Homeschooling IRL

Homeschool critics seem to be everywhere and some of us have had our share of uncomfortable conversations about our choice to homeschool, how we're going about it, whether or not we're qualified to teach our own kids, and even what they're learning. Learning how to answer homeschool critics, especially those who are close to us, sometimes requires us to offer a soft answer. Other times it requires us to be very direct and set firm boundaries in our conversations or interactions with our critics. Either way, we need to remind ourselves of the gospel and remember that our identity is in Christ alone. On this short episode of HomeschoolingIRL, Fletch and Kendra discuss gracious responses and remind us all that we only really have an audience of One. Tune in and enjoy this episode of Homeschooling In Real Life To Go! Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace and KendraFletcher.com) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

It's very common for homeschooling moms to feel as if we spend all day telling the kids what they have to do, and then at the end of the day, dad swoops in and saves the day! And while we love that our kids are excited to see dad (or mom, if it's reversed in your home), it can be a bummer to feel like we are the "have to" parent and they are the "get to" parent. Does this sound like your house? It can be frustrating for mom when it seems like dad has all the fun! With a healthy dose of reality and humor, listen to Fletch and Kendra talk about this topic out loud. They are joined in the studio by Davis and Rachael Carman, owners of Apologia Educational Ministries and parents of 7 children themselves. It's a lively discussion you won't want to miss! NOTE: For a chance to win a copy of Rachael's new book, How Many Times Do I Have To Tell You?, follow this link to HomeschoolingIRL.com to join the rafflecopter. Show Notes In The Muthahood - Anita Renfroe Tim Hawkins Finding Christ in Cinema Rachael Carman's Blog Davis Carman's Blog Apologia Website Timeline 12:48 - Have To/Get To Parent Intro 20:34 - Rachael/Davis Carman Interview 43:27 - Wrap Up 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.

Fletch and Kendra are back in the hot-seat for another round of questions. On this 40th episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, we are answering questions from our listening audience again. Questions we tackle in this episode include: What do you do with the college kids that live in your home and interrupt your homeschool life? Any advice for incorporating an adoptive child into your homeschool family? Plus a follow-up question from Episode 36 where a homeschool mom asks about making the more difficult subjects more fun! Please join us! Go grab your spouse, sit down, and listen along as we answer your questions on this episode of Homeschooling In Real Life - To Go! Show Notes Steve Donahue - Homeschool Hope How Pursuing Your Gifts Impacts Your Kids You Never Stop Being a Parent Timeline 4:58 - Question 1/Stacy - College kids 8:20 - Question 2/Erika - Adoption 10:55 - Question 3/Jenny - Teaching the tough subjects 13:00 - Question 4/Carmen - Idol of college education 18:44 - Question 5/Ally - Dad and Mom on same page 21:00 - Question 6/Lori - Large homeschool family pride   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.

Let's be real folks! It's February and the mid-year homeschooling doldrums can hit any of us. One of our listeners sent us a great email with five questions all about homeschool challenges and wanting to throw in the towel. As we read through the questions he asked, we decided to combine all of them into one podcast and return  to a popular theme and call this episode, I Love Homeschooling But I'm Totally Burned Out. Don't be confused. You may think this is an episode for just the homeschool moms, but moms and dads alike are going to relate to the questions and discussions. As we answered his questions, we also turned our microphones onto other loyal listeners and asked three seasoned homeschool moms how they survive homeschool burnout in their home. These moms did not disappoint! Their answers were terrific and timely as we all approach midyear burnout in our homeschool  classrooms. Episode Timeline 2:12 - Introduction - The Fluff! 10:30 - Question 1 - Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel and put the kids in public school? 18:33 - Question 2 - Has mom ever been burned out? 24:35 - Question 3 - Has there ever been a disagreement about the direction of your homeschool between mom and dad? 33:28 - Question 4 - What do you do with lazy kids? 37:33 - Question 5 - Has dad ever needed to step in and stop the direction of the family? Academically Socially? Show Notes: Guests: Michele White, Kari Clark, and Cheryl Pitt Intro clip: Wipeout by the Surfaris - We encourage you to purchase this directly from iTunes ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

We were contacted a few weeks ago by HIRLer Derek Anderson who asked: Could you talk about the challenges of owning a home business as a homeschooler?  For many homeschoolers, owning a home business is the dream. The idea that small business ownership provides the ultimate in freedom and flexibility for a homeschool family is sought by many. The ability to introduce your homeschooled children to your vocation and the world of business seems like a perfect fit for homeschool families. However, as you can sense from the question being asked, we want to pursue the truth behind homeschooling with a home business. The benefits are there, but the truth remains: owning a home business as a homeschooling family comes with challenges. The balance of time, the isolation as a solo businessperson, and maintaining an income flow are all daily, weekly, and monthly challenges for homeschooling families that own and operate a home business. On this edition of HomeschooingIRL To Go, we invite you to join Fletch and Kendra as they invite guest Derek Anderson to join them in a quick and honest discussion about owning a small business as a homeschooling family. Show Notes: Guest: Derek Anderson - The Green Van Dry Cleaning Opening Music: "Open Those Bright Eyes" by Kevin MacLeod 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.

We are talking about relationships and asking the question, "Is it possible to be friends with our homeschool kids?" Most homeschooling families seem to have a good understanding of curriculum to use with their kids. Conventions and conferences often address how to teach math, writing and language. As parents we also have a natural understanding for disciplining our children and what household management should look like in our homes. However, what we often find lacking in homeschool families is the focus on developing relationships between parents and children. We have discussed on our show before how many of these homeschool graduates seem to be "escaping" their homes and fleeing their families. We are joined on this episode by author and homeschool mom, Karen Campbell, who addresses that very issue in her book Relationship Homeschooling. Karen shares with our listeners what it means to look at your children as your brothers and sisters in the Lord and how to apply the "one-anothers" of scripture to your parent/child relationship. EPISODE TIMELINE 5:24 - INTRODUCTION 11:55 - KAREN CAMPBELL, PART 1 27:54 - KAREN CAMPBELL, PART 2 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.

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! We love to surprise our listeners with fun stuff! We are super excited to announce that Homeschooling In Real Life has become a WEEKLY podcast. That's right! Each and every week we plan on releasing a brand new show for you. But here's the deal: great content and interviews take a lot of time and we are a busy homeschooling family just like you. So, on the off weeks, we will be putting together a shorter show that requires less production (and less coffee for Fletch). We are calling these shows Homeschooling In Real Life - To Go!  You can expect the format to be a little more casual. We will be taking these out of the studio, recording on the road, on the run, around the table, anywhere we find a discussion. These episodes may be as simple as answering a question, grabbing someone for a quick interview or maybe an expansion of our thoughts from a previous week. And we are doing it ALL FOR YOU! Thanks for being the best audience in the world of homeschool podcasting! On today's inaugural episode of Homeschooling In Real Life - To Go we are answering a question from one of our listeners. Martha called in to ask, "How Do I Make My Homeschool More Fun?" We loved this question, so both Fletch and Kendra take a stab at answering. As you have come to expect, their answers line up perfectly with the "have to" parent and the "get to" parent. 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.

Sometimes our listeners ask tough questions of us, and then our most meaningful episodes are created.  On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, Fletch and Kendra respond to listener Cindy, who asked, "What if your child is the black sheep of the homeschool group, the one the kids won't play with?" It's a tender topic, and one that requires an extra measure of grace and the gospel. How do we help our black sheep homeschooled kids, and maybe more importantly, how do we love the black sheep homeschoolers in our own community? Black Sheep Homeschoolers Timeline 2:45 Introduction to the podcast 9:27 Studio Discussion Part 1 - 17:45 Answering the Reader's Questiion 31:17 Studio Discussion Part 2 42:40 Q and A with K and A 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.  

Kimm Crandall was the perfect homeschooling mom: she had her curriculum chosen carefully, her children lined up quietly and obediently in the church pew, and her home-ground wheat bread delivered piping hot from her oven. She was doing everything "right". Still, God seemed angry with her, and she felt as if nothing she did would make Him happy with her. As she polished up the outside, she was dying slowly on the inside, bound up by her own good works and suffocating under the lack of grace within the homeschooling community she was a part of. It's an important and tender interview, peppered with humor and self-effacing realism. But the beautiful truth here is that Kimm boldly and bravely points us back to the Jesus, the only One who redeems every mess, every moment, and every bit of chaos. Episode Timeline 3:50 Introduction to the podcast 15:06 Studio Discussion Part 1 - When homeschooling turns from blessing to burden 22:20 Interview with Kimm Crandall, Part 1 - From normalcy to chaos 34:38 Interview with Kimm Crandall, Part 2 - Finding Christ in the chaos 48:12 WrapUp. 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.

So you don't have a teaching credential and you've never been to college. Does this make you unqualified to teach your kids at home? Continuing our series of "I Love Homeschooling But...", we get real with the idea of feeling inadequate to teach your children and discuss, "I Love Homeschooling, But I'm Not A Good Teacher." Join us on this episode as we sit down with two guests: private school principal and homeschool father, Steve Wilkins, who works through the question of homeschool teacher capability with us. What does it mean to be a successful teacher to your kids?  You just might be surprised by his answer. After listening to Episode 31: I Love Homeschooling But I Hate Teaching Math, we were contacted by HIRLer Paige Hudson from ElementalScience.com about teaching science at home. We asked Paige to join us and share some very practical answers to the questions about feeling inadequate, unprepared, and ill-equipped as a teacher when it comes to the subject of teaching your kids science. Episode Timeline 2:19 Introduction to the podcast 7:52 Studio Discussion Part 1 - Where is the balance in homeschool organization? 13:50 Interview with Steve Wilkins 28:08 Interview with Paige Hudson 39:41 WrapUp. Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

So you love the idea of homeschooling, but you are totally disorganized? Is this a deal killer? Should you pack up your kids and send them off to the local school house where they will be kept on track by rigid teaching plans that maintain scope and sequence? It's time for us all to get real with one another. Is your lack of organization thwarting your efforts at homeschooling? At the end of the day, the week, the month, are you constantly playing catch-up and putting out the fires caused by disorganization? If so, this is the episode you will want to listen to. What about the other side of this issue? As a busy productive homeschool parent, have you forgotten along the way that relationships need to come before agendas? Are you such a task-master that you forgot the children God gave you to develop loving relationships with? Organization in the homeschool can be both a blessing and a curse. On this episode of Homeschooing In Real Life, join Fletch and Kendra as they get transparent with their listeners and have the discussion out loud about balancing the need to bring organization into your family and preventing that same organization from destroying relationships. Episode Timeline 1:49 Introduction to the podcast 3:32 Sponsored by Grapevine Studies 4:56 Studio Discussion Part 1 - Where is the balance in homeschool organization? 14:40 Studio Discussion Part 2 - Organization brings freedom. 18:09 Studio Discussion Part 3 - Advice for homeschooling dads. 28:06 Studio Discussion Part 4 - Organization resources. 30:28 Listener questions/answers Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

And I hate teaching science. And writing. Or . . . Let's get real homeschoolers, most of us have at least one subject we don't enjoy teaching. What? That is difficult to justify when we are the ones in charge of teaching all the subjects. So what is a homeschooling parent supposed to do when there are core subjects that must be covered but there is no motivation by mom or dad to get that subject done every week or they feel unqualified to teach it? On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, Fletch and Kendra discuss the reality of teaching multiple subjects to multiple grade levels, resources for getting some help. Join them as they encourage their listeners to think a little bit outside of the proverbial box. Episode Timeline 5:28 Studio Discussion Part 1 (Sponsored by Compass Classroom) - Sharing our strengths and weaknesses 14:00 Studio Discussion Part 2 (Sponsored by Grapevine Studies) - Staying a step ahead 20:47 Studio Discussion Part 3 - Practical suggestions from Fletch and Kendra 30:14 Listener questions - Fletch's tie-dye wardrobe and parenting with grace. 35:18 Advent Resources/Interview with Amanda White from Truth in the Tinsel   Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace) for the HomeschoolingIRL podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.

It's time for an episode that's all about the men.     On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, Fletch talks with three other homeschooling dads about what they wish their wives knew . They discuss the trap of micro-managing, the pressure to perform that their wives feel acutely, and what they really think about making curriculum choices and attending homeschool conventions. They also ask the ever-present question, What exactly does it mean to be the "Principal"?   Be sure to join Fletch as he interviews Michael T. Hansen of The Great Commission Transmission Network, Shane Pitt (husband of blogger and conference creator Cheryl Pitt), and John Wilkerson of The Wired Homeschool. Then enter Fletch's TV dad quiz for a chance to win a $50 Lowe's gift card!   For complete show notes and links to what we discussed on this episode, go to our website: HomeschoolingIRL.com   Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace) podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.  

What are you doing to prepare your homeschool graduates for life in the real world? A listener called into the podcast and shared a story of how his son had his homeschooled eyes opened at his first job. World views, coarse language, sexual innuendo were all present in abundance.   In a world full of opinions and beliefs that may stand in opposition to the sheltered world of homeschooling, how should we prepare our students to engage and relate?  On this episode of Homeshooling in Real Life, Fletch and Kendra interview four recent homeschool graduates and ask each of them how well prepared they were for life in the real world.   For complete show notes and links to what we discussed on this episode, go to our website: HomeschoolingIRL.com   Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace) podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.  

You are going to want to grab your spouse for this episode! Fletch and Kendra dive right into the middle of the topic and discuss how the stress of homeschooling can leak into your marriage relationship. Throughout this episode you will hear live interviews conducted with couples on the floor of the Teach Them Diligently Conference in Nashville, TN. Be prepared for answers that you might not expect!  Fletch and Kendra also spend time talking and laughing with TTD conference founders and directors, David and Leslie Nunnery, about the challenges we've seen in our own marriages and some helpful ideas on how to preserve intimacy in the middle of family, life and school.  Pull up a chair and prepare to get real with Fletch and Kendra as we look at What Homeschooling Does To A Marriage.  For complete show notes and links to what we discussed on this episode, go to our website: HomeschoolingIRL.com   Join Fletch (from theMangoTimes) and Kendra (from Preschoolers and Peace) podcast every two weeks as they interview guests and talk through some of the goofiness they have experienced in nearly two decades of Homeschooling In Real Life.