The Homeschool Solutions Show

Latest Episodes:

HS 026: How to Feel Less Busy Even When You Can't Be by Pam Barnhill Oct 21, 2016

Show notes

There's a common misconception by many non-homeschoolers that what homeschoolers do all day is stay tucked inside their houses reading classical literature and practicing for the National Spelling Bee.

This misconception feeds into the whole socialization myth that continues to plague every homeschool mom who ever lived. Typically the reality is much, much different than the perception for most homeschoolers I know.

So we were in good company about late September when I realized that I had filled our schedule for the year with far more activities than I was comfortable squeezing into our week. And yet, I also found myself unable to give up some things due to commitment and totally unwilling to give up all the rest.

Faced with a year of busyness and stress, I started to consciously consider how I might fool myself into thinking I am less busy than I actually am. Or in other words, what is the zen of busy and how can I squeeze it into my life. ;-)

Listen or read the rest at https://edsnapshots.com/how-to-feel-less-busy-even-when-you

HS 025: How to be a Cool Mom (And Why You Should Want to Be) by Jimmie Lanley Oct 14, 2016

Show notes

We recently had a pool party with a group of Emma's homeschool co-op friends, and I've been told again that I'm a cool mom. I'm not a cool person. I'm kind of nerdy, actually.

So how do I get this label? It's not merely that I do these things (although they help):

make a monster pan of homemade mac-n-cheese and two giant chocolate chip cookies for a pool party
let the kids make a crazy fort in the sunroom with every available blanket, bean bag, and pillow
take Emma and a friend to an Ed Sheeran concert and crowd in with the rest of the fans

Being a cool mom is a much deeper issue than the money you spend, the time you sacrifice, and the quantities of chocolate and cheese that you buy. It's a matter of the heart.

Read the rest or listen here: http://jimmiescollage.com/2015/05/cool-mom/

HS 023: We're Losing the Culture War by Pam Barnhill Sep 30, 2016

Show notes

Don't show up to a culture war without a culture. — Professor Carol Reynolds

The world is after the hearts of your children.

No, I am not saying that to leave you shaking in fear. Don't be afraid, mama, because you've got chocolate and Jesus and a plan. There is no need to fear.

Instead I just want you to ponder that statement a while. Make no mistake that there is a culture war going on. The world has a myriad of distractions to pull our kids' attention from the ideas that have shaped our culture.

If we are not giving our children an education in that culture, then they will be ill-equipped to fight the war. We live in a world that delights in the crass over the beautiful, that encourages the easy choice over the good one, and rewards relativism over truth.

But fighting a culture war is hard.

Read more or listen at https://edsnapshots.com/win-the-culture-war/

HS 022: Sometimes I Feel Like Quitting by Sarah Mackenzie Sep 23, 2016

Show notes

Quitting homeschool, that is. And I thought I should tell you that. So often, we homeschoolers make this journey sound like its all roses, all the time.

We have a tendency to talk up the benefits of homeschooling constantly. After all, there are many: improved academic opportunity, better socialization, increased family time, the ability to weave our values all throughout the curriculum…the list goes on (and on).

We talk up homeschooling because we like to talk about it, but we also do it because we are constantly defending our choice to educate at home.

At least I know I am.

Read the rest or listen at http://amongstlovelythings.com/sometimes-i-feel-like-quitting/

HS 021: Home School Requires Commitment by Mary Prather Sep 16, 2016

Show notes

What does homeschooling REALLY require?

The current trend seems to be hybrid schools, box programs, online schools, or homeschool communities that claim to be the "answer" to a successful homeschool experience.

Granted, all of these things can be great HELPS in homeschooling. I have, however, seen some claim to be all you would need to homeschool your children. I disagree.

A successful homeschool lies within the homeschooling family. Never forget the HOME in homeschool.

In this four part blog series we will delve into COMMITMENT, LOVE, CONSISTENCY, and COURAGE it takes to homeschool our children and homeschool them WELL.

First and foremost, a successful homeschool requires COMMITMENT.

Read more or listen at: http://www.homegrownlearners.com/home/homeschool-requires-commitment

HS 020: Why You Shouldn't Start Your Homeschool Day with Math by Pam Barnhill Sep 09, 2016

Show notes

"Love is the beginning and end of education, because love is the way we become more human." — Stratford Caldecott, Beauty in the Word

I've heard the advice, and I'm sure you have too. You should always start your day with math.

Kids need to tackle difficult subjects while their brain is fresh.

Kids need to get the hardest thing out of the way first.

Kids need to eat that frog so they don't procrastinate.

Poppycosh.

I am all about personal productivity and doing hard things first to get them out of the way, but let me let you in on a little secret: homeschooling has very little to do with personal productivity.

Homeschooling is about relationships.

Listen or read the rest at: https://edsnapshots.com/shouldnt-start-homeschool-day-math/

HS 019: Ten Gifts of Homeschool by Emily Copeland Sep 02, 2016

Show notes

Have I mentioned lately how blessed we are to be a homeschool family? Sure, homeschooling takes work and there are sacrifices to be made. Let's not forget that our home constantly looks lived in, but the gifts we receive in return are priceless.

Today, we celebrate the gift of homeschool! Here are just a few reasons homeschooling is a gift to our family.

Listen or read more at http://tablelifeblog.com/2015/08/the-gift-of-homeschool.html

HS 018: My Biggest Homeschool Regret by Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley Aug 26, 2016

Show notes

I used to dread kindergarten pick-up.

My little guy would board the bus at 7:50 am. He looked adorable climbing up those big steps with his oversized backpack and book in hand. The book was as oversized as his backpack.

In kindergarten, he read big books: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, The Hobbit. He didn't notice that people noticed. I noticed that they noticed, but I was just so thankful he was content at send-off.

Unfortunately, pick-up was another story. I'd get to the pick-up line at around 11:00. I'd spend the next fifteen minutes wondering how pick up would go.

Would the teacher hand me a white slip today?

Would she make a negative comment about his day?

Above all, would there be tears in those big brown eyes?

Listen or read the rest at: http://my-little-poppies.com/homeschool-regret/

HS 017 10 Reasons to Add Morning Time to Your Homeschool Aug 19, 2016

Show notes

Do you ever have one of those mornings? The kind where nobody wants to get moving (including you). Nobody has a good attitude. Nobody can bear the thought of one more day of long division.

It happens more than I care to admit around here. Which is why I have a secret weapon for starting school days.

No, it's not coffee (ok, it is just a little bit). Instead it is Morning Time.

Morning Time is a time when everyone in the family can come together for a period of family learning. Most families include some form of the "3Rs" in Morning Time — reading, ritual, and recitation — but no matter what they choose to do, the most important "R" is relationship.

I've got ten reasons for you why Morning Time is the perfect addition to your homeschool.

Listen or read the rest here: http://ihomeschoolnetwork.com/homeschool-morning-time/

HS 016: How a Homeschool Mindset Changes Everything by Kara Anderson Aug 12, 2016

Show notes

Homeschooling has broken me, I think. I didn't realize it until last week.

That it has broken my brain. That it's broken the way I think about everything.

But I've never been more sure that I'm a homeschooler raising homeschoolers, and I've never felt stronger in my convictions.

Like with so many things, I have Dave Grohl to thank. But let me take a step back …

When my son was 6, he expressed an interest in learning piano. And like all parents, we immediately tried to figure out how to move a 1,000-lb piece of history into our living room as cheaply as possible.

I put a thing on Facebook. My friend Jes responded.

It took 4-grown men and a moving truck.

Read the rest or listen here: http://bit.ly/2b8Otw0

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