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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:

Not Just for Summer: Sarita Holzmann Jul 12, 2013

Show notes

Are you into the full swing of long, hot summer days yet? How is reading fitting into your school’s out plans? Can well-written books be used as boredom busters for the whole family? This week I am welcoming back Sarita Holzmann, co-founder and president of Sonlight Curriculum, to share with us some books for the summer she and her daughter, Jonelle, have chosen. Sonlight is a literature based curriculum and Sarita has the pleasure of reading all the books that land on her desk before selecting the ones that eventually end up on your kitchen table! She is going to be talking about this summer’s reading selections and enticing us with some excerpts. Come and join me on Friday, with a cuppa, to experience a taste of Sonlight.

How to Get Your Children Unplugged: Gretchen Roe Jul 05, 2013

Show notes

Today my on air friend, Gretchen Roe, and I are going to be talking about addiction, Digital Addiction! Gretchen has joined me for many a Friday chat and I think this one is going to hit home in many families. As Community Liaison for the Calvert School Gretchen fields a lot of questions from Mums, Dads and children in the homeschool trenches and she knows just what is going on in busy households similar to yours and mine, why? She has one of her own! Mother of two college graduates, one junior, one freshman, a 7th grader and 2nd grader Gretchen knows her stuff and her insights are invaluable! She presents Webinars for international home educating audiences, conducts workshops at conferences around America and has used the Calvert Curriculum for 20 years because she can homeschool for herself but not by herself. Is your family affected by the digital age? Join me on Friday with a cup of tea and get some well aimed pointers on how to get your children back.

I'm That Mum: Sue Patterson Jun 28, 2013

Show notes

With me this week is Sue Patterson a self confessed, highly involved, Mum of three who loves her children as if today is the only day she’s going to have with them. She knows she raised them differently from other people and she wanted them to unfold naturally without unnecessary peer pressure or authoritarian squashing. She went from soccer Mum in the suburbs to radical unschooler wherever she happened to be since she was a Air Force wife and they moved a lot. Sue wasn’t interested in establishing her authority or catching her children doing something wrong she wanted to be a guide, someone who had been there before, who wanted the best for them and who would love them and listen to them. Now that Sue’s children have flown the coop she blogs about her life and her “Motherhood in Transition” at Lifelong Learning and is a columnist for the new national publication at, The Homeschooler. She also runs the Unschooling Blog and Pintrest Carnivals. Bring some tea and join me on Friday to take another look at enjoying our young adult children.

Do Our Children Define Us? Shannah Godfrey Jun 21, 2013

Show notes

This week I’m welcoming back Shannah Godfrey a scientist who has succeeded in a man’s world and still managed to raise and homeschool 14 children! Today we are going to be talking about good parenting practices, comparing ourselves to others, the value of rebellion and whether it is reasonable to expect your child to have left home by the time he or she turns thirty! Shannah was a gifted child who decided to wait to go to college and found herself cast in the role of stay at home mother of five and foster Mom to many. Join me and this fascinating educator who invented the Godfrey Method, a phonics reading programme that has proven children don’t have to be rocket scientists in order to master reading. You will definitely need to be sitting down and breathing deeply for this show, so bring your Dandelion tea and wholemeal biscuit and join me on Friday.

Fimby: Renee Tougas Jun 14, 2013

Show notes

I am excited this week to be talking to Renee Tougas who lives on the side of a mountain in the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec in Canada. She and her husband homeschool their three children ages 14, 12 and 10. They are location independent, which means they can both work from home wherever they are. Together they are a family of outdoors enthusiasts, designers and artists, adventurers, programmers and homemakers, naturalists, sewists and idealists and followers in the way of Christ. So now you understand why I am excited! Renee describes herself as a creative spirit with a practical perspective and down-to-earth approach. She excels at getting things done and managing the details but doesn’t forget to smell the daisies by appreciating and capturing the beauty around her. Renee brings her love for intentional family living, enthusiasm for the natural world, and a passion for lifelong learning to everything she does. This Friday she is bringing all that and a cup of tea to my show so come and join us and get to know this fascinating woman whose blog is an acronym for Fun in My Back Yard.

Mission to Brazil: Spencer Farris Jun 07, 2013

Show notes

My guest this week is the oldest boy of three who were homeschooled ‘from the get go.’ Spencer Farris said his school books could follow him wherever he went. In his short life he has lived in Costa Rica and Mexico and taken frequent trips all over America in the family RV. His travels were both pleasurable and educational adventures where he visited numerous Historic sites and learned a great deal about a variety of subjects by interacting with the people. Spencer entered the community college at the age of 14 where he chaired the student senate, was invited to attend the national leadership camp Leadershape and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. At 16 he started work as an IT Administrator for a loan agency where he is currently employed. He took a two-year work hiatus for a mission trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil where he mastered the difficult language of Portuguese. He has been home for six months and will be marrying an outstanding girl in 2 weeks. Join us with a cup of tea to find out how homeschooling helped this young man to develop great self-motivation. I am sure you’ll be encouraged.

How to Raise an Entrepreneur: Barbara Haislip May 30, 2013

Show notes

My guest this week is a contributing writer for the Wall Street Journal’s Small Business Report. Barbara Haislip covers a range of topics relevant to small business and start-ups, including public speaking and the bottom line, humor in sales pitches, how to write an effective business plan, money-saving tips, how to learn from your competitors and deriving inspiration from vacations. She holds a B.A. degree in English from Duke University and was a copy editor at The Wall Street Journal for over three decades, editing stories from the World, U.S. News, Money & Investing, and Marketplace sections of the newspaper. She is currently a copy editor at Barron’s magazine, a financial weekly and a teaching assistant at her local middle school. She and her husband have raised three boys who are employed and happy in their work. Join me to day when I will be having my afternoon natter with Barbara about raising entrepreneurs

Encouragement for Homeschool Moms: Marcia Washburn May 24, 2013

Show notes

This week I am thrilled to have my very creative and artistic friend, Marcia Washburn, back on my show. Marcia holds a Master’s in Music Education and taught public school music for eight years prior to the birth of the oldest of her five sons, whom she and her husband homeschooled in rural Colorado for nineteen years. On past shows Marcia has talked about the Shuar Indians of Ecuador and her fabulous music book called, Beethoven Who? Today she is going to be introducing us to one of her e-books from her series, Management for Moms, competently covering topics such as obedience and discipline as well as housework and car mechanics not to mention the day-to-day parenting, educational, financial, and spiritual challenges we face as we keep our focus on God and his plan for our family’s legacy. Marcia is going to be focusing on Encouragement and has a special offer for anyone who orders the Management for Moms bundle for $9.98. A free copy of Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms. That’s four books for under $10. You can view the special at http://www.marciawashburn.com/M4M_EncSpecial.html. Join us on Friday with a hot drink and find out how to keep on going even when you think God has forgotten you!

Midlife Crisis Begins in Kindergarten: Mariaemma Willis May 17, 2013

Show notes

This week I am welcoming back Mariaemma Willis a Learning Success coach who oversees the home education of her grandchildren and works with homeschooling families in assessing their individual learning styles. She holds a Masters degree in Education, and California Life Teaching Credentials for Regular and Special Education. Mariaemma is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and consultant for parents and teachers. She has spent the last 16 years guiding children and their families in understanding and appreciating their natural gifts and abilities so that they can discover their passions and potentials. Mariaemma co-founded The Learning Success Institute and has co-authored several books including, Discover Your Child’s Learning Style and Midlife Crisis Begins in Kindergarten. Bring a cuppa with you and join me this Friday afternoon to talk about tapping into our child’s unique learning styles and thereby enriching our individual homeschooling experiences.

A Passel Under 5: Vivienne McNeny w/Melitsa Avila May 10, 2013

Show notes

My guest from a couple of weeks ago and I had so much fun together she decided to interview me for her Radio Show, Raising Playful Tots, and that’s what we’re getting this week! Melitsa Avila put me in the hotspot and asked some interesting questions to get a view of motherhood from the other side! I give some sage advice and encouragement for women just starting out on their motherhood journeys. I am proof that there is life at the other end of the tunnel. I had fun with my children intentionally and my blue eyed cowboy and I played and wrestled with them from the time they were born to now although the games are taking on a different shape! Stop mopping up the milk for a moment and come and listen to my show this Friday where I am asked to put my money where my mouth is and tell a few secrets as to how raising a young family worked for me!

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