The Durenda Wilson Podcast

One of the chapters in my book, The Four Hour School Day, is titled Overcoming Obstacles. There are testimonies from several moms who had what most would consider insurmountable obstacles to homeschooling. They each share what their obstacles were, why they decided to move forward anyhow, and what the results have been. Many would consider being a single mom an obstacle that would keep someone from homeschooling, but the truth is that there are more single homeschooling moms out there than one might think. Today I’m excited to have my friend LaToya Edwards here today to share her story. LaToya is a homeschooling single mama to 4 boys living in Tampa Bay, FL. She's a Christian life coach and writer. You are going to LOVE her story and encouragement even if you are not a single mom!   Ways to connect: LaToya's website LaToya on IG HSLDA support for single moms (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)

It's a whole new world when it comes to education. The headlines are packed with articles about parents who are struggling with school boards across the nation to maintain their God-given liberties to make medical decisions for their children. They are also fighting against ideologies that they believe are harmful, but that the schools still want to teach.  Parents are fed up and many have decided to home educate because they don't feel like they have any other choice, but deciding to homeschool because you want to and feeling forced to can feel like very different things. There are many emotions that a parent who feels forced to homeschool might be feeling. If you are one of those parents, please listen in. You'll be encouraged! If you are not one of those parents (and homeschooling) please listen in for tips to be as supportive and encouraging as possible! (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)

"If you could ask a 25-year veteran homeschool mom of eight anything, what would it be?" This was a question I asked moms on social media and I've now got a list of questions I plan to answer here on the podcast! Today's questions were: Did you ever feel socially deprived as a mom? How do I make connections as a mom?   (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)  

What do we need more than anything right now? Wisdom. Wisdom is what we need.  What do we need more than anything right now? Wisdom. Wisdom is what we need. WHY? Proverbs 3 expounds on how wisdom bestows well-being. What that means is that even in the midst of adverse circumstances, we can have the wisdom to navigate them in such a way that we are actually doing well in spite of them! This wisdom can only come from God and He promises to give it to us (James 1) When we walk in this, we become salt and light to a generation desperate for hope!  It starts at home and moves outward. Our children need us to set an example of seeking wisdom from God more than anything else: money, status, health, security, or safety. Scriptures: Proverbs 3:1-18 Song:  Here’s My Heart (Casting Crowns)   (Please go check out my new book, The Four Hour School Day-How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life, available at your favorite bookseller and durendawilson.com)

"If you could ask a 25-year veteran homeschool mom of eight anything, what would it be?" This was a question I asked on social media and I've now got a list of questions I plan to answer here on the podcast! Today's questions are: What to do about the bickering? How do you know you are doing enough? Tips on balancing needs and sanity What to cut out when you constantly set out for yourself more than you can do in a day? (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)  

To say our world has been in upheaval is a gross understatement. The amount of information we have to process is overwhelming and causes us to lose focus on what GOD has called us to.  This is exactly what the enemy wants. I'm here today to help you refocus and I'm praying this will embolden you to continue to live with courage and clarity! (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)

Did you know that as a parent, you are ultimately responsible for all things concerning your child..physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?  Our culture has sent a clear message that we are not qualified for these decisions by constantly undermining our role as parents in every possible way. However, as believers, we know that God has established the family and church as the pillars of society. If they falter, society falters. It's time for the church to take back our children. We need to be doggedly determined to give our children a thoroughly biblical education.  Listen in carefully, you're going to want to take notes! To hear more from Wesley please click here (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)  

We have seen many changes in our world over the last year and a half. All along, I've been thinking about how all of this is affecting our children and how we can lead them well as changes continue to unfold. The only source of true wisdom comes from God and I love how when we pray for wisdom and trust that He will give to us, He is faithful and does so in a variety of ways. Today I’m sharing a recent discovery that really resonated with my heart and that God used to help me discover some valuable nuggets of wisdom when it comes to leading our children well in the midst of change, whether it’s world change or personal change.   (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)

We are continuing our conversation in part 2 on the topic of high school credits. I've been talking a lot lately about homeschooling high school because this season can feel particularly intimidating. After graduating 7 of our 8 kids so far, I can tell that these can and should be some of the best years of your family's homeschooling journey! There is much to be excited about and there are also many experiences our kids have during this time that can be counted as credits on their transcripts! Today, Lisa Nehring from True North Academy will be helping us recognize not only WHY we can enjoy these years, but HOW by simply recognizing life experiences as worthy credits for our kids' transcripts! Some of the questions that we will answer are: Why do homeschoolers typically “under credit” high school?  What’s the benefit of thinking more broadly about credits?   Ways you can connect with Lisa: Website: TrueNorthHomeschoolAcademy.com  FaceBook Page: True North Homeschool Academy FaceBook Group: True North Homeschool Tribe; Instagram: truenorthhomeschoolacademy Podcast: https://ultimateradioshow.com/soft-skills-101/ Truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)

I've been talking a lot lately about homeschooling high school because this season can feel particularly intimidating. After graduating 7 of our 8 kids so far, I can tell that these can and should be some of the best years of your family's homeschooling journey! There is much to be excited about and there are also many experiences our kids have during this time that can be counted as credits on their transcripts! Today, Lisa Nehring from True North Academy will be helping us recognize not only WHY we can enjoy these years, but HOW, by simply recognizing life experiences as worthy credits for our kids' transcripts! Some of the questions that we will answer are: What’s the big deal about credits? How do we count a credit?    Ways you can connect with Lisa: Website: TrueNorthHomeschoolAcademy.com  FaceBook Page: True North Homeschool Academy FaceBook Group: True North Homeschool Tribe Instagram: truenorthhomeschoolacademy Podcast: https://ultimateradioshow.com/soft-skills-101/ Truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com Tracking sheets: https://truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com/product/log-sheets/ (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!)

Today we're going to be talking about the final educational years... That would be about 7-12th grade! Homeschooling high school can feel scary and intimidating, but today I'm sharing why there are many reasons to approach these years with a sense of excitement and adventure!  We have graduated 7 out of our 8 kids so far and it's been a privilege to walk alongside our kids through this amazing time in their lives! Listen in for great encouragement and inspiration! (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!) durendawilson.com

The most important calling on us as parents is to disciple our children. We know we need to instill God's word and ways in them and that apologetics is important. However, it can feel very overwhelming, especially if we are not sure where to start.  Today I'm sharing the why's as a reminder and inspiration to make Bible and apologetics a priority, but also some simple ways to get started! Resources mentioned: Younger Children's Catechism The Children's Scripture Catechism Firmly Planted Family Bible Study Indescribable by Lou Giglio The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones NLT Illustrated Study Bible (Tyndale)   (If you've read my new book, please leave a review so the booksellers will show it to more moms as they search the sites and you haven't read it, please check it out...The Four Hour School Day, How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life!) durendawilson.com        

We all know the importance of scripture. We know that God says that the words in the Bible aren't just words, they are our life! We know that his word is living and active according to Hebrews 4. It stands to reason that it would be wise to begin instilling the word into our children at a very young age. We can even read the scripture over them in the womb because we know that God's word does not come back void! (Isaiah 55:11) I have a guest with me today who is a homeschool mom and has a passion for reading the scripture over our kids. Emily tells her story about how she came to write 3 sweet little books that can be used to help us speak life over our kids! Listen in for some great encouragement! Ways to connect with Emily and her books: Link to all the places to purchase books:  https://www.generationclaimed.com/order FB: https://m.facebook.com/GenerationClaimed/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/generationclaimed/   (If you have read and enjoyed The Four Hour School Day, please leave a review with your favorite book-seller! This helps let other moms know about it as well! If you haven't read it, please go to durendawilson.com to check it out!)

I love the freedom that homeschooling affords and today I’m sharing why we opted to do school year-round. (Hint: it’s not as intense as it sounds!) We love the benefits of schooling year-round and I share many of them in this podcast. The one I forgot to mention was that while doing our “lighter” version of school in the summer, I often found it helpful to have a child focus on an area of weakness that we may have struggled to work on the rest of the year. If your family chooses not to school year-round and it's working for you, keep doing it!  I always say, "If it's not broken, don't fix it!" but you may just find some encouraging ideas here! (If you have read and enjoyed The Four Hour School Day, please leave a review on Amazon or with your favorite book-seller! If you haven't and want to know more, go to durendawilson.com)

One of the greatest challenges in choosing to homeschool is the struggle with being concerned about what others think. We want others to believe that we are doing right by our kids. We want our decisions to be respected and that is a natural desire because we were made for community. The problem comes when we place man's opinion above God's. The Bible calls it the "fear of man" vs the "fear of God". Listen in for some encouragement from God's word and to find out what fearing God above man might look like.   (This is the last day you can receive my free devotional when you pre-order The Four Hour School Day)