This episode includes a big announcement regarding the future of this podcast and ministry.  Show notes can be found at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

This episode was recorded forever ago and I just couldn’t get it fit in. I figured with 2021 on the horizon and many families wondering HOW they can help in the new year now was a perfect time. I have many friends who have done foster care and have even adopted from foster care. Foster parents are some of the BEST people I know. It is a true ministry that is greatly needed today.  In this episode we talk about the legality of foster care and homeschooling, how Christian parents, can minister to teens coming from foster care without “pushing” religion or church onto them, accommodating homeschooling your biological or adopted children while opening your home to foster care and also accommodating those children’s needs/therapies/etc and so much more.  If you have ever considered foster care or are wondering how you can enter into ministry in the new year, this episode is for you.  Podcast Sponsor Biglifejournal.com Show notes and more at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

Today’s episode is a Fess Up Friday episode and I want to share with you one big takeaway. Amy and I talk about second generation homeschooling and how much things have changed from when she was homeschooled to now.  I can see this. And not all of the changes are for the positive. I am realizing after 2020 which I talked some about in my lessons learned episode that we need to go back to the basics a bit. Simpler times. It will make all of our homeschools a lot more joyful.  Amy says, “My identity is in Christ not in my work as a homeschool mom” and I just wanted to yell YES.  We put so much pressure on ourselves for perfection, but guys God did not call us to perfection. If He did, we wouldn’t need HIM. This episode is full of nuggets of wisdom, and I am sure will help you have a more joyful homeschool.  Podcast Sponsor Biglifejournal.com  Show notes and more at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

As I shared in my Q and A episode with Davonne I get questions ALL the time about my family, my homeschool, our traditions, and really everything.  So, I thought it would be fun to answer some basic questions on holidays, our traditions, and what our family likes most about the holidays.  Podcast Sponsor Biglifejournal.com (use code JOYFUL15 for 15% off your order)  Catch show notes and more at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

Kim Santee and I are talking about self-care. She says self-care for her is “creating a life I don’t need to escape from” and guys that speak volumes. What kind of life are you creating? I have had the life that I needed to escape from and it is not fun. We can do better. And it starts by creating time for YOU. No matter how small or mundane it may seem. You know what your body needs, and you can’t pour from an empty cup. We also chat about homeschool regrets, joys and so much more. Don't miss it!  Podcast Sponsor Biglifejournal.com (use code JOYFUL15 for 15% off your order)  Catch show notes and more at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

This will air after the election, however, I am recording this in October. Before the election. Regardless of how this election turns out, my hope is not in any candidate. It is in the Lord. That is one reason I am airing this now instead of at the end of the year. I want to share some lessons learned from this craziness that has been 2020. Who our hope is really in, how we can move forward and get back to what the world really needs-connection and JESUS. Podcast Sponsor Biglifejournal.com (use code JOYFUL15 for 15% off your order)  Catch show notes and more at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

How many times does something in your day distract you or your kids and lead you all away from school? Do you long for a more consistent homeschool? I am sharing some tips and encouragement to help you be more consistent in homeschooling.  Show notes: https://www.findingjoyinthejourney.net/consistent-in-homeschooling/

High school, it used to give me hives. Now? I am homeschooling two kids in high school, and I am tackling some of YOUR questions with my friend Davonne who is also homeschooling high school. We are answering the following questions:  What were our thoughts on high school when we first started out homeschooling? How have they changed? How does our children’s high school look like right now? Will our kids do dual enrollment? How do you create transcripts? How do you motivate a teen to care about high school? How do you know if your kids are getting enough knowledge and experiences? What are your children's plans for post-high school and how are you preparing them for it?  Catch show notes and more at Joyfullyhomeschooling.com Thank you to our podcast Sponsors Teaching Textbooks and Notgrass History

In today's episode, I am chatting with my good friend Davonne Parks about homeschooling different personalities. Do you have a child that makes homeschooling a tad more difficult than it was with your other kids? We have your back! We both have kids that have different personalities and have struggled with homeschooling. Today we are talking all about homeschooling that child who is so different from our easier firstborn kiddos. Here are a few topics we discuss:  What we learned from having children with different personalitiesHow their homeschools look differently than our other kids. Why we need to embrace the differences in our kidsHow we embrace the differences in our kids Catch the show notes at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com and thank you to our podcast Sponsors Teaching Textbooks and Notgrass History

Today I am talking with Dianna Kennedy about the classical method of homeschooling and NO this is not all about CC.  I share in this episode that the only experience I had with Classical education was our local CC group. Dianna really breaks down the idea of classical conversation and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about it from her.  Podcast Sponsors Teaching Textbooks and Notgrass History Catch show notes at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

We are halfway through this series all about homeschool methods. I hope you have enjoyed the series so far. Today I am chatting Literature-Based homeschooling with Kay Chance.  In this episode, Kay and I chat amazing books, natural learning methods, the importance of the 3R’s and so much more. I loved that we had read many of the same books with our kids. This episode is particularly helpful for those looking for ideas to keep your teens reading. Podcast Sponsors Teaching Textbooks and Notgrass History Show notes can be found at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

Today we are talking with Charlene Hess about the relaxed/digital method of homeschooling. I wasn’t really sure what this would entail before our chat but can honestly say I learned a LOT from Charlene. We may be slightly relaxed/digital. Who knows. We are all over the place.  Charlene and I chat about the all in one style of homeschooling, term scheduling, family schooling online, and what our end goal for homeschooling really needs to be.  This episode is sure to help you have a more joyful and relaxed homeschool.  Thank you to our podcast sponsors, Teaching Textbooks and  Notgrass History Catch show notes and more at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

Today we are kicking off a super fun series all about homeschool methods. I introduced this series a couple of days ago with my favorite homeschool method. In this episode, we talk about unit studies with second-generation homeschooler Heather Haupt. We chat about how you incorporate multiple subjects around one thing by utilizing unit studies. We have dabbled in Unit Studies a few times through the years and are using them fully this year with Gather Round Homeschool. They are a great way to homeschool multiple ages.  If you have ever wondered about unit studies in your homeschool you will enjoy this episode!  Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors Teaching Textbooks and Notgrass History.  See show notes at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

Because so many people are homeschooling right now, and because sometimes even after a year or two (or five) of homeschooling you change your method up a bit I wanted to do a series all about the different methods of homeschooling. So, for the month of September, I have SIX episodes all about the homeschool methods. Today I am peeling back the curtain on a day in the life of MY Homeschool. We are eclectic homeschoolers. What does that mean? We use a variety of homeschooling resources. My heart wants to be Charlotte Mason, but the reality is I can’t do it. So, we use a hodgepodge and have some Charlotte Mason tendencies. When it comes to being a homeschool mom, no matter which method of homeschooling you use, there is no magic formula to the perfect day. So, while I hope this series gives you a peek into other homeschool methods, I also hope you remember to not measure your homeschool day with any of ours. We are all just balancing. Doing the best we can, and hoping it’s enough. These peeks into the other methods are just that, a peek, so take a look, learn, and then find the method that works best for you! Podcast Sponsor Gentle Guitar Shownotes can be found at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

Today’s Fess Up Friday interview is with Monica Swanson. I have been a long time listener of Monica's podcast and was SO excited to chat with her today about her homeschool joys, struggles and fears. I love how she can look back on her homeschool years and see one of the biggest gifts homeschooling allowed her to experience-TIME. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsor Gentle Guitar Catch show notes at Joyfullyhomeschooling.com

I think many of us, as we begin new homeschool years have these BIG plans, and we don't allow ourselves a lot of flexibility, or we are set in our ways and aren't willing to adjust things to better serve the needs of our family. These mistakes, and a few other things I want to share, can make our kids HATE homeschooling. I am sharing what I have learned about how we can get our kids to hate homeschooling in this episode. Moms, I don’t know about you, but I want my kids to look back on homeschooling with a smile on their face. I want them to remember it as a fun time, yes, we have to do school, and that may not always be great, but I don’t want them to hate homeschooling. I want them to love it! If you want to start off the year encouraged and ready for a more joyful homeschool, don't miss this episode! Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Gentle Guitar. Find show notes and more at JoyfullyHomeschooling.com

When I first began homeschooling I was so nervous. I had so many fears and concerns, that is why I love sharing FessUp Friday interviews with all of you. It is so fun talking to other homeschool moms about THEIR joys, struggles, and fears because so many of us have had similar concerns and during rough seasons lack joy. Today we are talking homeschool joys, struggles, and fears with Julie Trujiilo from Whisking Apples. Show notes: https://www.findingjoyinthejourney.net/julie-trujiilo/

I first heard about Greg Landry from a homeschool network I am in. I started listening to his podcast and had to have him on. The reason being he spoke to me when he shared an episode about homeschooling the NON-science student. I immediately felt this weight lift off my shoulders because I have one kid who LOVES science and one that doesn't. Greg and I chat about the following topics: What science credits are required for high school? Is there a reason to force upper-level science courses on a high schooler who is not science-minded? Let’s talk labs if you have a child who is not planning on a science-related career do they need to DO labs? Or can they watch videos instead or even skip them altogether? What do colleges look for when it comes to science courses and admissions into a university? This episode is sure to help you have a more joyful homeschool!

In today's episode, I'm sharing some of the benefits homeschooling will provide you and your kids, as well as tips to help you get through those hard moments in homeschooling.  If you have every thought homeschooling was too hard, and been tempted to flag down that yellow school bus you won't want to miss this episode!  Resources mentioned in this episode:  Indoctrination Movie I Can't Homeschool It's Too Hard

I remember the day I first decided I definitely wanted to give homeschooling a shot. I just KNEW we would have so much fun homeschooling. I had everything ready. I checked out every book I could on homeschooling, and what I couldn’t find at the library I bought. Homeschool catalogs and magazines were being delivered to my home on a regular basis. I was going to do this homeschool thing! And, I was going to rock it! I felt like an expert going into my first day. Only to be met with tears. And frustrations. And hard days with NO support. Yea, I didn’t rock homeschooling my first year 🙂 But, that’s okay. What I wish I would have done though is have SOMEONE who sat alongside me and asked me a few important questions. I think that would have made my first few years easier, and that is what I want to do with you today. Show notes: https://www.findingjoyinthejourney.net/before-you-homeschool-2/ ‎