Episodes

Homeschooling is a choice born out of the freedom to choose what we feel to be the best educational option for our children. It should follow, then that if a family who has made the choice to homeschool then decides to put a child into a traditional school setting, fellow homeschoolers will support that freedom to choose, too. Unfortunately, that’s not the reaction many receive when they announce they’ll be returning to school. Instead of encouragement and reassurance, they often receive condemn...

Some of our best episodes have been created as the result of our listeners’ great ideas, and this is one of those episodes! We’re talking all about leaving younger siblings with older siblings in the role of babysitter: the ins and outs, the expectations, and other various aspects of that realty. We hope it sets the stage for good discussion with your own kids and allows you to successfully encourage your own in-house babysitters. SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: None Get Social With Us: Fol...

Tray and Melody Lovvorn were married for 11 years before his struggle with pornography and sexual addiction tore their family apart. The appearance of the “perfect” Christian life that they both worked so hard to maintain came crashing down all around them. They divorced, but God wasn’t yet finished with their marriage. Tray and Melody love to share how God used their painful circumstances to individually bring both of them to a new understanding of grace and the unconditional love of their Hea...

Sometimes an idea for an episode comes along and we throw the regular recording schedule out the window! When Cindy West reached out to us and asked to talk about something she’s seeing in the homeschool community at large, we jumped at the opportunity. And it’s this: Some homeschoolers feel they must adhere so closely to a particular homeschool philosophy that they have lost all their homeschool joy. Essentially, their homeschools are owning them. So what’s the remedy? Tune in to “When Your Hom...

Apps! Mobile phones! iPads! Technology! It all moves so fast and changes seemingly overnight. How do we keep up with what our kids are asking to use or are being exposed to, even if we are trying to keep it all in balance? Join us on this highly informative episode of Homeschooling in Real Life as we welcome author and speaker Leah Nieman to discuss five apps every parent should know about right now. It’s an up-to-the-minute conversation, but even if you’re listening months or even years from it...

Parenting formulas tend to make us feel safe: Do it this way, and your children will grow up to be godly/good citizens/intelligent/productive, etc. But is this what God has in mind when he gives us children in our homes? Join us and author Heather Haupt as we talk homeschooling (she’s a homeschool grad), parenting promises, principles, formulas, and the gospel. SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: HeatherHaupt.com Get Social With Us: Follow Fletch/Kendra: Fletch Twitter Kendra Twitter Follow t...

Are you a homeschooling mom who needs to work? Are you contemplating a job alongside homeschooling? Join us for this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life as we talk with Jimmie Lanley, a mom who found the need to be employed but also wanted to continue educating her daughter at home with excellence. Jimmie is straight-forward and encouraging as she shares her experience and wisdom with our listeners. SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: JimmieLanley.com Get Social With Us: Follow Fletch/Kendra...

Two of our favorite guests, Hal and Melanie Young, join us on this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life for a candid discussion about technology, temptation, addiction, and culture. We talk about the false sense of security that homeschooling can give us and how we can equip our kids to make choices that set them up for healthy sexual relationships. As always, Hal and Melanie are engaging and intelligent, and we appreciate their honesty as we discuss a Biblical and God-honoring approach to love...

Since the very beginning of the Homeschooling in Real Life podcast, our listeners have been requesting that we do an episode on homeschooling and adoption. Why did it take us so long? Because just the right person to address the topic came along and we feel we couldn’t have given you anyone better! Guest Tricia Goyer is a prolific author and homeschooling mom, and she and her husband have adopted seven children in the past few years alone! We think you’ll be encouraged and inspired by their stor...

Should homeschooling parents attempt to teach higher level math around the kitchen table? Most homeschooling parents don’t like to have their teaching abilities challenged. It sounds like the perfect place for the Homeschooling IRL team to dig in and ask tough questions. Join us as we talk with Dennis DiNoia about his online math program and debate the hard question: “Should homeschooling parents teach higher level math or should they seek outside help.” SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Mr ...

We home educators spend a lot of time educating our kids. But what about us? Are we taking the time to learn more, discover more, and be curious? This episode of Homeschooling in Real Life is dedicated to you, the homeschooling parent. We want to see you grow and thrive in your role as parent educator, and to that end we’re talking about the reasons to educate yourself as well as the how-to. Let’s get learning! SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Hoopla – Library digital borrowing Khan Academ...

Should you turn the TV on? Yes or no? On this episode we jump into a topic that is quick to divide families as we answer the question: Is there any redeeming value in having television in your home, or should we avoid this portal into American culture? Join along and listen as Fletch and Kendra talk openly about welcoming television back into their home and the parameters involved in their decision to navigate culture with a television. This is an episode that is sure to get you thinking and t...

Mid-January. Harumph. Are you feeling the mid-year slump in your homeschool, too? In this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life, Fletch and Kendra talk about how the mid-year slump affects their homeschooling and give several practical ways in which you can beat the mid-year slump, too. SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Lost and Found, by Kendra Fletcher Key Life Ministries with Steve Brown Interview with Key Life Follow Fletch/Kendra: Fletch Twitter Kendra Twitter Follow the Studio Dogs: B...

Well, hello 2017! We’re back with a brand new season of episodes that we hope will inspire, inform, and encourage you as you walk this homeschooling path with your family. And what better way than to start with an episode meant to encourage you right off the bat? We’re joined by one of our most popular guests from last season, Kathy Lee, who laughs with us, talks homeschooling over two decades, and tells us all what keeps her going. Don’t miss it! SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Episode 103...

This is our last week of our mid-season break. We enjoyed our hiatus and the time we had away from the microphones (not to mention the fact that they have been packed into our moving supplies. We are finishing up our rebroadcasts of our most downloaded shows of 2016. This final week is the MOST downloaded show from last year. On Episode 103, we sat down with homeschool mom and author, Kathie Lee for one of our favorite interviews of the year. Enjoy the show and we will be back live next week. ...

Happy New Year! We are still enjoying our Christmas/New Year/Season Break hiatus and sharing our Top-5 Most Downloaded Shows from 2016. This week we are sharing the 2nd most downloaded show from 2016. On Episode 108, we talked through the issue of how to homeschool multiple ages. SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Episode 108: Homeschooling Multiple Ages Follow Fletch/Kendra: Fletch Twitter Kendra Twitter Follow the Studio Dogs: Betty the Surf Dog – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Website Ra...

As we head into the last week of Advent, the team here at HomeschoolingIRL is preparing for Christmas, a wedding, New Years and a massive home move! Whew! During this season break, we are sharing our Top-5 Most Downloaded Shows from 2016. This week we are sharing the 3rd most downloaded show from 2016. On Episode 109, we were joined with one of our listener’s favorites: Kimm Crandall. We discuss Kim’s newest book: Beloved Mess and we couldn’t agree more, this is a favorite of ours too! SHOW N...

We are two weeks from Christmas and enjoying our season hiatus. We are still sharing our Top-5 Most Downloaded Shows from 2016. This week we are sharing the 4th most downloaded show. On Episode 111, we sat down with one of our favorites, Jolanthe Erb, to discuss the topic of Classroom Teachers Who Homeschool. You loved it the first time, enjoy it again today! SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Episode 111 – Classroom Teachers Who Homeschool Follow Fletch/Kendra: Fletch Twitter Kendra Twitter...

Hey HIRLers! While we are on our season hiatus, we wanted to share our Top-5 Most Downloaded Shows from 2016. We are starting with #5. This week listen in again as we spend time with Barrett and Jenifer Johnson from INFO for Families as we talk about Sex Ed for Parents! SHOW NOTES: Recommended Resources: Episode 115 – Sex Ed for Parents Follow Fletch/Kendra: Fletch Twitter Kendra Twitter Follow the Studio Dogs: Betty the Surf Dog – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Website Rasta The Chocolate ...

It’s 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 books have...

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, comparisons and the de...

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! Don’t forget to enter the College Prep Genius giveaway below for a valuable one-hour personal coaching session with Jea...

Sheila Gregoire is the author of the book, The Good Girl’s Guide To Great Sex. She is also a popular speaker and blogger at To Love Honor and Vacuum. Sheila joins us in the studio again this week as we discuss the phenomenon that is the “purity culture” and its affect on the Christian homeschooling community. How do we convey a Biblical view of sex and marriage to our kids without strapping them with the burden and bondage of religious behaviorism? How can we equip them to enter into marriage ...

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...