Episodes

Special Replay: The Flaws and Benefits of Homeschooling Homeschooling IRL — Episode 15 | Updated replay for 2026 From the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. This episode is a special replay, updated for 2026. In it, veteran homeschooling parents Fletch and Kendra sit down with homeschool graduate Matthew Mason for one of their most-talked-about conversations — an honest, gracious look at the good, the hard, and the complicated of growing up in the Christian homeschool world. Sponsor This e...

Are you homeschooling a struggling learner? Fletch and Kendra share three practical ideas for you as you consider homeschooling a child who struggles. Join us for this week’s episode as we answer a listener’s question about how to give struggling learners the time and attention they need. EPISODE TIMELINE :50 Fluff – shout out to John Wilkerson 6:33 Homeschooling the Struggling Learner 23:25 Wrapping it up 25:41 The show is over. Goodbye! SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Betty the Surf Dog ...

Are you homeschooling a struggling learner? Fletch and Kendra share three practical ideas for you as you consider homeschooling a child who struggles. Join us for this week’s episode as we answer a listener’s question about how to give struggling learners the time and attention they need. EPISODE TIMELINE :50 Fluff – shout out to John Wilkerson 6:33 Homeschooling the Struggling Learner 23:25 Wrapping it up 25:41 The show is over. Goodbye! SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Betty the Surf Dog ...

How to Raise a Pagan Kid in a Christian Home (with Barrett & Jennifer Johnson) Sponsored by CTCMath.com Episode Snapshot What happens when “good behavior” gets mistaken for gospel transformation? In this episode, Fletch and Kendra sit down with Barrett and Jennifer Johnson to talk about how Christian families (especially homeschool families) can unintentionally raise kids who know the rules—but don’t know grace. They unpack legalism, “recipe parenting,” identity, and what it looks like to sheph...

Thinking about homeschooling? Have a friend who is? Are you thinking about homeschooling? On this episode of Homeschooling IRL, we’ll answer your burning questions about homeschooling, such as, “Will my kids have to raise their hands to ask to go to the bathroom?”, “What about the prom?”, and “Who gets to be the lunch lady?” Just kiddin’. We’ve polled moms and dads who are thinking about homeschooling and asked them what concerns them most. We didn’t prompt or suggest their comments, and you j...

Special Replay: We received a message on the HomeschoolingIRL Facebook page that said, “Please, please, please do an episode on siblings fighting. Thanks!” Sibling relationships. Sibling rivalries. Siblings fighting. We put out the question to our listeners and they responded with story after story of siblings who know how to tease, fight and use sarcasm like professionals. On this episode, we dig into the topic of parenting through sibling relationships in your homeschool. Fletch and Kendra op...

Are you starting your school year? In this Best of HIRL, we gather around the teacher’s lounge and gear up for another year of teaching our kids at home. When this episode first ran, Fletch and Kendra were starting their 19th year of homeschooling with a bang and letting you in on the fun. In this episode, they also imparted 5 questions to ask yourself as you head back to school this year. Join us and let’s get the school year rolling! Sponsored by CTCMath.com SHOW NOTES to Back to School: Ep...

Homeschooling Will Save Your Kids? Sponsored by CTCMath.com Most of us won’t say outright that we think homeschooling will save your kids, but many of us pack this idea in the back of our minds: if we only do it right, our kids will turn out to be good, godly adults. Is that true? Can we trust that homeschooling will save your kids? On this episode, we share our own homeschool journey, where we think we got it right, where we know we got it wrong, and then we’ll bring some levity to the whole...

Talking with Kids About Tragedy Tragedy. In terms of media and social media, tragedy has become a staple of our daily diet. The world seems to be going crazy and the news is full of stories that are difficult for kids to process and understand. How do we talk to our children about race issues, murder, terrorism, and other tragic current events? On this episode, we dive right into modern events and take on the headlines of the day. We discuss ages and appropriateness of content and conversation,...

Can Your Homeschooler Go To College? The answer to this question is obvious: we all know that homeschoolers can go to college! This episode is brought to you by CTCMath.com – a wonderful math curriculum for all of your homeschool needs, or to brush up on new skills. On this episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, Fletch and Kendra get real and challenge their listeners to join them in a difficult discussion about fear and trusting God as they contemplate sending their children onto higher educ...

When our students hope to go to college, the perennial question remains: how in the world will they pay for it? We decided to return to the topic of affording college with College Prep Genius Jean Burk because we know she has valuable information to share. We think you’ll be encouraged and feel equipped as you help your college-bound student get the education they are pursuing! Affording College EPISODE TIMELINE 1:32 – Fluff : Discussion on tragedy, college visits, real life. 8:01 – Interview wi...

A special replay! We all have those people in our lives who prove to be a challenge to love: a grumpy toddler, a brooding teen, an irritable spouse, a controlling parent. How do we love them in spite of their unloveliness? What does the gospel tell us about our own unloveliness, and God’s love for us? Tun in to this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life for a touching and deeply meaningful conversation about loving the unlovable. Sponsored by Judson College. Where Is God Calling Your Student? A...

On today’s episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, Martha called in to ask, “How Do I Make My Homeschool Fun?” We loved this question, so both Fletch and Kendra take a stab at answering. As you have come to expect, their answers line up perfectly with the “have to” parent and the “get to” parent. Tune in to make your homeschool fun! For the next few months, we will be running a “Best of” series of the Homeschooling IRL episodes. Many of these episodes were earlier episodes that you might have mi...

Need some motivation? Encouragement? Tips? Join us for 5 Ways to Rock Your Homeschool! We originally titled this one “The Practical Episode”, and that is exactly what we’re talking about. Let’s go back to school with some tips that will hopefully bring you some freedom and joy this year! After 17 years of homeschooling, we’ve picked up a few ideas that have helped us as we’ve homeschooled our 8 children. We’ll share those ideas with you and encourage you as you kick off the school year. Let’s d...

Are you homeschooling a struggling learner? Fletch and Kendra share three practical ideas for you as you consider homeschooling a child who struggles. Join us for this week’s episode as we answer a listener’s question about how to give struggling learners the time and attention they need. EPISODE TIMELINE :50 Fluff – shout out to John Wilkerson 6:33 Homeschooling the Struggling Learner 23:25 Wrapping it up 25:41 The show is over. Goodbye! SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Betty the Surf Dog ...

Back in Episode 25, we talked about launching your kid into college. During that discussion, we explained how we have chosen to launch our kids during their senior year of high school, which allows them the freedom to begin making life decisions before they even leave our home. One of our listeners wrote in and asked if we would explain what that looks like from a practical standpoint. On this episode, we talk through what launching your high schooler into life can look like when you begin that...

Hate math? And I hate teaching science. And writing. Or . . . Let’s get real homeschoolers. Most of us have at least one subject we don’t enjoy teaching. What? That is difficult to justify when we are the ones in charge of teaching all the subjects. So what is a homeschooling parent supposed to do when there are core subjects that must be covered, but there is no motivation by mom or dad to get that subject done every week, or they feel unqualified to teach it? In this episode of Homeschoolin...

HomeschoolingIRL Homeschooling Is A Buzzkill sponosred by NOW Programs. On this episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, Fletch and Kendra introduce you to one of the phrases used often around their home: Homeschooling Is A Buzzkill! Listen in as they discuss what happens when expectations do not match reality. Follow Kendra into their schoolroom as she gives you a glimpse into real life during Adventures in Mangoland. Finally, tune in to Pillow Talk as Fletch and Kendra wrap up this episode and s...

The answer to this question is obvious: we all know that homeschoolers can go to college! On this episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, (sponsored by Judson College) Fletch and Kendra get real and challenge their listeners to join them in a difficult discussion about fear and trusting God as they contemplate sending their children onto higher education. Along the way, they sit down with two college admissions counselors and ask them to share the experiences they have had when homeschoolers ap...

Let Go So They Can Launch: The Truth About College Admissions for Homeschool Grads Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Judson College Judson College offers biblical and practical training wherever a student is called, equipping them to live all of life for Christ. You’ve heard it—the unmistakable whirring of helicopter blades. The sound of well-meaning parents hovering, anxiously guiding their homeschool graduate into college life. You want the best for them. You’ve sacrificed, taught, and...

What Homeschooling Does to a Marriage You are going to want to grab your spouse for this episode! Fletch and Kendra dive right into the middle of the topic and discuss how the stress of homeschooling can leak into your marriage relationship. Throughout this episode, you will hear live interviews conducted with couples on the floor of the Teach Them Diligently Conference in Nashville, TN. Be prepared for answers that you might not expect! Fletch and Kendra also talk and laughing with TTD confe...

Join us on this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life as we talk about the ins and outs of traveling with kids. On this episode we are NOT talking about vacation planning. Instead we are talking about giving your family a love for travel, a love for God’s world and a love for taking your love for Jesus around the world as a family ambassadors living on mission. Live from the Teach Them Diligently convention floor in Nashville, TN, Kendra interviews family travel expert Jen Reyneri from WordTrav...

The Rise of African American Homeschooling Last month, Fletch read an interesting article in The Washington Post called, Racism in Schools is Pushing More Black Families to Homeschool Their Children. The title alone was enough to get him interested, but in the article the writer discussed why there has been such a sharp rise in African American Homeschooling. We thought this was a good discussion to have with our listeners, so we pursued the author for an interview. Thanks to our sponsor! Now...

When our students hope to go to college, the perennial question remains: how in the world will they pay for it? We decided to return to the topic of affording college with College Prep Genius Jean Burk because we know she has valuable information to share. We think you’ll be encouraged and feel equipped as you help your college-bound student get the education they are pursuing! Affording College EPISODE TIMELINE 1:32 – Fluff : Discussion on tragedy, college visits, real life. 8:01 – Interview wi...