Episodes

Homeschooling, Halloween, and Harry Potter Homeschooling, Halloween, and Harry Potter? Are we nuts? Well, yes, but that didn’t stop us from tackling two hot-potato topics that homeschoolers traditionally love to argue over. You, too? In this episode, replayed in honor of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast’s 11th Birthday and sponsor, Fletch and Kendra talk about Halloween and the opportunity to love the places where God has put our families. We discuss fear and the life of the believer, and then...

Homeschooling Will Save Your Kids? Most of us won’t say outright that we think homeschooling will save our 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 show by recommending some...

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...

Hard times! As much as we might like it to be, life is not all ponies, rainbows, and watercolor daisies. On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL we discuss the issue of homeschooling when life gets hard. Difficulties can look different in every family – marital stress, tragedies, health challenges, financial loss – and we’ll consider how each of these hardships can put unusual stress on a homeschooling family. What is our response? What should it be? Join us as we interview homeschooling mom and b...

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 spend time talking and laughing with TTD conference founders and direct...

Homeschooling Through the Storm: Navigating Difficulties with Linda Difino Hard Time Episode | Introduction: Welcome back to HomeschoolingIRL, your go-to podcast on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network! In this episode, we tackle a crucial topic that every homeschooling family may encounter at some point – homeschooling when life gets hard. Whether it’s dealing with marital stress, tragedies, health challenges, financial loss, or any combination of these, we understand that these hardships ...

College Admissions and the Helicopter Parent Have you ever heard that sound? The rhythmic whirring of blades as they chop through the air? That is the sound of a helicopter parent hovering over their homeschooled child getting ready for college. That’s right, we are back at it again with an interview and discussion about college admissions and the need to keep your hands off as your teach your high school graduate to make life choices. Join us as we spend time in the studio with Aimee Stauf. A...

During a recent homeschooling convention where we were speaking, an older gentleman approached the Homeschooling in Real Life booth and asked what we might know about grandparents who homeschool. He was planning to help his daughter homeschool her children, and he was there to gather information. The topic of grandparents who homeschool is an exciting one! The possibilities for how a grandparent might help out in the homeschool setting are endless, and the opportunities for discipleship are inde...

How does a homeschooling parent possibly educate older kids while at the same time juggling preschoolers, toddlers, and babies? Is it even realistic to think we could do a good job while spinning so many homeschool plates? On this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life, Fletch and Kendra talk about how they’ve managed to homeschool 8 kids, how to structure a day so that schooling actually gets done, and how mom can survive and thrive during the demanding years of homeschooling multiple ages. SHO...

Classroom Teachers Who Homeschool This episode brought to you by CTC Math. What happens when classroom teachers decide to homeschool their own children? How do they make the transition from classroom management to managing the personalities around their kitchen table? If you are a classroom teacher considering homeschooling your own kids, you’ll appreciate this episode and the conversation with former classroom teacher Jolanthe Erb, who brings ten years of homeschool experience to the discussion...

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,...

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! Enjoy the “Best of” series of the Homeschooling IRL episodes. Many of these episodes were earlier episodes that you might have missed. Enjoy! Thank You to our Netwo...

So you love the idea of homeschooling, but you are totally disorganized? Is this a deal killer? Should you pack up your kids and send them off to the local school house where they will be kept on track by rigid teaching plans that maintain scope and sequence? Thank you to our sponsor: CTC Math It’s time for us all to get real with one another. Is your lack of organization thwarting your efforts at homeschooling? At the end of the day, the week, the month, are you constantly playing catch-up and...

Ever wonder how to give your kids a healthy love for the world and a desire to know other cultures? How about making missions an every day part of your homeschool and home life? What if you can’t travel far from home but want your kids to develop a view that reaches far beyond your hometown? Cultures and a Heart for the World Join us and Sonlight Curriculum co-founder Sarita Holzmann for a lively discussion on homeschooling, reading, missionaries, biographies, a desire to love the lost, and of...

Are you a beloved mess? Tired of trying to make your family seem as if you’ve got it all together? Exhausted by external standards that seem unreachable or even crushing? The Christian life is not about being less of a mess. It’s about admitting that we need to be saved from trying to clean ourselves up. Guest Kimm Crandall frees you to live with the assurance that God loves you right here, right now. He’s not waiting for you to clean up your act before you’re worthy to come to him. In fact, he ...

Spicy words? Uncontrolled tongues? What do you do when Mom is the one to lose control of her mouth and damages the ones she loves with sharp words? One of our faithful HIRLers called in asking us to answer these questions, so we dove right in. Thanks to our sponsor, A Fanthom Presents Film – The Ark and The Darkness – Movie Trailer here: NoahsFlood In theaters March 20-21! Noah’s Flood is preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Recent discoveries confirm what th...

Homeless homeschoolers? Sorry for the bait and switch, but this family is anything but homeless! This is a family who decided to take the kids AND the homeschool on the road! Join us and our special guests Megan and Mike Knorpp from KnorppandSouth.com. The Knorpps are homeschooling parents of 9 and cross-country travelers extraordinaire. We discuss the logistics of housing 11 people in 800 square feet, the excitement of learning by doing and exploring, and how exactly they’re paying for this who...

Homeschooling. Health food. Small church. Mom stays home. KJV only. Dresses. Youth group. Public school. No TV. Our convictions, or the things we strongly about, can drive so much of our lives and end up being the choices by which we define ourselves. They can bring like-minded believers together and set the tone for our families and homes. But what happens when your convictions are different than mine? As soon as you discover that we don’t have the same non-negotiables in our home as you do in...

It’s almost the season of Advent, and we have a special gift for you! Join us as we welcome pastor, homeschool father, and family devotions author, Marty Machowski. We talk with Marty about family devotions and why we need to encourage each other as families to gather together around the Word of God. These are wonderful books for families just like yours. They are easy to use, with ideas that are easy to grasp, and they teach to a level that will engage everyone in the entire family. Marty’s boo...

A special replay in honor of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network’s 10th Birthday! << Click to enter giveaway. It’s that time of year again – graduation is upon us and college is looming into the future. In this replay of the Best of Homeschooling IRL, listen in as Fletch and Kendra interview Jean Burke of College Prep Genius with tips for affording college. —- 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...

Special Replay Episode: When we talk about the desperate need to get it right, Fletch is quick to say, “Oh! You mean homeschooling in the age of Pinterest?” On this episode we are talking about how to homeschool when we feel like we just don’t measure up to the other homeschool moms we know. We are joined in the studio by Kym Smythe, Sabrina Justison and Vicki Tillman, three of the sisters from 7SistersHomeschool.com and The Homeschool Highschool Podcast. We discuss how to handle the competition...

So you love the idea of homeschooling, but you are totally disorganized? Is this a deal killer? Should you pack up your kids and send them off to the local school house where they will be kept on track by rigid teaching plans that maintain scope and sequence? It’s time for us all to get real with one another. Is your lack of organization thwarting your efforts at homeschooling? At the end of the day, the week, the month, are you constantly playing catch-up and putting out the fires caused by d...

Homeschooling, Halloween, and Harry Potter Thank you to this podcast episode sponsor: Route 60 – The Biblical Highway. In theaters September 18th & 19th only. Please check the website to learn more about this wonderful movie. Homeschooling, Halloween, and Harry Potter? Are we nuts? Well, yes, but that didn’t stop us from tackling two hot potato topics that homeschoolers traditionally love to argue over. You, too? In this episode, Fletch and Kendra talk about Halloween and the opportunity to ...

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 ...