PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU LISTEN TO THE PODCAST! In this podcast, I talk a lot about how to navigate understanding your kids through hormone changes. BUT I want to emphasize that as we try to empathize and work through these things with them, that we make sure that they speak to and treat us respectfully. We want them to have a voice, but never at the cost of hurting the people around them. This includes friends and siblings. Hitting the "pause" button is one of the best ways to do that. My husband...
Mar 02, 2019•34 min•Ep. 53
I like to focus on podcast topics that are important to YOU! Recently I had a mom ask me to do a podcast on international adoption. I don't really have much experience with that, but I have a friend who does! Sarah has 10 biological children and 5 children adopted from Ukraine. In today's podcast, we talk about how God's plan unfolded in Sarah's family's life, how God knit their family together through adoption and what the adjustment has been like. (The newly adopted children are 7, 9, 11, 12 a...
Mar 02, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 52
We always say that character comes before the curriculum, but that can be easier said than done. In the day to day, it can be a real struggle to actually lay down the math or reading to deal with the character issues in our kids. But what if we saw character training for what it REALLY is? In today's podcast, I will be sharing a big picture perspective with a biblical foundation to encourage you to take the time to reach the hearts of your children! One thing I forgot to mention in the podcast i...
Mar 02, 2019•46 min•Ep. 51
Many of us are homeschooling because we believe it's a much better choice for our children, but we can easily get caught up in becoming results driven in our approach. Today I am talking to Ashley Wiggers who is a homeschool graduate and now a mom herself. We are having a great conversation about what can be best described as "homeschooling from the heart". It's homeschooling from our heart as moms and tuning into our children's hearts so that we can create a learning environment that best fits ...
Mar 02, 2019•55 min•Ep. 50
I don't think there's a homeschool parent out there who would say that getting their kids to enjoy writing is easy. Today I am talking with Dr. Fred Lybrand who has been teaching writing for well over two decades (along with countless other pursuits). He is ALSO a homeschool dad of 5 grown kids and has a unique and sensible approach to helping our kids with writing. He shares several basic principles in this podcast that will make you shake your head and say, "Why didn't I think of that? It make...
Mar 02, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 49
Most homeschooling families are not actually enjoying homeschooling. Parents AND kids are feeling all kind of unnecessary pressure and unreasonable expectations. This is NOT what homeschooling was meant to be and we FEEL that deep down inside. BUT what will it take to get that peace we long for and to enjoy our children again? Today I'm having a conversation with Karen over at Simply Living for Him. We share our stories of how simplifying our homeschooling was a game changer. This is something I...
Mar 02, 2019•54 min•Ep. 48
As homeschooling moms, we've chosen to educate our kids in what most would consider an "unconventional way". We've made this decision carefully and prayerfully and bear the daily responsibility of our choice, which can feel weighty in and of itself. But often, on top of that, there are outside pressures that bear down on us and can drain the life right out of us AND our homeschool journey. I've been receiving an unusual amount of messages and emails from moms who are feeling burdened by two main...
Mar 02, 2019•42 min•Ep. 47
I am so thrilled to have Dan Marcone (M.A., LMHC and Clinical Supervisor for Seasons Counseling) back on the podcast! Today Dan is sharing about the importance and how to's of encouraging a growth mindset in our kids! A growth mindset is a mental attitude that determines how we interpret and respond to things like challenges, obstacles, effort, criticism and the success of others. Do we have failure resistance? Why is it SO important to encourage a growth mindset in our kids AND ourselves? We ar...
Mar 02, 2019•53 min•Ep. 46
We all want our kids to have a great start to their education, but what does that REALLY look like? Cheryl Bastian is a homeschooling mom to eight kids ages 3-29 and has worked in the early education field for many, many years. She is a wealth of information and encouragement! We will be talking about what's really important for early education along with simple ways to recognize common potential learning problems. (Resources mentioned are listed on this post at durendawilson.com)
Mar 01, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 45
As parents, it can be easy to become disoriented in our parenting...even more so for homeschooling parents! We are with our kids 24/7 and in the daily busyness of trying to educate our children, we can forget that we are called FIRST to make disciples. But what does that look like? What tools do we need to orient our families toward that? We are called as Christian parents to hold out the Gospel to our children. What does that look like? What are the most important things to remember as we disci...
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 44
Higher education is changing and today we are talking about why homeschooling is truly the BEST way to prepare our kids for what's ahead. My guest today is Lolita, a marketing associate at Praxis, an apprenticeship program that helps young people launch their careers without college. We are talking about project-based learning and why it can be such a great place to homeschool from. Lolita is a huge fan of homeschooling and was homeschooled herself! She is passionate about encouraging homeschool...
Feb 26, 2019•46 min•Ep. 43
Many of us long for an older mom to help us navigate motherhood, homeschooling, etc. For months I've been collecting questions that YOU have wanted answers to! We talk about chores, homeschooling, mom guilt (how does it affect our kids), busyness, how our married kids met their spouses and more! There were so many questions, I had to divide this into two podcasts! This is the second part! I also invited our oldest daughter, Brittney to join me. I love that she can give her perspective as both a ...
Feb 26, 2019•59 min•Ep. 42
Oh, how we need encouragement along the way...as moms, as homeschool moms! The best way I know to encourage moms is to share what God is doing in my own life. It's been a lot...at times overwhelming, but NOTHING good comes easy, right? There's a lot of goodness in this podcast that I'd love for you to hear! Please listen in and be encouraged! Resources mentioned in the podcast: Please check out The Unhurried Homeschooler Mentoring Course @ theunhurriedhomeschooler.thinkific.com Link to song ment...
Feb 26, 2019•32 min•Ep. 41
Many of us long for an older mom to help us navigate motherhood, homeschooling, etc. For months I've been collecting questions that YOU have wanted answers to! We talk about chores, homeschooling, mom guilt, busyness and more. There were so many questions, I had to divide this into two podcasts! I also invited our oldest daughter, Brittney to join me. I love that she can give her perspective as both a mom of littles AND the oldest child of a large homeschooling family! Our prayer is that God wil...
Feb 26, 2019•58 min•Ep. 40
Of all the questions I receive, the topic of chores is on the top of the list! Moms and kids are frustrated, angry, and resentful when it comes to this issue and today I'm going to tackle it from top to bottom! Having 8 kids in 12 years can bring a mom to her knees and her home into disarray, but God taught our kids (and me) SO much through working together. The benefits of having our kids do chores are countless! I'll talk about many of them in this podcast as well as how we scheduled them. Mor...
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Many of you may know Sarah Mackenzie from Read Aloud Revival! Sarah and I have been friends for a few years and I LOVE her! She is the REAL DEAL! You may be familiar with her first book, Teaching From Rest. It's been a huge encouragement for homeschool moms everywhere! Sarah recently published Read Aloud Family and it's been a huge bestseller! I believe it's because Sarah articulates what is already in the heart of moms everywhere. We WANT to connect with our kids. We WANT meaningful relationshi...
Feb 26, 2019•44 min•Ep. 38
After homeschooling for over 23 years, I can count on one hand the curricula that I have used over and over again and recommend to moms all the time. The Mystery of History is one of those and there are many reasons as I share in this podcast. If you are wondering about the importance of history, how it relates to our faith and how it can be used as a springboard for many of the most important conversations you will have with your kids, then you will enjoy today's podcast! Today Linda Hobar (aut...
Feb 26, 2019•59 min•Ep. 37
Anxiety is something we all deal with at one point or another. For some us, it's literally an ongoing battle. There are no easy answers, but, as Believers, we can be assured that God WILL take care of us in the midst of whatever is making us anxious. Today's podcast comes from literally weeks and weeks of seeking God's face in the midst of anxiety. Whenever I find myself in places that I cannot get away from, places that seem to compound my feelings of anxiety, but that God is clearly having me ...
Feb 26, 2019•38 min•Ep. 36
We all go into parenting with some amount of baggage and we hope our kids will have less of it than we did, but what does that even look like? We know what NOT to do, but what DO we do? We love our kids, but how to we nurture and raise them to be emotionally healthy adults? And if we are homeschooling, how do we address obstacles that inevitably show up along the way? I went into motherhood and homeschooling with a very basic understanding of child development and even that little bit of informa...
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 35
Who hasn't had a kid who struggles with whining, lying, complaining, being disrespectful, etc? Join me as I talk with Ginger Hubbard, author of "Don't Make Me Count to Three", "Wise Words for Moms", and her new release (April 24th), "I Can't Believe You Just Said That!", Ginger will share PRACTICAL ways we can help our kids tame their tongues. We want to go beyond just getting our kids to behave. As Believers, we want to reach the HEARTS of our children and Ginger shares some simple, yet effecti...
Feb 26, 2019•46 min•Ep. 34
Not every young person knows what they want to do when they graduate from high school. In fact, those that do are the exception, not the rule. However, there is SO much pressure for our young people to make decisions they are simply not ready to make. College is becoming less and less relevant and our kids are finding themselves floundering. Because of this pressure, many students go through the motions of continuing education without owning what they are doing and others just become paralyzed a...
Feb 26, 2019•42 min•Ep. 33
Did you know that the model for the public school system was created during the Industrial Revolution, essentially preparing students to be factory workers? Our kids need something drastically different to prepare them to succeed in the 21st century. As homeschoolers, we have that opportunity! But what this means is that we need to be willing to think outside the box. Today I am talking with Isaac Morehouse, founder, and CEO of Praxis, a highly successful apprenticeship program that can't keep u...
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 32
Whether you’ve got kids in high school or you are fact-gathering for the upcoming high school years, you will love the experience and wisdom that Cheryl shares in this podcast on creating transcripts for your high schoolers! Cheryl is a mom to 8 kids ages 28 down to almost 3. She has graduated 3 so far. She brings with her a multitude of years in education, both before children and as a homeschooling mom. This podcast might seem a little overwhelming to some, so listen with discernment as not ev...
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 31
"Just you wait until they're teenagers!". I heard this a lot when we had several little ones. I hated it. My friend used to call these people the "just you waits." I couldn't help but think that God had something better for our kids and our relationships with them. The teen years hold challenges, but I was right, these years can be both productive and enjoyable! As homeschooling moms, it's easy to freak out as we prepare our kids for high school and question whether or not we can actually pull o...
Feb 26, 2019•57 min•Ep. 30
Today Holly Giles joins me as we talk about what it looks like to homeschool from where you are and to follow your children's interests. You will love Holly's encouraging stories as she shares how God led her family to homeschool and how her children are thriving through a lifestyle of learning! Holly is a wife, mother, and storyteller. She has a passion for helping families discover their own learning style and use it to nurture their children's God-given gifts. The importance of a strong famil...
Feb 26, 2019•54 min•Ep. 29
Homeschooling has become not only a viable educational option, but often a preferred one, but what is it about homeschooling that actually makes it work? What are the foundational aspects that give our children the advantage of becoming life long learners? After homeschooling for over 22 years (5 graduated and 3 still school age), I can tell you that it's not what you might think! In this podcast, I share a perspective that I hope will both inspire you and be the encouragement you need to press ...
Feb 26, 2019•39 min•Ep. 28
We are busy trying to raise decent human beings and that is a very REAL and very influential role. At the same time, we live in a world that desperately needs hope. HOW can we, as moms, help facilitate that? The enemy's tactics are clever. If he can keep our focus somewhere else, we will miss countless opportunities. But what if we adjusted our lens and became very focused on what REALLY matters? PLEASE listen in as I share something that I believe God is calling every believing mom to grasp and...
Feb 26, 2019•36 min•Ep. 27
So many times we refer to ourselves as "just moms", but God created motherhood and considers it a place of honor. The word honor means distinction, recognition, privilege, glory, prestige, merit, importance, notability, respect, esteem, approbation. We need to understand that being a mom is an honor. It is a privilege. The culture shouts otherwise, but God honors moms. He loves them. He leads them gently (Isaiah 40:11). Motherhood isn't a diversion from the important work...it IS the important w...
Feb 26, 2019•45 min•Ep. 26
Most would say it can't be done, but with God all things are possible. Today Darryl and I share the story of how we raised a family of 10 (yes, we count the parents) and recently paid cash for our home and a second small home that generates income as an Airbnb. We hope that as we share our story and some money saving tips, that you will be encouraged!
Feb 26, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 25
My husband and I are often asked how in the WORLD we ended up with EIGHT kids! In today's podcast, my husband joins me in telling the story of how we went from wanting 2 kids to having 8! It's a God story for sure, especially when you consider we had ALL of our children via C-section!
Feb 26, 2019•38 min•Ep. 24
