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The Sociable Homeschooler — Kids & Family
The Sociable Homeschooler

Have you ever wondered how people just like you manage to homeschool their children and apparently love every moment of it? Are you ready to give up the formative years of your children’s lives to a stranger? Do you think homeschoolers are weird? Does the word, homeschool, bring to mind Birkenstocks, jumpers, and hairy legs? Honestly half my family fit the hairy leg stereotype…so who cares? I’m here to help you let go of any pre-conceived notions you may have about home educators. Forget all the excuses ever made under the sun for not homeschooling and listen to my show which is a generous mix of my life as the oxymoron, Sociable Homeschooler, international guests from all walks of life and light hearted views and comments about education and basements. I will also bend your ear with excerpts from my soon to be published book, also entitled, The Sociable Homeschooler, which chronicles many good causes for why my blue eyed cowboy and I chose to go off the deep end hand in hand with God and have everyone talking about us behind our backs and in the end winning them over. Come and be won over on Toginet Radio Live on Fridays, if only to get a weekly taste of Britain.

Latest Episodes:

The Big Event: Samuel & Nathaniel Baggarley May 03, 2013

Show notes

I am delighted to have my two young nephews from England on my show this week. Samuel and Nathaniel Baggarley came across the pond for the first time to attend the Wedding of the Year! They were bedazzled and entertained, dined not whined and spent an inordinate amount of time wet. They had a whirlwind five days cramming everything they could into their visit to take oodles of stories back home with them, from missing a plane to seeing the aftermath of a police car chase to the intricacies of a mail box and the deliciousness of sopapillas, from dancing at a wedding to setting off an alarm! Join me this Friday to hear them chat unabashedly about what they did and how the American Way appeared to them.

Banning Homeschooling Violates Parental Rights: Mike Donnelly Apr 26, 2013

Show notes

Mike Donnelly is back with me this week and we are going to be talking about the impact the Romeike vs Holder hearing, at the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals this week, could have on American homeschoolers. Mike and his wife teach their seven children at home and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which have been aired with me on this show. Mike also serves as Staff Attorney and Director of International Relations for member affairs at the Home School Legal Defense Association and is Adjunct Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, in Virginia. Today’s conversation will centre around the belief the American Government may have that it would not violate our rights if it decided to ban homeschooling entirely. Wither the thought and thank God for men like Mike whose work at HSLDA is to defend both the American and International right to choose how we educate our children. Join me this Friday on Toginet Radio and listen as Mike encourages us to defend our decisions to homeschool and be the parents God created us to be.

Raising Playful Tots: Melitsa Avila Apr 19, 2013

Show notes

I discovered my guest this week through my faithful listener in California who thought putting the two of us together with our English accents would be a hoot! Melitsa Avila is a former teacher, mother of three boys and military wife who hosts a weekly show called Raising Playful Tots. She specialises in delivering Early Childhood play information straight from practitioners and experts into the hands of parents and carers to improve their under 5 play opportunities. Melitsa has been blogging since 2007 sharing forgotten play activities, promoting discussion and community to encourage parents to have fun with their children intentionally and make choices about play the way we remembered it from our childhood. Leave your dustpan and brush in the cupboard and join me this week to pick up some ideas on how to make your home a place where you and your young ones can experiment and have fun with common household items.

Love Extravagantly: Polly Wright Apr 12, 2013

Show notes

My guest this week is the daughter of a colleague of mine from the days when I worked in Corporate America, way before any self-respecting career woman would ever consider homeschooling!! Polly Wright started a ministry in 2010 called We Are Cherished which reaches out to women in the sex industry and provides the community they need when they are ready to leave. She is passionate for women to know their true worth and value and discover who they were created to be. Polly and her husband have been married for 17 years and have beautiful twin daughters together. In 2008, God prompted her to start homeschooling their girls, little did she know that an ulterior motive was in play as all of their lives began to change. Polly will tell us the story of her personal journey that led to her book, Cherished: Shattered Innocence. Restored Hope. Join us during the noon hour this Friday and be loved extravagantly.

World Tour the Mama Way: Jennifer Miller Apr 05, 2013

Show notes

Jennifer Miller is back with me this week to talk about the open-ended tour of the world she and her family are embarked upon. They have been nomads for five years now and love every minute of it, well almost. Today she will be sharing her favourite spot in the world and her least favourite! Jennifer is passing on her legacy of an uncommon childhood to her offspring and seriously homeschooling while on the road! How does she do it? What does a vacation look like to a family of travellers? How do they decide what to tote with them? What about money? Language? Accomodation? What does location independent mean? Tune in this week to find out more about how Jennifer, her husband and four children are living their family dream. Their lifestyle will razzle and dazzle you and you’ll want to join Jennifer by following her at www.edventureproject.com If it’s Friday join us with your coffee, a home made goody and a map to track the countries Jennifer is going to be talking about!

Planting a Church: Matt Rothacher Mar 29, 2013

Show notes

My guest this week is Matt Rothacher who has been ministering as a full-time youth pastor in Arkansas for the past eleven years, and until 2011 was convinced that he would do that forever, but God had different plans. In November of 2011 He solidified the call Matt had been wrestling with since the previous summer. With God at his back Matt stepped out of the ministry world he knew so well and began plans to plant a church in the community of Vilonia, Arkansas. Matt has a passion for the Word and a strong faith in what God has called him to do among the people of Vilonia. He is addicted to diet coke, brownies, pizza, and McDonald’s (where he offices), is in love with his best friend and wife Julie, and adores being “Daddy” to his three children. He has promised us laughter amidst the passion of this hot cross bun day so set apart an hour and come and listen on Friday.

Where Does Human Trafficking Happen? Kristin Deal Mar 22, 2013

Show notes

My guest this week, Kristin Deal, has just returned from Goa, India where she was involved in international work with trafficking. India and other South East Asian countries are probably where you and I both imagine most human trafficking to take place. However, Kristin is going to be telling us about what goes on in our own backyard, sometimes right underneath our noses. Kristin is a born and bred Texan from Fort Worth, right down the road from me in Dallas. She received her Masters in Social Work through the University of Texas at Arlington. She has been married to her husband Brad for almost 2 years now and enjoys hearing his stories of being a middle school teacher. They have one child named Burger, their rescue dog. Kristin currently works at Catholic Charities Fort Worth as a Case Manager and Outreach Worker specifically helping refugees and victims of trafficking. Join me on Friday to hear this young woman’s passion for combating injustice and giving hope and voice to the vulnerable in her community.

Flexi-Schooling: Steve Richards Mar 15, 2013

Show notes

I am welcoming back a British home educator who keeps us updated on what is going on in my fair country. Steve Richards is one of the directors of Northstar Worldwide which offers support and resources to homeschooling families all over the world. Steve is also a founding member of one of the home education groups in England called Home Service and he has spoken widely at conferences in the United Kingdom and overseas. Both he and his wife, Lyn, homeschooled their children. Today we are going to be talking about flexi-schooling. Also on our topics list is the interesting observation Steve has made that Christian homeschoolers seem to be much more concerned about whether they are doing a good job educating their children than their secular counterparts who appear to have more peace about what they are doing at home. Join us this Friday and prepare to ask yourselves some questions about your motive for home-based learning.

Calvert: Global, Virtual & Hands On: Gretchen Roe Mar 08, 2013

Show notes

I am delighted that my dear on air friend, Gretchen Roe, is joining me again this week for another lively discussion about...well, you’ll have to tune in to find out! Gretchen is Community Liaison for the Calvert School, presents Webinars for international homeschool audiences, conducts workshops at conferences around America and has used the Calvert Curriculum herself for the last 19 years. Gretchen has six children and her favourite topic is about homeschooling not being purely school at home. Calvert is a comprehensive curriculum that can be started any time during the year and with advisory teachers on staff you can educate your children on your own but not alone. Join me this Friday to find out about a curriculum that is Global, Virtual and Hands On.

Driven to Humor: Kate Hall Mar 01, 2013

Show notes

The name of my guest’s blog attracted me and I in turn caught her attention by complimenting her on her funny musings and inviting her to come and be down to earth and honest with me this week. Kate Hall is a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom with one husband, Steve, of 10 years, and three young children, all adopted from China (not the husband) and all born with cleft lip and palate (again, not the husband). When not answering bizarre questions and wiping poop off the walls Kate attends to her creatively named blog, Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine With My Morning Quiet Time? Her blog started as a way to share their adoption journeys with family and friends. But somewhere along the line the comments she was receiving about her droll blogs went to her head and drove her to make the change from adoption to humor blog. Kate fills her time without adult company writing on such topics as her husband's make-out tape, scatter-brained mommies, 80s fashion trends she failed at, and other everyday things. Bring your cuppa and join us on Friday for an amusing take on parenting and homeschooling.

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