One of our favorite Instagram follows is here! Saira Siddiqui ( @confessionsofamuslimmom ) is a perspective-shifting writer and digital parent educator. If you haven’t met Saira yet, allow us to introduce you. Pull up a chair (and pull out a notepad!)—you’ll want to give this conversation your full attention and catch every bit of Saira's wisdom. Listening to Saira will challenge your ideas about education and embolden you to go your own way with whatever method of learning and living your famil...
Dec 02, 2019•53 min•Ep. 125
This holiday season, let's all get better at saying, "This is what I want." Don't get stuck with gifts you don't want (we're looking at you, decorative hand towels and clunky desk calendars). Let our Gift Guide inspire you to invest in YOURSELF. You deserve it! Want to give Homeschool Unrefined a (FREE!) gift this holiday season? Use the affiliate links and referral codes included in our show notes! Every time you're shopping on Amazon, use our magical link FIRST and we'll get a small kickback o...
Nov 19, 2019•43 min
Do you tend to overthink holiday shopping? Us too. But good news: We've done all the hard work for you! We've asked our kids, looked around our houses, and reviewed our Amazon histories to bring you a curated list of gifts our kids have LOVED over the years. Yep, ONE-CLICK SHOPPING. So sit back and enjoy knowing your shopping experience can be a little bit less stressful this year. All of the items mentioned can be found in our Amazon shop at www.amazon.com/shop/homeschoolunrefined . MORE gift i...
Nov 18, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 124
What if what saves your homeschool isn’t anything you can order on Amazon or put on a report card? We’re talking about the ways nature and self-care are totally saving the day for us. PLUS we’re sharing a snippet from our class on The Four Tendencies. This is *THE* framework that’s helped make our relationships and homeschool better, day after day. Four Tendencies & Homeschool This might be the most practical of all personality profiles. While other profiles focus on ideas and theories, the ...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 123
We’re continuing our fall mini-series on what’s saving our homeschool RIGHT NOW. This week, we’re talking about the e-reader that’s changing reading for one of our kids and the master homeschool plan we can’t homeschool without. PLUS we’re sharing an excerpt from our Enneagram & Homeschool Class ! We look at Enneagram numbers 1, 2, and 3, and talk about how they might show up in homeschooling. Embracing Enneagram in our homeschool has empowered us to be ourselves. That kind of freedom can ch...
Oct 21, 2019•52 min•Ep. 122
About the time you think you’ve got homeschool figured out, it’s time to adapt again. So we’re talking about What’s Saving Our Homeschool RIGHT NOW. Give yourself credit for being adaptable and finding what works for you! We’re also sharing an excerpt from our Personalities + Homeschool classes . This week, we’re talking through the differences between S/N (Sensing/Intuition) in the Myers-Briggs 16-types personality system. You’ll hear our insights as a Sensor (Angela) and an Intuitive (Maren) a...
Oct 07, 2019•49 min•Ep. 121
It’s back to homeschool season and we’re back with a new series: What’s Saving Our Homeschool Right Now. We’ll share the hacks, apps, and must-haves that are helping us get into the swing of things as we start a new homeschool year. PLUS we’re sharing an excerpt from our BRAND NEW Personalities & Homeschool Class . We break down the introvert/extrovert differences and dynamics in homeschool. Knowing—and leveraging—this one thing about yourself and your kids could change everything about your...
Sep 23, 2019•53 min•Ep. 120
As the poet once said: "The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. But we're just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. Shake it off, shake it off!" Every homeschooler will inevitably encounter a homeschool skeptic at some time--be it the Target cashier, your neighbor lady, Aunt Myrtle at Thanksgiving, or a stranger who asks why your kids aren't in school on a random Tuesday morning. So we're giving you our best advice for how to think about and answer those curious questioners. Share thi...
Sep 13, 2019•11 min
Our kids are learning all the time, right? So we’re taking a look at the resources we ALREADY have that help support our amazing learners beyond traditional curriculum. From kitchen tools to cozy corners, our homes are outfitted to support and encourage real-life learning. Check out our Non-Traditional Homeschool Resources Guide on Amazon to get links to what we talked about and get inspired about all the non-traditional homeschool resources you’re already using everyday. Share this episode with...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 119
Hi friends! In this clip from our Patreon feed, we’re chatting about some of our favorite Instagram accounts for humor, food, inspiration, and more! You can get this entire episode (and 30+ more episodes) when you join us on Patreon. Patrons get Check-In and LTW Extra episodes every month, as well as extended interviews with guests like Julie Bogart, Jamie Martin, Debbie Reber, and Candace Cameron Bure! Summer Bonus Episodes We're dropping bonus episodes like this all summer long, so make sure y...
Aug 30, 2019•13 min
Do you need to simplify your days? Or do you need your homeschool to be a little bit (or a lot) easier to get you through a stressful day, week, or season? We've got a homeschool hack for you! Autopilot is our tried-and-true strategy for unlocking lots of learning with minimal involvement from us homeschool parents. There are so many benefits—we wonder why we're not using it more often. Share this episode with a friend and let’s keep the conversation going in our closed Facebook group: Unrefined...
Aug 26, 2019•50 min•Ep. 118
If you’ve got more than one kid at home, chances are you’re dealing with sibling tension of some kind in your homeschool. In this quick excerpt, we talk about how we ease some of that sibling tension and what we do to create a non-competitive culture at home. Summer Bonus Episodes We're dropping bonus episodes like this all summer long, so make sure you're subscribed to our podcast so you don't miss a thing! Call to Action We have a goal of getting to 10K followers on Instagram and we need your ...
Aug 16, 2019•11 min
It’s time to get real about our fall plans. We can’t do it all, and we have to be honest about what is really going to give us life this school year. Which means some plans—even good ones!—have to get cut. We’re talking about paring down curriculum, co-ops, and clubs as we head into the school year. Let’s approach homeschool planning with the mindset: “If it’s not a Heck Yes, it’s a Heck No!” Share this episode with a friend and let’s keep the conversation going in our closed Facebook group: Unr...
Aug 12, 2019•47 min•Ep. 117
Hi Friends! Does anyone else have bored kids this summer? We thought you might enjoy this mini excerpt from the archives about how we try to handle boredom. Enjoy! Summer Bonus Episodes We're dropping bonus episodes all summer long, so make sure you're subscribed to our podcast so you don't miss a thing! Call to Action We have a goal of getting to 10K followers on Instagram and we need your help! Spread the word about Homeschool Unrefined by following and sharing us on Instagram . Not on Instagr...
Aug 02, 2019•9 min
A lot of homeschooling and parenting is about helping our kids develop skills for their toolboxes. In this episode, we’re talking about one of our favorite tools: self-evaluation. We get into why this skill is so important and how we build self-evaluation into our homeschool—from the planning stages to our daily routines to (gasp!) homeschooling without grades and report cards. Empowering our kids to self-evaluate bolsters their self-awareness and self-confidence, and it helps us exercise trust ...
Jul 29, 2019•54 min•Ep. 116
We thought you'd enjoy this excerpt of our July Check-In. We do a check-in episode every month for our patrons, and we wanted to share a clip with you! To get the full episode dropped right into your podcast app, join us on Patreon at any reward level . Summer Bonus Episodes We're dropping bonus episodes like this all summer long, so make sure you're subscribed to our podcast so you don't miss a thing! Call to Action We have a goal of getting to 10K followers on Instagram and we need your help! ...
Jul 19, 2019•15 min
We’ve never met a lazy homeschool child or parent. Because (spoiler) they don’t exist! We’re all juggling academics, extracurriculars, personal and professional projects, social and emotional development, family life and sibling dynamics, household responsibilities, time management, research, decision-making, … Whew, a lot! Join us as we make the case for giving yourself credit for all the work (and real-life learning!) you and your kids are already doing. Share this episode with a friend and le...
Jul 15, 2019•52 min•Ep. 115
Hi friends! World news can be tough and hard to talk about sometimes. We thought you might enjoy this mini Bonus Episode where we process through having those hard conversations with our kids. Enjoy! Summer Bonus Episodes We're dropping bonus episodes all summer long, so make sure you're subscribed to our podcast so you don't miss a thing! Call to Action We have a goal of getting to 10K followers on Instagram and we need your help! Spread the word about Homeschool Unrefined by following and shar...
Jul 05, 2019•23 min
This is the podcast where we keep homeschool simple, real, and fun... and this episode is all about the FUN! Why focus on fun? Because as the Finnish proverb says, "Those things you learn without joy, you will forget easily." Research shows that learning happens best when everyone (including you!) is in a good mood and feels loved. We share some of the ways we're making homeschool fun and how we're prioritizing connection over lessons and to-do lists. Share this episode with a friend and let’s k...
Jul 01, 2019•45 min•Ep. 114
Hi friends! We hope you enjoy this excerpt of "LTW Extra"--a monthly episode we create for our $8 Patreon supporters. We share more of what we're "Loving This Week" (LTW), including books, podcasts, movies, and shows. Come join the fun on Patreon ! Supporters get bonus content like this dropped right into their podcast app regularly. Summer Bonus Episodes We're dropping bonus episodes all summer long, so make sure you're subscribed to our podcast so you don't miss a thing! Call to Action We have...
Jun 21, 2019•13 min
We’re getting real about interest-led learning IN REAL LIFE. What is it? How does it work? Do you have to commit to a whole new homeschooling method? (Hint: You don't.) What's our role? What if our kids' interests are less-than academic or difficult to support? We process through all these questions, talk through how interest-led learning benefits our kids, and work through the challenges we have with it every single day. Share this episode with a friend and let’s keep the conversation going in ...
Jun 17, 2019•51 min•Ep. 113
It’s summer! And homeschool parents are totally ready for a break, but we’re also asking ourselves “Did we do enough?!” We want the freedom of unscheduled days, but we also need some structure and plans. We’re talking about our summer tentpoles, the things we’re using to anchor our days and find that summer sweet spot. To kick off summer, we’ve curated a list of our Summer Favorites in our Amazon Shop ! It's like a gift guide for your summer! Share this episode with a friend and let’s talk about...
Jun 03, 2019•47 min•Ep. 112
With recent and upcoming trips fresh on our minds, we’re taking this show on the road and talking all about homeschool + travel! How do our kids learn through travel? Do our travel activities have to be “academic” to be educational? What are the non-academic lessons that travel can teach us? We discuss ways to enhance travel’s inherent learning (and relational) experiences—from the planning stages through the return trip and beyond. This is a great episode if you’re thinking about big summer vac...
May 20, 2019•46 min•Ep. 111
Real-life homeschool mom Vanessa Wright is here to guest co-host and get us in the F.L.O.W. She’s developed the F.L.O.W. acronym for helping find homeschool flow, and we’re breaking it down, one letter at a time. This conversation is like a homeschool brainstorming session with a friend—grab a kombucha and listen in! Enjoy an extended chat with Vanessa available exclusively on Patreon . We chat 90s music, our favorite things to buy at Costco, and balancing work and homeschool. Maren also tells a...
May 06, 2019•52 min•Ep. 110
Jamie C. Martin, author of “Give Your Child the World” and editor of SimpleHomeschool.net , joins us to talk about the power of knowing, accepting, and celebrating yourself as an introverted parent. But this message isn’t just for introverts—we’re talking about you, too, extroverts! This is the conversation we wish someone had with us in our early days of parenting and homeschooling, and one we can learn from even now. Get our extended interview available exclusively to patrons at patreon.com/Ho...
Apr 22, 2019•57 min•Ep. 109
Can knowing more about personalities transform your homeschool? We think so! We discuss the simple yet powerful framework of introvert/extrovert, and we break down the common myths and misunderstandings about both. Respecting this basic dynamic in our homeschool can have big results! We also introduce four personality systems we love and use for self-awareness, personal growth and development, and healthy relationships. Join us as we start this new series about one of our FAVORITE topics. Maren ...
Apr 08, 2019•49 min•Ep. 108
Most of us want a homeschool experience that's more than just school at home. But it can be overwhelming, even scary, to change our entire mindset about learning and schooling. So we're talking about what it means, why it's important, and how empowering it can be to think differently about homeschool. Plus, we share what we DO do in a typical homeschool day with our own kids, ages 8-14. Listen in and get ready to think differently about homeschool! Other episodes in this series 104: Where We Mar...
Mar 25, 2019•59 min•Ep. 107
Chances are we all have a kid who is differently wired, regardless of a diagnosis. Debbie Reber is here to normalize these differences and ease our minds. Debbie answers all our questions we didn’t know who to ask (until we met her). Just hearing Debbie’s experience and wisdom gave us confidence to normalize and own all the learning differences in our own families. We hope this episode has the same effect on you! Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) Model Positive Disc...
Mar 11, 2019•56 min•Ep. 106
Today, we honor our authentic selves and yours! Do you love to plan? Or are you more fly by the seat of your pants? Do you love to knit? Play games? Read aloud? Adventure? Whatever you do, embrace it! Here we give you ALL the reasons to own your authentic self. We’ll give you a glimpse into what our authentic homeschool looks like for each of us—and we bet it won’t look the same as yours! Ep 104: Where We Marie Kondo Our Homeschool Ep 56: Where We Adventure with Emily Carlson Ep 86: Where Nature...
Feb 25, 2019•45 min•Ep. 105
Sure, you’re Marie Kondo-ing your sock drawer, but what about your homeschool? In this episode, we talk about why we all might want to consider using Marie Kondo’s simplifying technique on our homeschool plans. We also identify what really Sparks Joy for us, and of course, we had to include a few What We Don’t Dos. Because, Marie. Loving This Week Angela: Believed Maren: Quip Toothbrush Visit our website Support us on Patreon here . Join our closed Facebook group: Unrefined Homeschoolers Follow ...
Feb 11, 2019•44 min•Ep. 104
