What do you get when you take one tired homeschool mom and one sorta-sick teen daughter and put them in a room together in front of a microphone? You get today’s slightly-of-the-rails-but-still-totally-awesome Homeschool Conversations episode! My 16-year-old daughter, Emma, reprises her role as guest co-host as we kick off Season 8 of the podcast. (She has come on each season since Season 5, so if you like today’s episode, be sure to scroll back in your podcast feed and catch up on all that awesomeness.)
Now, if you’re new around here, I assure you that the regular tone of the podcast is a bit more polished. But today you get the raw, unedited, slightly kooky version of the Sloan family. So… consider yourself forewarned. (Some people actually say these Q&A episodes are their favorite… but I do just like to make sure people prepare themselves for the giggles!)
Make sure you’re subscribed to Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology so you don’t miss a single episode! You can expect an encouraging interview every other week, with a few bonus episodes sprinkled throughout. In fact, our very first bonus episode comes Monday and it’s going to be one all the Anne of Green Gables fans, especially, won’t want to miss!!
Be sure to check out all the other interviews in our Homeschool Conversations series!
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Key Takeaways from Today’s Episode:
Read Aloud Time:
- It’s easy to feel like we need big chunks of time for it to count, but 1 chapter a day or 15 min a day really adds up
- Start with the littles; set up your school rhythm so older kids start the day with independent work so you can really focus on that special cuddle/reading time with littles
- When you have limited time it can help to pick shorter books so you get that easy win
- Link read aloud time to something you’re already doing as a family together (breakfast, snack time, lunch, bed time, etc)
- Remember audiobooks count
- One of the most important characteristics of a good read aloud book is SHORT CHAPTERS
- Don’t let the Ideal Perfect Read Aloud Time you imagine in your mind take away from the Really Beautiful Simple Read Aloud time that can actually happen in the middle of your messy living room
Click here to see a list of some of our family’s favorite read alouds.
Homeschooling while babies keep you up at night:
- Be kind to yourself
- It’s important to be faithful in educating our older kids, but sometimes this will need to look a lot simpler than we anticipated
- Pam Barnhill Minimum Viable Homeschool
- Whenever possible, go to bed early
- Sunday naps are your friend (ask your spouse for help)
- Stay hydrated (and not just hyped up on coffee)
- Even a short walk can help (and sometimes ends up being better than more coffee or a nap); take kids with you or even just walk around outside of house
- When is your energy best? First thing in morning? Mid morning? After lunch? You know your own ebbs and flows best, so work WITH those energy cycles and try to plan the work you do with your older kids in those times
- What can you teach family-style?
- Are there ways you can outsource? Maybe a little outsourced class or maybe using an audiobook in the living room while you nurse/rest your eyes and the other kids listen and play quietly?
- Are there Really Good Things you maybe need to say “not right now” to? What are your must-dos?
- Eliminate as much decision fatigue as you can
- Ask for help
You may also enjoy:
How do you know what is an appropriate work load for your homeschooled high schoolers?
- Trial and Error!
- Assign amounts of time to read instead of page numbers
- Don’t be afraid to shoot high and not quite make it
- Think of it like how you build muscles with weight lifting…strain is good, injury is bad
- COMMUNICATION IS KEY!
CLEP Exams (College-Level Examination Program®)
- CLEP exams let you test out of introductory courses and move to more advanced courses sooner, saving time and money
- Easy to find a test center (unlike with AP exams)
- CLEP exams are multiple-choice
- CLEP exams take about 90–120 minutes to complete, depending on the exam subject.
- Basically pass/fail, college credit granted (doesn’t affect your GPA)
- Check colleges you might attend and see what CLEP exams they accept
- Consider taking CLEP exam after you finish studying the topic in your homeschool
- Also, if you’re required to take a class you don’t want to take, CLEP out of it
- NOT the same as teaching to the test
- NOT education
- But if you can get credit for what you’re already doing, WHY NOT?!
- $100 for 3 credit hours is about as cheap as it gets!
I’ll add the full transcript for today’s episode to the email subscribers freebies page. Make sure you sign up for my email list below to access this and dozens more free homeschooling resources!
Action points from today’s Homeschool Conversation:
- Subscribe, rate, and review Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology
- Other podcasts you’ll enjoy: Kids Talk Church History and Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Poems
- 40 Before 40
- Join Made2Homeschool for exclusive content and community
- Follow Amy on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Check out all the other interviews in my Homeschool Conversations series!
I really enjoyed this podcast. I love when homeschooling parents have their kids on.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I will pass on your message to Emma. 🙂