Hi friends, welcome back to the Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology podcast! I took a short break for a summer guest podcast series, but I’m so excited to be back for Season 10 of the podcast. I’ve already recorded several super encouraging conversations that I can’t wait to bring your way. I think this season is going to be especially inspirational and encouraging, but with plenty of practical tips as well. Today’s episode will give you a little behind the scenes family update, then I’m answering YOUR questions.
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Send me a screenshot of your review and I’ll send you this Abolition of Man webinar for free as a thank you.
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Homeschool Conversations Podcast and Family Updates:
Family News
- Isaac had an extended hospitalization most of May. We all limped into summer, and I eventually just declared us officially “done” with homeschool. (You can follow along with Isaac’s cancer journey on my Instagram highlights.)
- Joshua had an out of state internship over the summer
- We helped throw a church wedding, my husband and I celebrated our 20th anniversary, and we enjoyed several visits with out of town family who came to see us
- This school year our oldest will continue his 2nd year at university as an electrical engineering major, and we will still have a 12th grader, 9th grader, 7th grader, and 4th grader at home.
- I gave an update on several of our homeschool curriculum choices for this year in the episode itself. Make sure you listen to hear what we’re studying in our homeschool this year!
And remember you can always head to HumilityandDoxology.com/Favorites, send me a DM on Instagram, or email if you have questions about any homeschool curriculum choices!
Links mentioned:
This season of life has made me more conscious of balancing homeschooling with family life, and I’m thankful for the flexibility that homeschooling provides.
Podcast News
This episode marks the beginning of my tenth season of the podcast, which is super exciting. I’m considering changing the release schedule, possibly moving to a weekly instead of a bi-weekly format depending on how life unfolds in the coming months.
Make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast so you don’t miss any new episodes! You can also follow me on Instagram for regular updates. This season we will interview guests on topics ranging from homeschooling the little years, middle school, high school, and launching adults. We’ll talk to a literature teacher and a scientist. It’s going to be awesome!
Listener Questions
I go into a lot of detail in the podcast episode, so please don’t consider the brief summaries below to be a substitute for listening in!
Joanna: You are helping set up for a church picnic and you are grabbing things out of the fridge. Someone brought store bought potato salad. Are you the type to transfer into a glass bowl or do you just stick a spoon in it?
You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear my answer to this one. lol
Kara: How did you handle homeschooling while your kiddos were going through puberty? It seems like a lot of homeschool moms are hesitant to discuss this in order to protect their kids, which I understand, but general principles would be helpful!
I acknowledged the challenges of homeschooling during this transitional period, and emphasized the importance of empathy, patience, and open communication. Consider allowing flexibility in the homeschool schedule to accommodate mood and energy levels, and remember to focus on maintaining a strong relationship with your child during this time. I also highlighted the value of discussing the changes happening during puberty openly and honestly to help the child feel supported and understood.
Links mentioned:
- Outsourcing Homeschool Writing: IF and WHEN to hire a writing tutor or join a writing class
- How to be successful with online homeschool classes
- Parenting Teens: the Most Asked Questions and a Real Mom’s Answers
- Raising Our Expectations: Homeschooling the High School Years
Lynsie: What advice and encouragement would you give when it comes to being on the same page with my husband regarding homeschooling philosophy? (She went on to say their daughter is going into 8th grade this year and her husband has concerns about not preparing her well for college/future life. There are some areas in which she seems to be behind her peers.) So she went on to ask, Is there a way to keep CM style while at the same time incorporating a more traditional approach to satisfy my husband’s idea of education?
I would always say marriage is more important than a particular homeschool philosophy. So don’t sacrifice your relationship with your spouse over educational ideals. That being said, part of a healthy marriage is being able to come together with different points of view and find a place you can meet together. Sometimes this may look like a compromise or giving in of one person or the other, but often it may look like finding creative solutions that meet both of your goals.
First, assess what is the REAL issue behind the issue. Starting with the big picture questions I suggested in the episode will give a fundamental foundation as you move to the practical decisions that have to be made.
Also, ask yourself: what is it you most love about a Charlotte Mason education? How can you prioritize these ideals in a way that may be a little outside the box?
All or nothing doesn’t generally work! Don’t throw out all of your Charlotte Mason dreams. Instead, try to find new approaches or ways of learning that keep your priorities intact while perhaps pursuing them in different ways.
All this being said: a rich, classical Charlotte Mason education provides a rigorous and idea-based education that ought to inspire and challenge a teen.
I’ll put some resources for Charlotte Mason exams (which are definitely challenging) in the show notes, but there is no rule that says you can’t include multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank questions on the exams you give in your homeschool.
This is your homeschool. You can do whatever you want. There are no Charlotte Mason police.
Links mentioned:
- Big Picture Homeschool Planning Guide
- Conversations, Relationships, and a Charlotte-Mason Education During High School (with Jami Marstall)
- Plutarch for the Homeschool Family (with Dawn Duran)
- Reading, Writing, and Making Connections: Homeschooling High School English (with Betsy Farquhar)
- Classical Charlotte Mason Homeschooling (with Adrienne Freas)
- Patience, Wonder, Ignorance, and Joy in a Classical, Charlotte Mason education (with Karen Glass)
- Humility, Worship, and Relationship (with Melissa McMahan)
- Natural Philosophy: Recovering a Natural Science and Christian Pedagogy (with Ravi Jain)
- What Exam Week Sounds Like in a Charlotte Mason Home School
- Charlotte Mason Exams
Lynsie: When do you know it’s time to get outside help when your child is struggling with certain subjects or areas within a subject? How do you go about finding that help?
I always advocate for accepting help when needed. Outsourcing certain subjects or hiring a tutor can be benficial for both the child and the parent-child relationship. I’ve personally outsourced subjects like calculus and writing. There are also many tutors who are within the homeschool community or will be more than willing to support your homeschooling endeavors.
I also consulted Kate Snow, author of Math with Confidence, who recommends bar modeling workbooks to help with understanding basic operations and developing mathematical reasoning. I also suggest resources like Challenge Math and Becoming a Problem-Solving Genius by Edward Zaccaro, as well as the Keys to series for targeted practice in specific areas of math.
Links mentioned:
Katie: Amy I want to know what school subjects or curriculums did you never think you would teach but you ended up teaching and why?
I initially expected to teach Latin through high school but ended up discontinuing it with two of your children who preferred to focus on modern languages. This decision surprised me but ultimately worked out well for our family.
I never expected to teach Saxon Math because I disliked it as a student. However, it turned out to be a good fit for some of my children, highlighting the importance of being open to curriculums that might not have been your first choice.
Stay tuned for Season 10 of the Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology podcast!
Thank you for your continued support of the podcast! Stay connected by subscribing to Homeschool Conversations, following me on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and joining my online homeschool community Made2Homeschool.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out my FREE Homeschool Planner Calendar available here.
Check out all the other interviews in my Homeschool Conversations series!
