Homeschooling IRL

We received a message on the HomeschoolingIRL Facebook page that said, "Please, please, please do an episode on siblings fighting. Thanks!" Sibling relationships. Sibling rivalries. Siblings fighting. We put out the question to our listeners and they responded with story after story of siblings who know how to tease, fight and use sarcasm like professionals. On this episode, we dig into the topic of parenting through sibling relationships in your homeschool. Fletch and Kendra open up about their own family and share practical advice for handling those tricky, sticky moments when brothers and sisters want to be anything but best friends. We also announce our coffee contest winner and we each answer the question: "What Ben/Jerry's ice cream flavor would you create and what would you call it?"   Timeline 1:00 - Introduction 2:40 - Letter from Listener 1 5:04 - Letter from Listener 2 7:04 - Sibling rivalry intro 12:00 - Siblings who are Introverts/Extroverts 14:16 - Two boys battling all the time 18:17 - Coffee Contest Winner/Bonus Question for Fletch/Kendra 23:45 - Siblings fighting for attention 25:00 - Creating space for your kids 26:00 - Sarcasm among siblings 27:30 - Boys fighting 29:39 - Help me! I'm nagging 33:35 - Closing thoughts SHOW NOTES Our Sponsor: Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline's Coffee for 10% off any order. Music clips used on this show: "George Street Shuffle" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Three Little Birds, Ziggy Marley (Click on link to purchase) Pick A Little/Talk A Little, The Music Man (Click on link to purchase) Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

Last month, Fletch read an interesting article in The Washington Post called, Racism in Schools is Pushing More Black Families to Homeschool Their Children. The title alone was enough to get him interested, but in the article the writer discussed why there has been such a sharp rise in African American Homeschooling. We thought this was a good discussion to have with our listeners, so we pursued the author for an interview. Dr. Ama Mazama, professor of African American Studies at Temple University and homeschooling parent, joins us for an important discussion. In our interview, Professor Mazama discusses her research and shares with us why she believes there has been a distinct rise in homeschooling among black families. You will want to listen to this interview and join us as we explore the questions and challenges that this discussion creates. Timeline 3:00 - Introduction 9:30 - Interview Part 1 35:20 - Interview Part 2 Show Notes Dr. Mazama's Biography Racism in Schools is Pushing More Black Families to Homeschool Their Children. Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline's Coffee for 10% off any order. Music clips used on this show: "Night Cave" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

Whether it's burnout or lack of content, the average "brand new" podcast will not survive beyond 7 episodes. At Homeschooling In Real Life, we are NOT average. That is why we are celebrating the past 50 episodes of our podcast with you! You have to join us for this fast paced run down memory lane. We take our listeners on a brief tour through the best of the HomeschoolingIRL podcast. It's fun, deep, interesting, and we worked very hard to mill out the content that will challenge you to think and bring a smile to your face. If you want your friends to know why you love the podcast, share this episode with them. You'll either get them hooked or scare them far, far away from the biggest homeschool whack jobs you know - Fletch and Kendra, of course! Timeline 7:00 - Review of Featured Clips 32:00 - Flubs/OutTakes Show Notes Our sponsor for this episode: Caroline's Coffee in Grass Valley, CA. To try the best hand-roasted coffee from the heart of California's gold country, please visit their online store and enter the custom code: HIRL for 10% of your purchase. Music clips used on this show: Click on the song title to purchase the music on iTunes. All We Need Is Love - Dominic Balli Mrs. Robinson - Pomplamoose Monkeys Spinning Monkeys and Scheming Weasel (faster version) by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC Attribution 3.0. Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

What if someone told you that you had no right to be angry? What if you could live a life that was defined as unoffendable? What would it look like to not be offended by the things people say and do, or by the way they treat you? And what if you could smile and relax, knowing that God has covered every offense with his inexhaustible love for you? Homeschoolers, let's face it. We are quick to be offended. Whether it's outsiders who watch us and don't like our educational choices or fellow homeschoolers who challenge our methods or curriculum, we can often take offense at anyone who questions what we are doing. What would your life look like if you were unoffendable? On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, we're talking with radio host Brant Hansen about his new book, Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better. When the gospel gets involved, it really is your best life, forever. Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

Homeschooling your special needs child can be tricky and challenging. It can also be one of the biggest hidden blessings in your family. Are you homeschooling a child who has special needs? Guess what? So are Fletch and Kendra. Join us on they episode as we get on the phone with Wendy Hilton of Hip Homeschool Moms to discuss the challenging journey and unexpected joys of homeschooling a child with special needs. Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie - Purchase Here

As homeschoolers, many of us do a great job taking care of our children, their schoolwork and all of their curriculum, but often we miss taking care of our own marriages. That is where Barrett and Jenifer Johnson come in. We know the Johnsons from their ministry at I.N.F.O for Families and their past visits on the HomeschoolingIRL podcast. Now we are happy to introduce you to their new adventure, The Real Marriage Podcast. We think you are going to love it! You might remember Episode 13, when we spoke with Barrett about his very popular internet article: How To Raise A Pagan In A Christian Household. Then they joined us again on Episode 16 when we discussed the topic: How to Talk To Your Kids About Sex! On this episode, we pull the Johnsons back into our studio, but this time we turn the tables and ask them all about their new podcast and learn all about The Real Marriage Podcast. Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

How important is it for us to practice transparent parenting with our children? What should you do when your children ask you questions that are just too personal or too painful to answer? If we do practice transparency, will our kids simply follow our example? In this episode, we sit down with marriage and family therapist, Chris Oneth, to discuss the topic of transparency in our parenting. We answer these questions and many more as we talk through this very difficult topic. Join us as we discuss the importance of being honest with our kids and share techniques for walking into the difficult conversations. We share with our listeners how the gospel helps us to conquer our fears. We also address the error of parenting from a place of shame and as always we encourage you to celebrate the freedom that comes when we embrace the grace of God. Join us on this episode as we encourage you to press into your anxiety, to get real in your marriage, and to practice transparency with your children. Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Join Fletch once again as he travels back into television history and shares the second half of his top 10 lessons he has learned from the TV dads he was raised with. In the middle of getting their home ready to sell, Fletch heads back into the studio alone for this episode (don't worry, Kendra pops in to say hello!). As he continues on the second half of his list, Fletch finds some basic life lessons from Howard Cunningham, John Robinson, Tim Taylor, Gomez Addams, and Cliff Huxtable. What lessons do you think Fletch will find on this list of TV dads? Tune into this episode of  Homeschooling In Real Life, To Go! and find out. Timeline 8:51 TV Dad #6 - Howard Cunningham 13:07 TV Dad#7 - John Robinson  17:47 TV Dad #8 -  Gomez Addams 21:14 TV Dad #9 - Tim Taylor 26:30 TV Dad #10 - Cliff Huxtable Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

On the HomeschoolingIRL podcast, we have spent 44 episodes  telling stories of other homeschooling  families. We continue to share one major theme: Live in the gospel and stop shifting your hope onto the world or religion. On this episode, we shift gears and finally share our own story of losing our religion and our recovery from "gospel amnesia."  From that hot summer morning in the summer of 2008, when we found our 7-week-old baby in a coma, we share the events that led to a massive overhaul in our marriage, our parenting, and ultimately, our faith in Christ. That sickly baby boy was just the beginning; there would be harder trials and far more refining ahead. Does your own faith feels stagnant or does the Christian life seem joyless? Join us as we share what unlocked the self-made prison doors and caused us to lose our religion but find a deeper, more glorious faith in the power of the cross! Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Top 10 lessons from TV dads? What could we possibly learn from a bunch of characters on television? Join Fletch as he takes a trip into television history and shares his top 10 lessons he has learned from the TV dads he was raised with. This episode was recorded straight from the Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Convention in Nashville, TN. While Kendra was busy meeting other homeschool parents and presenting her sessions, Fletch pulled lessons from Mike Brady, Charles Ingalls, Homer Simpson, Ward Cleaver and Sheriff Andy Taylor. Along the way, he also interviewed several homeschool parents on the floor of the TTD Convention and asked them, "Who is your favorite TV Dad and why?" There are lessons on this podcast episode for both husbands and wives, so tune in and enjoy the first five dads from Fletch's list on this episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, To Go! Timeline 4:46 Nashville Guests Part 1 7:00 Lesson #1 - Mike Brady 9:45 Lesson #2 - Charles Ingalls 14:00 Lesson #3 - Homer Simpson 18:26 Nashville Guests Part 2 19:31 Lesson #4 - Ward Cleaver 23:50 Lesson #5 - Andy Taylor 30:35 Nashville Guests Part 3 Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life. Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) YouTube clips used for Mike Brady, Charles Ingalls, Homer Simpson, Ward Cleaver and Andy Taylor. For more information, follow the links.

What comes to mind when you think of homeschool conventions? Most people either love them or hate them! In the span of a few days at a homeschooling convention, you can easily get overwhelmed by the huge vender halls and rows upon rows of curriculum choices. The workshops span topics all over the homeschooling spectrum, not to mention discussions about parenting, marriage and general life. On this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life, Fletch and Kendra are talking homeschool conventions, considering both the pros and cons of attending one. You'll might find that many of the points made echo with you, and you also might be surprised to discover ways in which you are able to minster or be ministered to at your nearest homeschool convention. Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every week as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life. "Whiskey on the Mississippi" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/