Hey, homeschoolers! I had the opportunity to talk with my good friend, Dr. Carl Werner, for this episode. He is an expert in evolution who has devoted decades of his life to examining the evidence for evolution. His most recent book is about human evolution. The evidence he has amassed is stunning. Now more than ever I believe we have to share his work with our kids. Here’s my chat with Carl. Watch on YouTube There is a tale over 4,000 years old, preserved in ancient writings from every major cu...
Mar 12, 2024•43 min
Hey, homeschoolers! I never thought I would have five boys, but I am so glad I do. I love them to the moon and back and judging by the response my episode on homeschooling boys got, so do you. That’s why I was excited to read Durenda Wilson’s new book on the topic and to hear her thoughts on why it’s so important to think about how we are raising our boys. In Raising Boys to Men: A Simple, Mercifully Short Book on Raising and Homeschooling Boys, Durenda shares her almost three decades of experie...
Mar 05, 2024•50 min
Hey, homeschoolers! You’ve been there. You’ve blown it with your kids. Maybe you lost your temper or disciplined in a way that you’re not proud of. In this episode, my guest and I will discuss how to redeem those parenting failures. Before I introduce Andee Martineau, I want to be clear about my perspective on discipline. It is first of all grounded in God’s Word. But whether families share my faith or not, I believe they have to determine which discipline approach is right for them. I do think ...
Feb 27, 2024•57 min
Watch on YouTube In this conversation, Melanie Wilson addresses the question of whether chaos is normal in homeschooling. She defines chaos as unexpected and unplanned interruptions and explains that it is common for homeschooling moms to experience chaos, especially when starting their homeschooling journey. She emphasizes that chaos can be frustrating but often leads to unexpected and better outcomes. However, she also acknowledges that there is a type of chaos that is not just a phase and req...
Feb 20, 2024•28 min
Hey, homeschoolers! I was a stay-at-home mom when I started homeschooling. I did freelance writing and speaking and premarital counseling at my church. But I wasn’t spending even twenty hours a week on work until my last two kids were teens. Because of that, I assumed that it simply wasn’t possible to work and homeschool too. My guest Dr. Celia Zamora changed my mind. Dr. Zamora has a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and was a teacher for 15 years before homeschooling her son. She is now a full-time...
Feb 13, 2024
Teach Truth ~ with Dr. Melanie Wilson and Elizabeth Urbanowicz Are you ready to teach truth? Join as as we explore the topic. Thanks to our sponsor, A Fanthom Presents Film – The Ark and The Darkness – Movie Trailer here: NoahsFlood Hey, homeschoolers! Any time a teacher uses a story to teach children, I am all for it. Stories are not only the most enjoyable way to learn something but the most powerful. When former guest Elizabeth Urbanowicz told me she had created a picture book to help childre...
Feb 06, 2024•31 min
Hey homeschoolers! Recently, a woman on my Psychowith6 Facebook page , made a comment on the self-care movement. I wasn’t aware that self-care was a movement, but she got me thinking. Previously on this podcast in an episode called How to Be Happy and Homeschool, Too , I discussed the importance of what could be called self-care. In fact, I frequently talk about the importance of it during my sessions at Great Homeschool Conventions . I suddenly found myself wondering if I had been teaching wron...
Jan 30, 2024•16 min
Hey, homeschoolers! As parents we often feel ill-equipped to talk to others who are grieving. I’ve discussed this in a previous episode that I will link to the in show notes. When our teens are grieving, we can feel particularly helpless in knowing what to say or do. I’m thankful that my guest, Sarah Arthur, has practical advice for us. Sarah Arthur is a fun-loving speaker and the author of a dozen books for teens and adults, including Once a Queen and the bestselling Walking with Frodo: A Devot...
Jan 23, 2024•52 min
In this episode, Melanie Wilson discusses the underused resource of people in homeschooling. She shares personal stories and examples of how family members, church members, homeschool community members, neighbors, and friends can enhance a child’s education. Melanie encourages listeners to take advantage of the knowledge, skills, and experiences of the people they know, not only for educational purposes but also to bless and witness to others. She concludes by reflecting on missed opportunities ...
Jan 16, 2024•27 min
Hey, homeschoolers! If you’ve ever considered raising chickens, you’ll love this episode. I live in a suburb where chickens aren’t allowed, but we had chickens for several years when I was in elementary school. I absolutely loved what my guest, Dalia Monterroso had to say about raising chickens as a homeschool family. Dalia Monterroso is a chicken keeper and a popular teacher on the basics of backyard chicken keeping. She speaks and teaches classes on the joys of chicken keeping. She is the crea...
Jan 09, 2024•41 min
Hey, homeschoolers! I am happy with the personal finance curriculum I used with my kids. And I’m pleased to say that my kids are much better at managing their money as young adults than I was! But when I heard about Charla McKinley’s real-life approach to teaching kids personal finance, I was intrigued. Watch on YouTube Personal Finance Guest: Charla McKinley Charla graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Finance. She went on to become a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 y...
Jan 02, 2024•48 min
Hey, homeschoolers! It’s a new year and time for a renewed focus on our priorities as homeschooling moms. God has taught me a lot about managing my time this year. One thing I’ve learned is that I don’t have to look for the productivity holy grail. It’s normal for me to search for a new tool, a new schedule, and even a new book to read to inspire me. Newness almost always inspires action! Now on to the productivity tips you can use this year. My guest today is Amy Michaels. Amy is a teacher turn...
Dec 19, 2023•34 min
Hey, homeschoolers! Soon, we’ll be in a new year. It’s that time when many of us think of goals like getting organized. You know you’re unlikely to organize everything in a year, so what are the most important areas for homeschoolers to focus on? My answer may surprise you. Organize Your Homeschool Life All Year Before we jump in, I want to offer you the digital version of my book, the Organized Homeschool Life for just $7 ! This year, you can organize more than just the most important areas of ...
Dec 12, 2023•17 min
Are you already beginning to experience stress this season? The busyness can get to us. But we can make things better by avoiding the six mistakes I’ll discuss in this episode. [box] Want to read this episode as a blog post? READ HERE or SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES or ON STITCHER [/box] Mistake #1: Not Planning A Homeschool Break What we typically do is get busy with other things this time of year. There is more shopping and cooking and even chatting going on. After all, it’s Christmas! Somehow in the m...
Dec 05, 2023•15 min
Hey, homeschoolers! I don’t know anyone who wants to have a crazy Christmas–the kind that leads to exhaustion, sickness, and dread of the new year. Instead, every homeschooler I know wants to have a meaningful, peaceful, and joyful Christmas. Of course, we can’t control every part of our Christmas holiday. But I believe there are things we can do to make a saner Christmas more likely. We’ll chat about that in just a minute. But first, I’d like to thank our sponsor for this episode, Kiwi Company ...
Nov 28, 2023•16 min
Hey, homeschoolers! Many of you know that fashion is a hobby of mine. I’ve stopped and started a fashion Instagram account numerous times. In the past year I’ve been listening to the Everyday Style School podcast with Jennifer Mackey-Mary and loving it. She talked about how she deals with the topic of fashion with her daughters and I thought you would love to hear more. If you don’t have daughters but would like to improve your own fashion confidence, you’ll want to listen to the first part of t...
Nov 21, 2023•36 min
Hey, homeschoolers! I have done a podcast episode on wondering if we are doing enough in our homeschools. But we also wonder if WE are enough. Watch on YouTube My guest is going to help us find the truth about feelings of inadequacy. Sharla Fritz is a Christian author and speaker who weaves honest and humorous stories into life-changing Bible study. Author of eight books, including Measured by Grace: How God Defines Success , Sharla writes about God’s transforming grace and unfailing love. Sharl...
Nov 14, 2023•27 min
Hey homeschoolers! This week our topic is how to be happy and homeschool too. Wait a minute. Are you wondering if I’m suggesting that happiness and homeschooling are mutually exclusive? Yep. That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. I’m thankful my friends Andy and Kendra Fletcher were the first to be honest about it, saying that homeschooling can be a buzz kill . Before we dig in, I want to thank our sponsor for this episode, the movie Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies . I also want to invite yo...
Nov 07, 2023•17 min
Hey, homeschoolers! I intended to publish this episode last week but ended up giving you a chance to practice patience in waiting for it. I want to share what I’ve learned about being a patient mom, but first, I want to thank the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network . They are celebrating their 10-year anniversary, which is amazing to me. I can’t believe it’s been that long since the kind and generous Felice Gerwitz offered me the chance to have my own podcast. Some weeks (like last week), it’s cha...
Oct 24, 2023•16 min
Hey, homeschoolers! Today we’re going to talk about how to parent as a Christian homeschooler. We are spending more time than ever parenting as we shelter in place. There’s nothing like a quarantine to show you what needs your attention. Great Homeschool Conventions Before we jump in and I introduce my guest, I want to tell you about Great Homeschool Conventions online, April 16th-18th! VIP access is free. You’ll have access to two popular parenting sessions from me: “How to Outwit, Outthink, an...
Oct 10, 2023•50 min
Hey, homeschoolers! Even in an age of enlightenment, there is still stigma and misunderstanding about mental health. As homeschoolers, we don’t want to neglect to teach it to our children–especially to our teens. But before I introduce my guest, I want to thank you sponsor: Reading Eggs. Sponsor: Reading Eggs With Reading Eggs , your homeschoolers will enjoy a highly personalized learning journey, designed to support them at every stage. Plus, you’ll get four programs in one with your subscripti...
Oct 04, 2023•37 min
Watch on YouTube In this podcast episode, Melanie Wilson interviews Chanel Miller, a homeschooling mom, about her journey and her new cookbook for kids called Kid De Cuisine . Chanel shares that she homeschools her three daughters and explains how the idea of homeschooling began during the pandemic when her daughters were in pre-K. She wanted to be more hands-on with their education and spend quality family time together. The conversation then shifts to discussing Chanel’s cookbook, which is des...
Sep 26, 2023•24 min
Hey, homeschoolers! Do you ever have days that go so badly that you just want to throw your hands up in surrender? I know I have. In this episode, we’ll discuss a better approach than surrender for a day that’s a dumpster fire. But first I want to thank my sponsor: the Route 60 movie . Personal Dumpster Fires There are a lot of reasons we want to give up on a day. Perhaps it’s personal. We might have a personal goal of eating better . But we get up and instead of having that egg white omelet pac...
Sep 19, 2023•12 min
In this episode, Melanie Wilson explores the concept of rewriting our life stories and guiding our children to do the same. Watch on YouTube This episode is sponsored by the Route 60 movie . Rewrite Your Story Summary Melanie begins by recounting the biblical story of Joseph and how he overcame numerous challenges. She emphasizes that life can be filled with adversity, but we are not in control of the plot; God is. She encourages listeners to take on the roles of both protagonist and editor in t...
Sep 12, 2023•12 min
Introduction In this episode of the Home School Sanity Show, Melanie Wilson welcomes back Danika Cooley to discuss her latest additions to the Who What Why series , which is designed to teach Christian history. Watch on YouTube Sponsor: Reading Eggs With Reading Eggs , your homeschoolers will enjoy a highly personalized learning journey, designed to support them at every stage. Plus, you’ll get four programs in one with your subscription – Reading Eggs, Reading Eggspress, Reading Eggs Junior, an...
Sep 05, 2023•28 min
Melanie introduces the topic of dating philosophies and their extremes and encourages parents to find an approach that is just right for their family. Watch on YouTube This episode is sponsored by the Route 60 movie . The Extremes of Dating Philosophies Melanie introduces the topic of dating philosophies and their extremes. Discusses the “too strict” philosophy born out of fear of negative consequences and wrong partners. Mentions the extreme position of advocating courtship instead of dating, i...
Aug 30, 2023•19 min
Introduction: In this episode, we’re addressing a common challenge among homeschoolers: homeschooling strong-willed children. While strong-willed kids have potential to be world changers, homeschooling them can be overwhelming. Tune in to discover three key strategies to maintain your sanity while homeschooling strong-willed kids. Watch on YouTube This episode is sponsored by the Route 60 movie . Step 1: Limit Opportunities to Rebel: Strong-willed children tend to rebel against rules, especially...
Aug 26, 2023•10 min
Watch on YouTube Introduction: Homeschooling options have exploded over the years, leading to overwhelm. Three steps to escape overwhelm and make confident choices. Sponsor With Reading Eggs , your homeschoolers will enjoy a highly personalized learning journey, designed to support them at every stage. Plus, you’ll get four programs in one with your subscription – Reading Eggs, Reading Eggspress, Reading Eggs Junior, and Fast Phonics. Our interactive lessons are based on scientific research and ...
Aug 22, 2023•26 min
Hey, homeschoolers! For me and for so many of you, homeschooling is about freedom—the freedom to educate our children ourselves, the freedom to teach our values. It’s a freedom that we often take for granted. Sometimes it’s a freedom that feels at odds with government education and programs. Watch on YouTube I am happy to have Connor Boyack join me for an enlightening discussion of freedom in homeschooling. Connor is a popular speaker at the Great Homeschool Conventions, but we have not had a ch...
Aug 08, 2023
In this podcast episode, Melanie Wilson discusses her 25 years of teaching her six kids and helping other families with their homeschooling journey. She reflects on her journey as a homeschooler and talks about her passion for speaking to homeschoolers, creating curriculum, and writing. She encourages listeners who are entering a new season of homeschooling, whether due to their child going off to college, starting a new job, or other life changes. Melanie shares some tips for making the most of...
Aug 01, 2023•25 min
