Every podcast episode appearing on the HomeschoolingiRL podcast radio show.
Are all of the extra-curricular activities wearing you out? Do you find it difficult to know when to say no to all of the good things your family could be involved in?
Join us for this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life as we talk with one homeschooling family that pulled the plug on all of the things that were keeping them away from the peace they desired and learned some valuable lessons in the process.
Read MoreIn this second installment of our most popular episodes from 2015, Fletch and Kendra respond to a listener's email asking, "What if your child is the homeschool group black sheep, the one the other kids are not allowed to play with?"
It's a tender topic and one many of you felt hit close to home. Let's listen again and hear how we might pour grace over our "black sheep" kids.
Read MoreSometimes in our parenting, there are difficult topics and issues that need to be discussed with our kids, even if we'd love to protect their innocence until they're mature enough to handle the weight.
The topic of sexual abuse is one such conversation. In this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life, authors Justin and Lindsey Holcomb join us to discuss the reality of sexual abuse, its prevelance in our society, and how we can equip even our youngest children to understand that they are precious people created by God and not to be taken advantage of those not out for their best interest.
It's important and necessary, and we hope you'll tune in to equip your entire family.
Read MoreIs courtship better than dating? Are families who practice courtship instead of dating out of touch, or have they found a method of creating solid marriages?
Thomas Umstattd, Jr. joins us once again to discuss how courtship became a component of Christian homeschooling in it's early decades, why parents were compelled to try something other than our cultural dating norms, and how it, too, can fall short of its intended purpose. Whether you are in favor of courtship, dating, or a combination of the two, we think you'll enjoy this episode and conversation and hope it spurs on good things in your own home.
Read MoreThe girls are back! We're talking hormones, those tricky 10-14-year-olds, and preparing our girls for the future. If you're navigating the world of raising the girls in your home, you'll want to join us for this fun and fast-paced episode!
Read MoreSibling relationships can often make a home life feel like, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." How do you handle kids who constantly bicker, are competing for your time, and who can't stand to share the backseat of the family car?
Fletch and Kendra are talking sibling relationships and giving some practical advice for handling those tricky, sticky moments when brothers and sisters want to be anything but best friends.
Read MoreHow difficult is it to be transparent with your kids? Do you struggle to tell them the truth when they ask questions about your past, your mistakes, or your sin issues?
On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, we've invited marriage and family counselor Chris Oneth into the studio to talk about being parents who are open and honest with our kids. Chris gives sound Biblical wisdom and practical steps for talking to our kids in a gospel-centered way that opens the door to deeper relationships.
Read MoreRelationships. Is this the hardest part about having our kids at home all day long? Probably, because people aren't perfect and we're seeing our kids' - and our own - sin laid bare before us each and every day.
But relationships are the means by which God grows us in so many directions, too. As crazy and terrible and fabulous and infuriating and delightful as living in relationship can be, this is the reason homeschooling is a marvelous tool. It's in relationship with our kids that we can see our need for a savior and point each other to the only One who saves our souls.
Join us for a poignant discussion with author Karen Campbell.
Read MoreCourtship or dating? It's a hot button issue for many homeschooling or conservative Christian families. On the one hand, we see promiscuity and casual relationships embitter lives; on the other hand, we see "uncourted" women remaining single well past the age they expected to be married and young men hiding real issues beneath the surface as they strive to impress a father rather than a daughter.
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That's right, we're talking sex, again. There was such a buzz after our last sex talk that we knew we had to let it spill over into another episode.
This time we're talking with several parents who answer in response to what the young adults shared in episode 16. Fletch also interviews a high school health teacher about what she sees in her classroom. Is it indicative of what homeschoolers are exposed to, too?
Let's have the conversation!
Read MoreSex. The unavoidable topic that looms large over our parenting, threatening a lot of us into a shame-faced presentation of the basics with our kids.
The problem is, so many of us don't love the way our own parents presented the topic of sex to us, or we feel like we were dunked into the junk of the world's bankrupt free-for-all, and so we either swing the pendulum or scratch our heads thinking, "I didn't realize this was going to be so difficult."
Join us as we talk to young adults about how the topic of sex ed was handled in their homes growing up, and listen as Barrett Johnson once again encourages us to raise kids with courage and boldness.
Read MoreSeveral months ago, Barrett Johnson wrote an intriguing post entitled, How to Raise a Pagan Kid in a Christian Home. He never expected the hefty response he received from parents in the broader Christian community, many of whom were replying with a hearty, "Amen!"
On this week's podcast, we sit down to talk with Barrett and his wife Jenifer, and we discuss exactly what they mean when they say, "We work so hard to shelter our kids, but we can shelter them so much that we don't equip them to have a faith that stands out in this world."
Read More"It's not just about how they act. It's about, 'Do you see how Mommy needs Jesus here? Do you see how Daddy needs Jesus?'"
-Jessica Thompson, Co-Author of Give Them Grace
We're having a light and serious, fun and deep discussion about grace and raising kids with author Jessica Thompson, and we want you in on the action!
What do we do when a child seems unrepentant, or when we feel all of our buttons are being pushed, all at once?
Also featured in this episode, a rousing round of "Q&A with K&A", where we try to stump each other with a hard-to-answer, often personal question. Silly good fun.
Read MoreWhat happens when a dad enters into his daughter's world? On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, we interview a dad who we think has got this one nailed. Brian Tompkins saw that his daughter Victoria was struggling to practice her guitar every day, and so together they created a rock band and held "band practice" instead of practice sessions.
And it's made their relationship epic.
Read MoreThe boys got all the air time in our last episode but this week, we're talking GIRLS!
Is there a difference when we homeschool girls? Should we treat them like the boys? What about as we look toward their futures? What are we preparing them to do? To be?
Join us on this episode as we discuss hormones, drama, Plan B, and hope-shifting. We'll bring you back to the gospel and have a lot of fun along the way.
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