It’s gone. I had gone.
Let’s try another one. I had saw your post on Facebook. Saw is the past tense of see. Is there a form of see that ends with an /n/ sound? Yes! It’s seen. Let’s try it. I had seen your post on Facebook.
Your turn. Correct these in your mind or out loud.
I had gave the money to my daughter. (I had given the money to my daughter.)
We have wrote the company about the problem several times. (We have written the company about the problem several times.)
I have not forgot your story. (I have not forgotten your story.)
Conclusion
Note that this trick doesn’t work with every verb, but you’ll be correct more often.
Now that I’ve taught you these three tips, here’s a sentence to quiz you. Restate this sentence correctly:
You and me have saw how to use grammar correct. (You and I have seen how to use grammar correctly.)
Let me know if this was helpful. If you’re ready to learn more, consider reading Grammar Galaxy with your kids. The stories include some humor that will only make sense to adults. You can download a complete sample to try at funtolearnbooks.com/samples.
Here’s what to look for in an elementary grammar curriculum.
How To Homeschool During A Move Or Other Transition
Feb 01, 2022
Show notes
Hey, homeschoolers! Are you going to be moving soon? Or do you have another big life change on the horizon that could affect your homeschool? Then this episode is for you.
Before I introduce my guest, I have to say how often I’ve heard from families using Grammar Galaxy, that it’s an easy curriculum to grab and go and easy to use during and after a move. If your student can read the stories written at a strong third-grade level independently, grab the text. If not, play the audiobook version of the story in the car. Audio is currently available for volumes 1-3. Then just make sure you have a highlighter and a pencil for your guardian to complete the steps in the mission manual. To try Grammar Galaxy for free, go to FunToLearnBooks.com/samples.
Katie Trent
Now for my interview with Katie Trent. Katie is the author of Dishing Up Devotions: 36 Faith-Building Activities for Homeschooling Families and a leader in the Christian homeschool community outside Phoenix, Arizona. She draws on a wealth of knowledge and experience from over a deacde of counseling as an LCSW, ministry, and church planting. She equips women to grow their faith, strengthen their family, and simplify their homeschool. I think you’ll be inspired by our discussion of how to homeschool during a move and other transitions.
I wrote, “Wait! Take me with you!” I knew nothing about the book or Wendy, but the idea of a social media fast was as appealing as joining a friend on a beach vacation. I ordered the book and made plans to stop participating on Facebook and Instagram the next week. I committed to stop watching the news at the same time.
I learned much more in those 40 days than I ever anticipated. If you could benefit from the lessons I learned, I encourage you to plan a fast of your own.
A few years ago, I was experiencing debilitating neck and shoulder pain. I couldn’t sleep or do any of my daily activities as a result. I went to a chiropractor, took heaps of ibuprofen, and used a TENS (muscle contraction) device among many other approaches. When I had nearly despaired of getting relief, I found a video on YouTube by motivationaldoc outlining the problem I had. In short, I had tight muscles from staring at screens which had impinged on a nerve. Within 24 hours of starting the stretching exercises he recommended, I had relief. I was completely pain-free within a few days. God used a YouTube video to solve a huge problem in my life.
I was recently asked to meet with a couple I know via Zoom. I didn’t provide counseling, of course, but I listened to the problems they were having and directed them to get the help they needed. While I think I helped this couple a lot, I realized I could help many more families the same way on YouTube. Going forward, I will be sharing actionable tips and how-to’s for achieving homeschool sanity there. My deepest desire apart from serving God and my family is to serve homeschool families. Please share my channel with homeschoolers you know.
Now to the lessons learned from my social media fast…
The first, shocking thing I learned is that I don’t have to be on social meda.
What should have been shocking about this aspect of my fast is that I ever thought my participation on social meda was essential. I have an amazing virtual assistant who manages my posts and makes sure I get messages on Facebook. She continued doing her work while I fasted, leaving only the posts I needed to respond to during my fast.
Although I have wanted to interact with people on my page and in my groups more, I hadn’t been doing it. I’m sure no one missed me!
That should have come as no surprise after I stopped participating cold turkey in a separate Facebook group that I had been active in daily. Maybe three people in the group noticed and messaged me.
Instagram was the same. I’ve had good intentions of being more active and consistent there. But again, I don’t think a single person missed me while I was gone.
The second thing I learned is related: I don’t miss social media.
I did forget some birthdays that I regretted and was late responding to some Instagram messages. But I wasn’t sad about not participating. Like at all. I found myself thinking how great it would be if they shut down Facebook and Instagram, so I wouldn’t have to go back.
I thought I really liked social media. I thought I thrived on it. I’m an extrovert and I don’t have the in-person contacts I once did as my kids have gotten older. But I realized my social needs weren’t being met there, even though it’s called “social” media.
Instead, I found I didn’t care at all about not seeing the funny memes, the cute dog videos, or the controversial posts I agreed with. I could have given these up without a second thought.
But that’s where lesson #3 comes in. I was addicted to social media.
What? If I didn’t miss it at all, how I could be addicted? All the way through the fast, pretty much with no decrease, I found myself clicking on the apps on my phone. I would quickly close them without reading or watching, but I did this every day, multiple times a day without fail, for the full 40 days.
Was it an addiction or a habit? I have been tapping those apps dozens of times a day for YEARS. Expecting myself to break the habit in 40 days was pretty unrealistic.
But the other piece that suggests it’s an addiction is that I did the tapping when I was bored. I did the tapping when I was lonely. I did the tapping when I was sad. I didn’t do it when I was busy and happy. I did it when I wanted a little something-something. I used social media like you use food or a cigarette or a drink. I’m going to call it an addiction, even though I don’t even like it. That’s how most addictions are.
That fact led me to lesson #4: I need something social to do in the evenings.
Like a true addict, I substituted email and Voxer (a messaging app where I talk to friends) for social media. I would open them over and over to see if there was anything new to read there, even when I knew there wasn’t. Because I wasn’t watching the news or reading more than a couple of short, newsy blogs, I would look up news stories online. I hadn’t sworn off of reading these articles. It became so pathetic that I would come up with news stories that might have happened to research! What’s even stranger is that I was often right in my predictions. As an aside, I watched the news recently. The stories are exactly the same as they were 40 days ago!
The substitutes of email and Voxer filled very little of my time, so I began watching movies. Sometimes I would watch with my husband, but I had enough time on my hands that I began searching for chick flicks–those I’d seen and those I’d hadn’t. After watching these, I felt very much like I had scrolling social media: empty. They didn’t satisfy me.
So I tried reading more books. I did find one that I read voraciously. But the rest I slogged through–forcing myself to read a chapter before putting it down. I realized that reading books was so slow compared to social-media reading. Sadly, my patience for it had declined.
One night we played board games with the kids when they happened to all be home and I loved it. But I didn’t recognize the social factor in that. Instead, I considered or tried substituting other activities: handwriting, crafts, and piano. Most of these things seem like too much effort in the evenings. It’s hard to get myself to begin.
Now I know that what I need more of during my low-energy, early evening times is socializing. I’m going to start playing tennis or pickle ball in the evenings again. I’ll invite friends over more often. When the weather warms up, I will go to the driving range with a friend or family member. I will also consider joining an in-person Bible study.
Whatever I choose, I know it has to be social.
The fifth thing I learned is how I want to share on social media.
This is one of the topics in Wendy’s book. I understand what NOT to share. I don’t want to share braggy posts, of course. I don’t even want to share personal things that make no difference to anyone but my family–like here’s a picture of us hiking. But what SHOULD I share then?
I watched the movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood for a second time and remembered that I had made a list of how to share on social media based on my “How to Homeschool Like Mr. Rogers” post. Here is what I had come up with for my social-media accounts and had forgotten until I saw the movie again:
Delight in your audience
Put the relationship first
Teach emotional, social, and spiritual skills
Listen more, talk less
Spend time in the Word and in prayer–being willing to ask for prayer, too.
Fred Rogers is a beautiful role model of how to love others through media. I am newly inspired by him as I return to posting and interacting on my social accounts.
That brings me to the sixth lesson I learned on my social media fast: I need to be healed before I can bring healing to anyone on social media.
I was transfixed by the story of the broken reporter who initially wanted to present a negative view of Fred Rogers in his magazine. Before he could write a life-giving article about him instead, he had to be healed of his hurt and anger. The first time I watched the movie, I identified with Mr. Rogers. The second time I knew I was the reporter.
I’ve recovered a great deal from my past dealings with difficult people. But as I thought about returning to social media with a Mr. Rogers approach, I knew I couldn’t do it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are some really mean people on social media. I’ve heard all the platitudes like “haters gonna hate” and “hurt people hurt people,” but that hasn’t helped me in my desire to avoid them.
When the reporter admits that he had a physical fight with her father, Fred Rogers’s reaction made me catch my breath. His compassion made me realize how much I need compassion–not from people on social media I don’t know. But from my inner circle, from myself, and from Jesus.
The first thing I’ve been doing to experience that compassion is sharing painful experiences from my past with family and friends who I know will understand. I need to share them to let them go.
Next, I realized that there is no troll on social media who is meaner than I am to myself. I cannot be truly kind to others until I am truly kind to me. I am committed to making my self-talk consistent with how I speak to others.
Finally, and most importantly, I realized that Jesus is what I’m looking for. He can heal me so I can show up to heal on social media. When I am restless, sad, or lonely, I am going more quickly to God. I pray, read Scripture, or write out what I’m thinking and feeling to Him.
It’s a process and not an instant one. But God is at work in me and I am trusting in that.
Conclusion
After hearing the lessons I’ve learned, you may be interested in trying a social media fast yourself. If so, I encourage you to get a copy of Wendy’s book. Her daily devotions in the book uplifted me. Her humility shines through. She personally responded to my email about how the fast affected me. Wendy is hosting a group fast during the Lenten season before Easter, but you can do one whenever it makes sense for you.
One of the things I’m doing to counteract my negative self-talk is to post a message at the top of my Amazing Marvin digital task list that says “You’re doing a great job!” This should be corny to me and something I dismiss immediately, right? But it’s not. I like it. It makes me smile. So I want to leave you with that message today. You’re doing a great job! I detest the line ‘Let that sink in,’ but in this case I think it’s appropriate.
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Hey, homeschoolers! When you are teaching more than one child, one of the best sanity-savers is using a family-learning approach. I had to teach this way with six kids and I made sure that
Before I share the interview, I want to thank my sponsor for the episode: 
Hey, homeschoolers! This episode has a different format than what I usually publish. It’s the audio from a YouTube video by the same name. If you’d like to watch it instead, head to 
Hey, homeschoolers!
Hey, homeschoolers! It was the end of October when I saw a post on Instagram from a 
