There are a few books we recommend to brand new homeschoolers, and Julie Bogart wrote one of them! 

She's a mother of 5 (now grown) kids, homeschool OG, and brilliant mind who's helped thousands of moms shape their homeschools (especially ours!). 

She's just added another book called (Help! My Kid Hates Writing!) to her list of publications, curriculums, and accomplishments. Before you think this is just another podcast on writing curriculum or tips...it is SO MUCH MORE.

We are VERY excited to share her wisdom, insight, and humor with you!

When was the last time learning in our home felt truly joyful? What would it look like to welcome wonder again—even just once a week?

What if something as simple as tea and poetry could bring joy, connection, and confidence to your homeschool—AND be something you actually look forward to, despite it being another thing on your calendar.

We are proof it can and we're spilling the tea on poetry teas.

We're here to address the big debate... 

Clipboards VS. Skylight... Which one is better?! 

What everyone REALLY wants to know though...

What tool is really going to keep me sane and on track?

We're unpacking the pros and cons of both and sharing all we know about the Skylight so far.

When summer rolls around and you're already exhausted, how do you know if it’s time to press on—or pause? 

We're unpacking what it could look like to either keep going with intention or rest with purpose. 

Instagram lied...there is no "right" childhood and chasing it IS what's stealing valuable peace from our momma hearts.

There's no single perfect childhood you're supposed to recreate for your kids.

Not the one you made up from the 10 moms you follow on IG.

And not even the one you've always dreamed of giving your children.

The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all version and there's no possible way you could have foreseen every eventuality, the type of children you had, their specific needs, life changes, world changes...we could go on and on.

Each one of these factors changes the game a little.

And even in all this...God is writing your children's childhood through your family.

Today we're pulling back the curtain on the pressure we face chasing a fictitious vision of "good" and embracing the truth that the childhood your kids are living in your home right now is the one they're MEANT to have. Mess and all.

We want to talk homeschooling…more specifically….what a real homeschool can look like. 

Because every homeschool is different, every child is different, every mom is different, and every family is unique.  

In this episode, we have Sarah, a former public school teacher who thought she would never homeschool! 

She's a momma to 4 boys who all came in rapid succession, and she's been homeschooling for 2-ish years now!   

In this episode, we've got Ginny Kochis…a Catholic wife and mom to three twice-exceptional children.

With a master's degree she's a highly educated former high school English teacher with two decades of experience educating children of all ability levels.

Through her Quirky Catholic Kids website and community, Ginny offers practical support and prayerful encouragement to Catholic families raising neurodivergent kids.

And she believes (just like we do) that God gives curious, creative, intense children the exact mother they need to thrive.

We have to come clean...a recent study by Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute says that research participants scored an average of 94% on memory accuracy. This high level of accuracy was observed regardless of the participants or the time that had elapsed since the event occurred.

However, we have 6% to work with and add to memory-stacking!

Memory-stacking is all about filling our children's memories with good and beauty from their upbringing and their family, and not memories of "we-nevers or I-nevers" or fighting with siblings...or being forced to gasp do chores ALLLLL the time.

All jokes aside, the human brain has a major slant toward the negative. It's a protective mechanism, and it has an important job...but it shows up even it when it isn't needed.

It's easier than it should be to get to the end of the year and question whether or not you've even done anything this year. 

It's easy for kids to just complain about what they didn’t get to do, or what they don't have...and it to REALLY FEEL like that's true...even when we know it isn't.

So …. in comes memory-stacking...

Mostly, homeschoolers must do one of three things to close their year with the state...

A Portfolio

A Evals

Testing

Depending on where you live and what flavor of homeschool you follow the requirements will be different...check HSLDA to see what your state requires.

But let's look at some out-of-the-box ways to say goodbye to this year's homeschool adventures:

Be careful what you mention in front of your father-in-law…that's all I'm saying…that's how I ended up with a metric ton of mushroom compost in my driveway, and many wheel barrow trips back and forth later…a garden.

But gardening doesn't actually have to look like that. It can be manageable, it can be small, and it can still make a big difference for your family...

Nicky Schauder and her husband Dave are on a mission to help families grow their own food.

Their garden journey began when their kids were diagnosed with “failure to thrive” due to multiple food allergies. Because of these health issues, they felt called to grow organic at home... and since they have supplied 25% of their fruits and veggies from their tiny townhouse backyard. 

From their permaculture gardens, to speaking at Green Festivals, to their most recent project: A Permaculture Garden Designer App (which successfully launched on Kickstarter last year!), to growing their family of 8...they are doing some pretty amazing and beautiful work in the world.

So…

The thing about raising 'whole' children is it isn't actually about raising children at all…it's about raising adults!

Our job as parents is to teach our children how to hone life skills (from everyday living basics to critical thinking) AND to instill and grow holy characteristics in their little hearts.

 ...And Our guest today has taken the idea of teaching life skills to kids to a whole new level. 

For years now, she's been helping to change kids’ relationship to food, both through work in the kitchen and helping parents of picky eaters.

She’s a former teacher, two-time TEDx speaker, writer, and mom of 4.

She created the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse, which was recommended by The Wall Street Journal as the best online cooking class for kids.

And, if that wasn't enough, her blog, Kitchen Stewardship, helps families stay healthy without going crazy.

She’s on a mission to connect families around healthy food, teach every child to cook, and instill those all-important life skills!

It's nearing the end of year for us homeschoolers...it's time to choose a DONE day.

Deadlines are essential because they provide structure, direction, and motivation to complete tasks efficiently.

They prevent procrastination, foster accountability, and create a sense of urgency.

Meeting deadlines boosts confidence, tracks progress, and improves time management skills 

HOW… grab your calendar, open it up to May or June…you choose.

Close your eyes…

 Kidding! Kidding…

How ideal does it sound to have a teen that meal plans for your family...all the way though from looking at sales....to choosing good meals...to then making said meals...and even cleaning up after them...

Here's the thing...Moms suck at delegating...our brains are hard wired to see all the things that need to be done, to do the things the way we want or need them done, and do it as quickly & efficiently as possible.

We're getting closer to the end and most of us are feeling pressure to double down on finishing curriculum...worksheets...checking all the boxes that tell the world (and sometimes our husbands or nosey do-gooders) that we're doing a good job teaching our kids.

But we're here to remind you that you already are doing enough.

That even if you've skipped days, or haven't finished that math book (who has?! No one in school does!), or you "FEEL" like your kid is behind...you're doing a good job.

Your child is right where they are meant to be.

Homeschooling is a long game and they HAVE learned a lot already.

So instead of filling your bucket stressing over the final things that need to be finished this year...we want to encourage you to let go and give one of these activities a try instead.

It's no secret we love the tickets...but as with everything...it can get out of hand...

Okay...even a LOT out of hand.

Here are the boundaries I've set to keep our ticket system working FOR us and not the other way around.

Caveat: Listen...if you're deep in a survival season...if you're putting your underwear on inside out because you're getting dressed in the dark and only half alive...if your idea of a well-rounded meal looks like a cup of coffee...that's been cold for hours...

This podcast is for future you...and we promise she's coming...

If you're coming out of the fog...

If you have a little more energy and capacity

If you feel like you're ready to lay some great foundations for your kids (and frankly...for you!)

So tickets...let's talk about using them with the clipboards...or even without

I don't think I've met anyone yet who doesn't like earning things and getting prizes.

This, in particular, is handy when spicing up your homeschool groove.

Let's discuss what has become one of my favorite mom decisions of 2024—and possibly the last five years.

There was a big movement after the Yes Day movie came out to incorporate being a YES mom into our lives. I don't know about you, but I'm already a yes mom. I say yes to 1,000 requests a day.

Neither my kids nor I needed me to find more ways to say yes each day or to create a day where I give in to every whim my kids have, but it did make an adorable, albeit impractical, movie.

What I really needed for my sanity—and I would say, for my family—was a day when I could say no, guilt-free, to the extras we're always squeezing in and instead say yes to the things on my to-do list that weren't red-tag items.

It might be a little brutal if you don't know the theory behind red-tag items, but you'll get the reference to motherhood after I explain it.

We bought the thing.

We probably even started…

But then we got stuck…

This podcast is your unstuck podcast.

Here are 3 things you need to get you started with your clipboards today.