September 6, 2025 • 52 mins
What happens when a seasoned teacher with 20 years in the classroom decides traditional education isn’t right for her own children? In this inspiring episode, Toni, mother of five shares her journey from dedicated educator to passionate homeschool advocate.
Toni noticed troubling patterns in conventional schooling that she “couldn’t unsee,” realizing that schools often fail to prepare children for the real world while neglecting natural learning rhythms—especially for active learners who struggle to sit still. She shares her philosophy: “Academics should serve kids, not suffocate them,” and explains how homeschooling can preserve curiosity, foster creativity, and develop critical thinking skills.
Learn practical homeschooling strategies, including Toni’s “Socratic snack” discussions, balanced reading routines, and real-world projects that connect learning to life. Toni’s Roots and Wings method empowers children to build strong foundations while gaining the confidence to explore, create, and contribute meaningfully to the world.
Whether you’re a homeschooling parent, considering a switch, or exploring ways to enhance your child’s education, this episode provides actionable insights, encouragement, and inspiration to raise independent, creative thinkers.
Toni Samuelu is the founder of Simple Joyful Learning and the creator of the Roots & Wings framework, designed to help families spark wonder, build character, and raise creators—not consumers. A former teacher and single mom of five, Toni combines over 20 years of experience in education with the everyday reality of motherhood. Her mission is to give moms simple, meaningful tools to connect with their children, create fun memories, and raise kind, capable, creative kids—without overwhelm.
Check out Toni's Page: Simple Joyful Learning
and Toni's Instagram
Cheryl's Guide to Homeschooling: Check out The Homeschool How To Complete Starter Guide- Cheryl's eBook compiling everything she's learned from her interviews on The Homeschool How To Podcast.
👉 15% off Tuttle Twins books with code Cheryl15
What is the most important thing we can teach our kids?
HOW TO HANDLE AN EMERGENCY!
This could mean life or death in some cases!
Help a child you know navigate how to handle an emergency situation with ease: Let's Talk, Emergencies!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to this week's episode of the Homeschool
How-To.
I'm Cheryl and I invite you tojoin me on my quest to find out
why are people homeschooling,how do you do it, how does it
differ from region to region?
And should I homeschool my kids?
Stick with me as I interviewhomeschooling families across
the country to unfold theanswers to each of these
(00:26):
questions week by week.
Welcome, and with us today Ihave Toni, a homeschool mom and
creator of Simple, joyfulLearning.
Hi, toni, how are you?
Hi, I'm doing great.
How are you?
Thank you, thank you for beinghere today.
You have a very cool story,because this is one that when I
(00:47):
first started the podcast, Ithought I was getting like a
diamond in the rough, talking toa public school teacher who
decided to homeschool her kids.
And then, now that I've beeninterviewing people for two and
a half years, I'm like, wow, alot of teachers do actually
leave the system to home educate, and that's kind of where your
story came from.
(01:07):
But you have a very uniqueperspective on it and I can't
wait to hear about it.
It's so fun, and I guess itseems that way because I'm
talking to a bunch ofhomeschoolers, but you know, we
just you think of, like all theeducation you have to go through
to be a teacher to walk awayfrom.
That is huge.
You have to go through to be ateacher to walk away from.
That is huge.
(01:28):
So why don't we start out byjust how many kids do you have
and what even got you intohomeschooling in the first place
?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Sure, so I am a former teacher, so I've actually
been in early childhoodeducation for over 20 years now
and I have five kids ages twothrough 16.
And they're like three or fouryears between them all and the
reason I got into homeschooling.
We have a very interestingjourney.
My eldest daughter, who's 16now, she went through schooling
(01:58):
up until fifth grade and I hadstarted, I had left public
school teaching, which I loved,which was a lot of fun, but I
noticed some things that Icouldn't unsee and I started
this journey of trying to findthe perfect school for my kids,
(02:23):
which doesn't exist, by the way,it never will, I just I guess
the pen tube.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So whoops, did you hear that?
Yeah, so it cut off at, I guess, the bottom line Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
I'll say it again.
So the bottom line is schoolstoday are not preparing kids for
the world that they're walkinginto.
I think that schools are tryingto improve, but the rate at
which the world is moving due totechnology is just going so
much faster, and I think thething that I wish a lot of
(02:59):
parents realized is there are acouple of things.
So I think schools don'trespect young kids, or even
middle and high schoolers, theirnatural physiology.
I mean, if you think about it,we as adults we don't even like
sitting and learning at a classfor longer than about an hour,
but we expect kids, young kids,who are very active and they are
(03:23):
actually designed to learnthrough all of their senses, not
just sitting and getting, or,you know, hearing and vision,
but they're designed, theirbrains are wired to where
they're supposed to be, usingall of the senses, even ones
that we don't even know about,like the vestibular sense and
the proprioceptive sense, whichlike spinning and balance, and
(03:47):
and it affects them.
So I just that was one thing,and I did see a lot of young
does it just keep kicking outwhat's going on?
Does it keep kicking you out?
It's not kicking me out, but itjust says like it just pauses
me.
So it makes me wonder if that'sreally weird.
If it, but I can just startagain with that point.
(04:08):
Yeah, that's really strange.
Yeah, and you're really blurryto me, but I'm clear.
Is that how it is on your end?
I'm clear, but you look clearas well.
Oh, okay, good, well, that'sall that matters is the one on
your end.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Okay, the end recording will look good.
I promise we can do all sortsof stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Awesome.
Okay, I trust you.
I'm just honored to be here.
So little boys especially areexpected to sit and there's been
this, you know,over-feminization of education,
I think, because most teachersare women in America and so we
just expect little boys to beable to sit there like little
(04:50):
girls do, and it's just not thecase and it just breaks my heart
for little, sweet, active boysthat keep getting in trouble for
not sitting, which they'redesigned to get up and do, and
it just makes me like it irks me, because there are some
tolerant teachers, but for themost part, the system like I
(05:12):
love teachers.
Teachers are great.
They are put their heart in it,they care about the kids, they
want to do what's best for thekids, but the system that
they're in doesn't always allowthem to respect like their
natural physiology or, you know,like there's not enough
sunlight, there's just thingsthat teachers can't control and
(05:34):
the system expects the system isreally more convenient for the
adults in the building than itis for the kids, which it should
.
It's backwards, like it shouldbe.
You know, it's all about thekids and their growth and
another reason I homeschool isbecause I think schools are
still overly focused on learningto know things, and that made
(05:56):
sense when we didn't have accessto the internet.
You know podcasts and all theseworld-renowned experts that
have courses.
But I think it's more importantthat we raise our kids to learn
to be and learn to do, and Ireally believe in having them
fail earlier and more often, andI just feel like school doesn't
(06:19):
allow kids to really fail untilmaybe like after they graduate
college, because I feel likethat's what happened to me.
So I was really good at school,like I learned the game really
early on.
I was like, okay, I get it,like you're supposed to just
follow the instructions and youknow, do what we're told and
turn in these assignments andmake good grades.
(06:41):
And I happened to be good at it.
So I memorized the stuff, Iregurgitated onto the test and I
would forget it and and gofigure, that is what most people
do, like they learn it and thenthey forget it like two months
later.
And so I graduated with all theribbons and medals and I was
(07:02):
like jingling when I crossed thestage at graduation and I wish
I could go back and basically,bottom line, I just feel like I
wasn't prepared for life.
I felt like, okay, I know howto take tests and that's about
it.
Like I need, you know, becausemy parents were like, oh, your
job is school and I did reallywell at school, so they didn't
(07:25):
really complain.
But I wish that I had maybestarted some apprenticeships
earlier on and you know, like Ijust felt like I was lacking in
the life skills.
So with my kids I definitely amtrying to instill more life
skills earlier on, and that'sjust easier to do when you
(07:47):
homeschool.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Oh for sure.
Yes, so much of what you saidthere is so important and, like
you were mentioning, theteachers are good people.
It's the system and you're soright, because there's nothing
about a square cement room with30 to 35 kids in it that would
be conducive for activity.
You know, like in all thesedesks in the middle, like a
(08:10):
teacher just couldn't, you can'tbring them outside every single
day, and you know you get 39minutes in some cases and by the
time you get all their gear onto go outside, you know it's
time to come back in.
So even this, like when I talkto teachers about, well, you
were early childhood, so youknow it takes.
You know it's time to come backin.
So even this, like when I talkto teachers about well, you were
early childhood, so you know ittakes.
You know, the first 15 minutesfor kids they're kind of like I
don't know what to do withmyself.
(08:32):
And then the next 15 minuteblock they're like starting to
explore things oh, look at thispuddle, the snowbank.
The next 15 minutes they'rekind of creating their own
little world with each other andtheir languages.
And then, like the next 15minutes, they're fully submerged
and their brain is like goingoff doing all these synapses and
making connections and doingall this healthy stuff for them.
So it's like even if a teachercould be like I'm going to bring
(08:54):
them outside for English everyday, by the time you get out
there and the bell rings, it'slike they've only had 20 minutes
and nothing really could havehappened then.
So I mean that is just so keyright there in what you touched
on.
And you're right, it's the test.
I don't know anything fromschool or college.
Four years of college too, Idon't know anything, you know.
The one thing I remember is mybusiness law teacher said don't,
(09:17):
don't propose.
Men Don't propose on theirbirthday or Christmas, cause if
you don't actually go throughwith the marriage, you can't get
that ring back.
It's a gift, that's the onlything I remember I was like
don't get proposed to on aholiday, that's it.
It must've been relevant to meat the time, so it stuck with me
, or just something that Ithought was funny.
(09:38):
But yeah, you're right, everytest.
I don't remember a single thingon it Sociology, history,
spanish, french, none of it,none of it.
So, yeah, okay, so go on withhow.
You mentioned something elsetoo.
That was really cool thelearning with different parts of
their senses.
I didn't even know what thelumbar, what did you mention?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
So the vestibular sense, that has to do with your
balance and, like your, you knowyour ability to balance with
your eyes closed.
And young kids actually need tospin a lot to develop that and
they will do it naturally ifthey're given enough time and
space to do that.
But if they're, you know, stuckindoors all day then they can't
(10:22):
develop that.
And actually when I wasteaching, we were having issues
with kids coming in and likefalling out of chairs because
they had just been indoors forso long, and I have a real
concern about that.
Like, especially with all thescreen time and using the
screens as babysitter time, likeI don't think parents realize
(10:43):
the harm that that does to youngdeveloping brains.
And then the other sense was theproprioceptive sense, which is
the one that's like your abilityto kind of feel space, um, when
your eyes are closed.
But I think the theproprioceptive.
(11:03):
I know I know a little lessabout that, but I just think
it's interesting that there areother senses that we didn't even
hear about because we onlylearned about the five main ones
but there are actually otherones that I think we don't know
a lot about.
Oh, I'm sure that young kidsprobably do a lot of that, and I
mean like try to develop thatwhen they're young, naturally,
(11:25):
but we just don't even realizeit yeah but and I just learned
about the- sixth sense.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
We have like a bio field around us that goes out
about I don't know six feet.
I don't.
I don't think this isconspiracy.
I think this is actuallylegitimately true.
They just don't teach about itin school, but it's the energy
around us and it really affects,like you know, what we're
thinking and how we're feelingand stuff.
So, and like the wifi mighthave something to do with that.
But yeah, that that is great inscreen time too.
(11:55):
Okay.
So let's get into what switchedyou from.
I'm a school teacher and I'mgoing to homeschool my kids.
Let's start there, okay so.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I knew that I was going to need to transition my
daughter to like an alternativetype, more innovative type of
school before middle school.
Because once they're in middleschool and high school it's just
so much harder to um tobasically pull them out because
they want.
They're so plugged in withtheir friends and they're so
(12:24):
influenced by their friends andthat's another reason that I
love homeschooling.
What that I preferhomeschooling is because I want
to hold on to that influence andnot like, if I don't know.
If you've heard of dr gabbermate's book.
It's called hold on to yourkids.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
I've heard of the book.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Yes, okay, yeah, he talks about how you know when
they're in school.
It's kind of like they gettheir influence and they only
care about what their friendsthink and it's kind of like the
blind leading the blind right,because they I mean, what do
they know when they're in middleschool about life and about
making wise choices and healthyhabits?
But, like, I think if youhomeschool, it's just so much
(13:05):
easier to hold on to, to like,instill your values and to hold
on to that influence.
Because I remember when I wasin school I was a good, I was
like really into school and Imade wise choices.
But I was also really worriedabout like being popular and
(13:25):
what other kids think I don'tknow.
Homeschoolers don't have toworry about that as much.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I was thinking about this today, with just the
screens and the phones and stuff, because my son, well, he's
seven.
He'll sometimes say to me, likewhen can I get a phone?
But it's never like that'sbecause he sees like a cousin or
a neighbor have it and he neverjust brings it up on his own
randomly because he's his, hishomeschooler friends don't have
cell phones and so it's easyenough for me to say, well, when
(13:53):
you can afford one, you have ajob and hopefully when you're
out of the house.
But no, but I do want to bearound to supervise the first
few years too.
But it's like, yeah, you don'tneed, we might need something to
track him sometimes, because hedoes go off into the woods like
a rogue homeschooling childsometimes will, and you know, or
go off on his four-wheeler dirtbike.
(14:14):
So I'd like to have something.
But you know, it's like it's soeasy when you homeschool to not
have to worry about who hassnapchat and who doesn't, and is
your kid being left out of thegroup text and everybody is
included on it and the insidejokes, and your kid isn't,
because you won't allow them tohave a cell phone and that's got
to be so hard to navigate.
Of course you get your kids acell phone because, well, if I'm
(14:36):
at work and you come home earlyfrom school, I want you to have
.
We don't have a house phone, soI want you to be able to
contact someone in an emergencyor call me if you need me.
Or school shooting god forbid.
I wanted you to be able to getahold of me.
Any of those things on top ofthe peer pressure of you know,
all these kids are involved init and I'm not, I'm left out.
You don't want that for yourkid.
(14:57):
You want them to be involved.
So I it's gotta be so hardhaving kids in school and having
to deal with that innerstruggle.
Cause I have the inner strugglewith my daughter watching
Blippi and it's it's likewhatever.
Sometimes I just throw my handsup, I don't care, watch Blippi,
but right, that's like step oneof like step.
You know 50 steps to like.
(15:19):
You know they're on Minecraftor whatever, for I don't know,
that's probably a bad analogy,because I don't even know what
Minecraft is, I've never seen itplayed.
But or you know your kid beingon Snapchat all day long.
Right, like there's got to besomewhere where that balance is
okay, but it's just so mucheasier to manage when you're
homeschooling.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
You know it is, and I was a little worried, like when
my eldest daughter was likefive or six.
She was like pretty strongwilled and independent and I was
like I was always thinking orsix, she was like pretty
strong-willed and independentand I was like I was always
thinking to myself like I'mgoing to have a hard time when
she's a teenager, like I don'tknow, I better prepare myself.
(16:00):
But honestly, I am sopleasantly surprised like with
how like I mean, she there'slike nothing she can't do.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Thinking about homeschooling but don't know
where to start.
Well, I've interviewed a fewpeople on the topic Actually,
120 interviews at this pointwith homeschooling families from
across the country and theworld and what I've done is I've
packed everything I've learnedinto an e-book called the
Homeschool How-To CompleteStarter Guide.
From navigating your state'slaws to finding your
homeschooling style, fromworking while homeschooling to
(16:32):
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.
I've taken the best insights,the best resources and put them
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Stop feeling overwhelmed andstart feeling confident.
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(16:52):
It's about getting what youwant out of each day, not what
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You can grab the link to thisebook in the show's description
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Speaker 2 (17:03):
That's another reason I think homeschooling is
helpful because so I'm a mom offive.
And I think homeschooling ishelpful because so I'm a mom of
five and so I couldn't doeverything for them, even if I
tried, right, but but they, mykids, know earlier on like I
better make something happenbecause like I'm in charge of my
life.
(17:23):
And I just think in traditionalschool it's like we're
graduating, all these kids thatare like waiting for
instructions or waiting for likethe life handbook.
And I just, I just think, likefrom all the homeschooling
families that I know, it seemslike their kids are more like
proactive or they're just likemore self-autonomous and they
(17:47):
kind of they self-reflect andthey're like they have like a
clearer picture of where they'reheaded.
And maybe it's becausehomeschooling you know you can
individualize and you can focuson, you know like each kid's
talents and interests and youknow like their, their unique
design.
And I fully believe that we asparents, it's our, it's like our
(18:11):
mission to to help them figureout their mission, and like it's
just a little bit easier when,when you're homeschooling, and
so I should probably tell youI'm having to transition, like
with my, I was staying at homeand I didn't have to make income
, and now I do, so it's so.
(18:33):
I do have two that are likegoing to school out of the five,
but and then my and then one ofmy kids is in like a micro
school situation, which you knowis great.
And then I have one that's likefull time homeschooleded and
she's also dual enrolled, soshe's actually taking at 16.
She's taking college classesand getting credit for and you
(18:58):
know that's paid for with taxdollars.
So that's nice and this wasfully her idea.
Because I'm not one to likepush college, I have the
unpopular opinion that the ROIis just not good.
I'm not just monetarily wise,it's like time wise, like
they're in the prime of theirlife, and I just don't see how
(19:20):
more schooling is.
I mean, it should never be theend goal, like it should be a
means to an end, like if theylike.
So my daughter's taking twodifferent things, very different
things criminal justice andinterior design right now, and
she's trying to choose, like,which direction she'd like to go
.
And I think, like when I was 16, I had all these plans but they
(19:43):
were very abstract and I didn'tknow that there were so many
jobs that you could even makeyour own job, and so I just had
like a list in my head, but Ididn't have time to explore them
, so I just I really wish thatwe could bring apprenticeships
back earlier on, like startingin middle school and early high
(20:05):
school.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
That makes so much sense.
Like, as you're saying that,I'm thinking of my nephew that
graduated and he got like aspeeding ticket and he was.
He got the ticket in the mailand he just took I think it's
just something I'm like youmight owe up to $300.
And he took $300 cash, put itin the envelope, sealed it up
and asked my sister how do Iaddress this?
(20:26):
And she's like there's so manythings wrong with this situation
.
You don't just send money.
You have to have a court dateand you can't seal it up before
you see where the address was,like there was, and you don't
send cash.
So but you know it's right andhe's not a stupid kid, it's just
like the school never taughtthat and parents don't know what
(20:48):
the schools aren't teaching.
So if it didn't come up in life, right, they don't know.
Like, hey, make sure, before webrush teeth tonight, we teach
him how to fill out an envelope.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
You know, teach him how to write a check exactly so
I can I can give you someinsight on that.
I think one of the main thingsthat I wish a lot of parents
knew is I wish that like so evenin elementary school.
So I I got my master's degreein early childhood education and
then I also got gifted endorsed.
(21:18):
So I also like know aboutgifted kids and like how to
teach them, but I don't thinkparents realize that, like
creativity and critical thinking, don't really, don't really
have time to to do activitiesthat have the kids practice
(21:38):
those majorly valuable skills,and so it's all like I just
believe academics should servekids, not like suffocate them,
like they you know, likecreativity, like these meta
skills are not being practicedbecause of like standardized
testing and all the focus onthat, and so I just like, unless
(22:01):
they qualify for like the giftquote, gifted unquote program
which they only meet like once aweek, the kids are not really,
the teachers are not really ableto focus on creativity and
critical thinking and it justhas to stay very surface level.
And that's a real problem,because the world that we're
(22:22):
walking into with AI andeverything, like we need
critical thinkers and creativeproblem solvers and excellent
communicators and really goodcollaborators, and, like, the
number one thing that businessesare complaining about, about
our college graduates, is thatthey don't know how to work
together on a team.
(22:43):
And they don't.
They're just like waiting to betold what to do.
And you know, like, so that's.
I really just want my kids andall kids like to just be, have
more opportunity to add valueand you know to, to like look
around and see, like, whatproblems do I need?
What can I help solve?
(23:04):
Instead of you know, like, oh,it's, it's two o'clock, it's
time for math, let's just focuson math.
And you know, like, oh, it'stwo o'clock, it's time for math,
let's just focus on math.
And you know, take calculus.
Even though I'm not going to bea math teacher and I probably
won't use a lot of this orremember a lot of this After the
test, I just, you know, like wejust got to focus on you know.
And then I know you probablyknow this already, but a lot of
(23:27):
parents might not but the schoolsystem was modeled after the
Prussian system, which wasbasically created to train
obedient soldiers, andRockefeller was known for
supposedly saying I want anation of workers, not thinkers.
And so if you think about itthe way that I mean even, let's
(23:51):
just say that's not even true.
Um, let's just say that is aconspiracy theory or something
like if you just think about theway the school day is designed,
it's just not producingcreative and critical thinkers
and then I have a really, reallysad story.
I'm like I just went on vacationwith a couple of girlfriends
three others and two of themknew of situations where their
(24:14):
child, like their middle schoolage child and like, like I think
, a freshman in high school, somiddle, like a, like a 12 year
old and a 16 year old who werehaving suicidal thoughts and
they come from good families,and so I just think that's when
we need to, as a society, likestop and think, like what is
(24:35):
what is wrong?
Like why are we having to talkto middle schoolers about not
hurting themselves?
Speaker 1 (24:41):
So it's just really sad I've I've mentioned this a
couple times lately becausethere's a lady on Instagram Her
handle is scrolling to death andshe used to work in like social
media marketing and not and sheleft it because she realized,
like, the harm that that isdoing to children.
And now she speaks out about it, has an organization about it,
(25:02):
uh, bringing awareness, and sheposts all the time about the AI
that is getting children to hurtthemselves and it's like thing
I don't know.
I mean to me AI, somebody hasto program it to do that.
So whether that's happening andthat's some sort of like war
initiative, I don't know fromwho, but their AI.
(25:24):
She, you know, shows theseexamples and has these parents
on that talk about how theirchild committed suicide because
of the AI, like basicallyturning the child against their
parents by turning onto them andit poses as a person.
I think the kid understandsthat it's AI, but they almost
then start to believe this is areal person, this is my friend.
And then, oh yeah, my parentssuck and they don't get me and
(25:47):
yada, yada, and then, hey, youcould get them back by doing
this.
I think it spans over a lengthyamount of time, but that's just
so interesting on top of thewhole, just like what the social
media and the TV, theelectronics does to the brain.
But yeah, these are in thoseyears where they're still
forming, still forming.
(26:10):
And you brought up a few timeswhich is so relevant to what I
went through always being toldwhat to do so that you never
kind of have initiative overyour own time or agency, I guess
that's the word.
You never have agency over yourown time, because I mean, from
the time I was, from the time Iwas, remember I always had to be
at, you know, the babysitter'shouse before school, get to
school, then you know home afterschool and do the homework and
(26:32):
then get to the dance class andthen go to bed, shower in bed.
You do all that.
And then, once you're incollege, it's okay, yep, you're
doing your activities and you'redoing your classes.
You don't know why you're doingyour job.
And then you graduate and it'slike, what do I do now?
I don't know my parents, mostparents push their careers on
you.
So I became a government worker,like both minded, and for 16
(26:54):
years it was like, okay, get up,go to the office, sit in the
cubicle and, like you said, 2 pm, it's math time.
I'm here to learn math.
It was like okay, it's Thursdayat 2 pm, that's the time where
we have our unit meeting.
Okay, well, why are we meeting?
I don't know.
Because we meet every Thursday.
It's easier just to put it onthe calendar for every Thursday
at 2.
Do we have anything to talkabout?
(27:14):
No, but we'll just sit here forthe hour because it's on the
calendar and that's what we'resupposed to do.
Okay, are we going toaccomplish anything?
No, but it's on the calendar.
And that's at a lot ofcompanies, because my husband
works for a private company andhe says it's still the same
thing.
They have like a routinemeeting every week and even if
(27:35):
their time is better spent at ajob, getting the job done, it
doesn't matter.
They still have to be on thatcall to talk about all the jobs
that have to get done still.
So it's like that could be oneemail.
These are the open jobs, right?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
right, it's just right.
That should be a key for allleaders.
Like, if it can be in an email,just put it in an email.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Yeah yes, so yeah, and I see that with my sister's
kids too.
It's like you know, okay, well,I'm gonna take a police exam.
Okay, well, why do you reallywant to be a police officer?
Is just because your father didthat.
So that's what you know.
That's like a career thatyou're comfortable with, which
is why a lot of kids becometeachers, because they've seen a
teacher for 12 years or 16years and they're like, oh, I
(28:20):
know that one, I can do it.
You know, it's something I seeevery day.
So, yeah, that there's got tobe some sort of studies into
that too.
But yeah, this is alsointeresting.
I don't know what I jumped in,sorry, I got all like what you
said to.
Academics should All right.
Academics should serve kids,not suffocate them.
I mean that if a statement wasever truer, oh my goodness.
(28:44):
Because why would you teach akid about I don't know geology
if they just don't care?
But they really want to knowhow mechanics work on a truck.
You know, like why waste theirtime with it?
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yeah, it's like it's.
I mean, if you think about it,we, I mean it makes sense if you
learn things so much fasterwhen you're actually interested
in them.
And so that's another reason Iprefer homeschooling over a
traditional model is becausetheir natural curiosity and
creativity is preserved and,unfortunately, the way the
system is set up they don't havetime to dive into.
You know like, oh Johnny, I'msorry that you're curious about
that butterfly, but we've got toget back to science in the
classroom and playing withplastic animals.
(29:33):
You know, like we, we don't, wedon't, and I think we don't
give kids as much credit as theydeserve because we don't trust
them Like I, like I.
So in my journey it brought meto a really cool innovative
model called Acton Academy, andthey have guides as opposed to
(29:55):
teachers.
Like sage on the stage teachers, they have more like guides on
the side, like sort of likeMontessori model, where actually
the guides are not evensupposed to answer questions,
Like it's that serious, Likethey're just supposed to be,
like well, where can you look tofind that out?
Like everything's figureoutable, Like you know, like they're.
They're there to provideworld-class examples and to kind
(30:20):
of guide the children, but thechildren themselves are learning
to self-govern and they haveSocratic discussions every day.
And that brings me to one of myfavorite like homeschooling
rhythms is like we have aSocratic snack where we gather
together, food always brings ustogether and we talk.
(30:40):
You know like it's?
It's just where a Socraticdiscussion is like where you're
given a choice and you chooseand then you're given more
information.
Given choice and you choose andthen you're given more
information.
And basically it helps you tolearn to debate respectfully and
to really ask better and betterquestions.
And because, like, it justmakes sense that like the like,
(31:01):
the better your questions are.
A good question always trumps agood answer, right, Because
curiosity should be leading us.
Like, look at science, and yes,we need kids to know how to read
and write and do arithmetic andknow the scientific method, for
example, but they don't need tobe forced at all of this
(31:24):
surface level info that theymight not even be interested in.
And all the while they'reasking a very valid question
like how is this relevant to mylife and me and my path?
And I just like, when youhomeschool, everything is
relevant to what they're doingpretty much like, like other
outside of.
They're in, they're doing whatthey're interested in.
Like, my son loves chess, so heloves to, you know, play chess
(31:49):
in his spare time and they getto.
They have more opportunity tochoose their own interests, I
think, and more time to explorethem than most kids, Because,
like, if you have to spend sevenor eight hours at school all
day learning stuff that you mayor may not be interested in, it
(32:09):
doesn't leave a whole lot oftime for you to explore, you
know, things that you reallymight be interested in.
That's another reason wehomeschool.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
So true, because before I homeschooled I was like
, what do these people do allday?
Like I'm not just going to sitthere and read textbooks with
them, that's just not my thing.
And then I remember, like whenI officially quit my government
job, I'm like, whoa, I couldjust do whatever I want.
Today, like, this is weird.
I mean not whatever I want,because we don't have like all
(32:38):
the money in the world, but likewe can go on a hike if it's
nice out, we can pack a lunchand eat by the stream, we can go
on a bike ride or go for arollerblading, like I the.
In the last 12 months I havebought rollerblades, ice skates.
I've ice skated for the firsttime this past year.
(32:58):
Um, yeah, what else we do likejust you know, even things that
are free, that are available tothe community, but usually you
don't have time to do thembecause your work and school and
everything else, all the sports.
And you know we did like freestuff, like, oh, let's go to the
.
There's a bird sanctuary thathas all these wounded hawks and
eagles right near us, and so nowthat we found out about it,
(33:21):
we'll go there a couple of timesa year and check up on them and
it's like we would never havetime to do this if we were in
school.
You might take a field trip,but like when you bring 30 kids
anywhere and I've realized thiseven with homeschooling when you
bring a bunch of homeschoolersto something, you're not getting
out of it as you would like.
If it was just me bringing mykids, you know they're always
(33:42):
going to want to just play over,take it all in and learn so
yeah, that's kind of like a noteto self too.
Like don't feel that you have tojoin those field trip groups,
see where they're going and thengo a week later.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Yeah, or maybe a mix of both, right?
Like I always try to remindmyself, kids are just like us we
we like to have time tosocialize, but we also, you know
, want to learn what we want tolearn, what we want to learn,
what we're curious about.
Right.
So, like curious, lettingcuriosity lead the way is not
(34:13):
really possible in traditionalschooling model, but it is
possible in homeschooling, andso just preserving that natural
curiosity and creativity, Ithink, is just super important.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
So talk to me more about the rhythms, because I
really like what you mentionedabout the Socratic way that you
and I'm going to look into thatmore and just see what, because
I like that idea of liketeaching them how to ask
questions not just why, butreally how to ask questions.
So what are some other rhythmsthat you work on with your kids?
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah.
So other than the Socraticsnack time where I just
basically we kind of try to havea Socratic discussion or I just
ask them not just about theirday or what their goals are, or
anything like that, I just wejust I bring up a topic and they
have to choose, and then webring up more information and we
just kind of practice askingbetter and better questions and
(35:08):
debating respectfully.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
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(35:35):
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Speaker 2 (35:41):
And then the other major thing I think that a lot
of homeschool parents do reallywell is reading aloud with their
kids, especially younger kids.
You know, pre-k, kindergarten,up to like maybe second grade,
because third grade is the iskind of the age where they
switch from learning to read toreading, to learn that, you know
(36:06):
, when they can kind of read ontheir own and learn things.
But up until third grade andeven after third grade, it's so
nice to read with your kids andI feel like most parents just
maybe think like if I just readthis story and shut the book and
then it's bedtime, that'sequivalent to like like making a
(36:29):
big feast and then only servingthe appetizer, because it's
like there's so much you can getfrom reading a story with your
child and talking about it andconversing about it.
And I think one thing I wishall parents knew is like kids
will learn to read and write somuch faster and easier if they
(36:51):
have a strong oral languagefoundation, so like you can't
learn to read if you don't knowhow to say it properly.
And so if your child is sayingher is going to the store and
then and then they see the wordshe is going to the store like
they don't have a chance, likethey have to, you know.
(37:11):
So a strong oral languagefoundation is built by just
conversing a lot like, not, not.
And I think a lot of parentsare just in a hurry all the time
and like talking at their kids,giving them instructions and
baby talking at times, and it'sjust it does them no favors,
like, so I wish more parentsunderstood that speaking to them
(37:35):
and not dumbing down theirvocabulary is way better.
Sometimes it's it's kind ofcommon to think like oh, I need
to use smaller words with mykids because that they'll
understand it better, whenactually their brains are like
sponges, so they, if you use thebig word once or twice with
(37:56):
them, or they see it in a tv, ina movie or something, and then
they hear you say it like, itdoesn't take as many repetitions
for them for their brain to useit and to absorb it and then
use it themselves, whereas youknow a kid that is on screens
all the time and is only beingtalked at and is only in school
all day, learning things thatthey may or may not be
(38:19):
interested in, like, versus akid who you know wakes up and
like, does chores and hasmeaningful work and is
contributing to their family andlearning life skills and
reading books that they'rereally interested about the
topic and maybe writing aboutthat topic or journaling about
that topic and like modeling thehealthy habits of their parents
(38:41):
, like which kid is going tohave a better chance, you know,
to be like successful withwhatever they want to do later.
Chance, you know, to be likesuccessful with whatever they
want to do later.
So the core rhythms in ourhouse are chores, because I
don't believe in raising houseguests Like I.
I think it's really importantthat kids learn to contribute
(39:04):
early and often so chores I meanI'll even say like I'm not
taking you to your friend'shouse until you do the chores,
or I'm not, I'm not even takingyou to your class until you get
your chore done.
So you better hurry, because Ijust think it's important, and
where else are they going tolearn that?
You know, like havingresponsibility, and when you
don't do it, look what happens.
So chores and then core skillwork.
(39:26):
That's the reading, writing,arithmetic, like those basic.
And then core skill work.
That's the reading writing,arithmetic, like those basic.
You know, scientific method,like the basics, um, they spend
maybe one or two hours on that aday, no more than like.
No more than like an hour and ahalf um, and then like reading
a lot.
So one of my favorite favoriterhythms that my, that I did with
my full-time homeschooled kidslast year was they had, so we
(39:51):
got into this thing where.
So I'll I'll tell you about myson.
He was, he wasn't um, he waslike not, he was 11 when he
finally found a series that thatmade him want to read.
Um, before that it was like Idon't really want to read and I
was like, it was like pullingteeth.
But um, once he finally found aseries that he liked, then it
(40:12):
was like, oh, buy me the nextbook, or let's go get the next
book for this, and then leadingon to other series.
Um, and then we ran into theissue we all need to know,
because we all don't want toread okay, I think it was called
gregor I don't know if you haveheard of that, but it's called
Gregor G-R-E-G-O-R and it's kindof weird.
(40:34):
He was telling me all about it.
I was like really Like, okay,whatever works.
And then he's just from there,like sometimes he reads things
that I recommend and you knowthat I find for him, and
sometimes he hears things fromother friends.
But so then we ran into theissue of him wanting to just
read fiction all the time, andso we turned it into a like he
(40:58):
has to read one page of adevotional every day, like,
which is quick, and then onepage of a biography and tell me
about that person and their life, which is so cool to learn
about and so inspiring to learnabout other amazing humans that,
like overcame amazing things orlike built incredible things or
(41:20):
filled a huge need.
So I love that rhythm like, andit inspires me too.
And then and then one chapterof a nonfiction book.
It could be anything you wantto learn about, like if you want
to learn about how to do likeanimal balloons or whatever.
Like it could be about Legos.
It could be anything that youwant as science.
(41:41):
And then, after you know thedevotional, the biography and
the one chapter of nonfiction.
Then you can read as muchfiction as you want, like go to
town, but I love having that inplace.
And then the biographies kindof touch on history, right,
because it's like why was AnneFrank needing to do?
You know like, needing to hide,like, and then you know, it
(42:02):
leads you to discussions aboutyou know history and you know
like.
And so, going back to thatSocratic snack, one time we were
talking about how, like I, thisis just an example of the
Socratic snack.
So I was saying, okay, so you,this is the situation.
You, you know that a boy inyour, in your little class, is
(42:23):
being accused of something thathe actually did not do, of
something that he actually didnot do.
He is, but he is usually makinglots of mistakes, so everybody
thinks he's, you know, bad andmaking poor choices, but you
know for a fact that he did notdo the thing he's being accused
of.
Do you A, like, stand up forhim and say something.
(42:44):
Or, b, just stay quiet.
And then that led them into.
They're like well, this is whatI would do and why.
And then I give moreinformation and I was saying so,
like, so then it just led us toa neat discussion about like
how it's important to stand upfor what you know, for saying
the right thing, becausesometimes people are misled and
(43:06):
they might not know like all thefacts, and so truth is just
really important.
And it led us into this wholediscussion about you know, like
somehow we talked about Hitlerand like I don't know, it just
led us down the road and it'sjust really cool because
otherwise we would not haveenough time to do those things.
(43:27):
And so like it's just neat howyou can tie history in, because
basically the point of learninghistory is so we don't make the
same mistakes, right, and I mean, aside from it being really
interesting what people had togo through, but like the point
of history is kind of so theycan turn it around and
internalize like okay, so so weshouldn't, you know, just go
(43:50):
along with what everyone isdoing or believing, like we
actually need to have, like itneeds to stand on truth.
And that leads me to say, like Ithink homeschooling is just,
it's just easier to impart yourway of life, like I think
education is something thatnever stops.
It shouldn't stop when you getyour certificate, like it should
(44:14):
always be, you know, like weshould always be learning and
growing and like investing inour own personal development,
and I just think it's easier todo that when that's a habit of
theirs from early on, versuslove that maybe they get into it
after college, maybe they don't.
Like I don't really feel like Istarted really learning and
(44:38):
self-educating until I was outof college and I started
listening to podcasts andreading books that I was
interested in, versus justsitting and getting and taking
tests.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Yeah, getting indoctrinated.
Yeah, it's only the victorswrite the history books.
You know there's other sides tothese stories.
There's other things that wenton that they've left out.
Yeah, it's interesting what youthe Socratic method that you
were talking about uh, somebodyhad sent me the author of this
book called what should Danny do.
(45:11):
I actually just pulled it up soI'm like, oh, my God, that
reminds me of this book.
I know that you do.
They sent me the two books andI I, I wrote a couple, like I
wrote a story for them on myInstagram, and I keep meaning to
do like a more of a real form,because the books are so cute
and it's just like that, likeyour child picks what should
Danny do.
So then it's based on what theypick.
(45:31):
You go to that page and thestory continues, but you're
supposed to go through all likeeight stories over time, so
you've always got a differentstory to read, because you want
them to pick the bad choice sothat they can see what the
impact of that is, and I lovethat, and so I'm going to link
what should Danny do in theshow's description too, so we
(45:52):
can give props to the authorthere because that goes right.
Twins, they have some follow thestory books also, like for for
middle school and high schoolyou know, I haven't gotten them
because my son's seven and theykeep asking me, like, do you
need other books?
And I'm like, no, I don't, mykid's only seven.
So like I don't know.
We're into the history ones now, which I'm loving.
(46:13):
But you're right, they do havea choose your own consequence.
I just haven't gotten there yetbecause he's seven.
But I'm excited too that, yes,you're right, that's so.
Thanks for um promoting that.
I'll put the title twins with15 off discount for you in the
show's description too.
Oh, that's so awesome.
So, all right, you have to getyour daughter right.
So let's just wrap up.
(46:34):
How are you like?
You mentioned before that youhave to, like, get income.
Now you're a homeschool mom.
I know that you have kind of aside gig going on while you're
homeschooling.
Tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Yeah, so I've developed something I call the
roots and wings method and thatis because I was a teacher for
so long and read so manychildren's books, I curated my
favorite ones and one of therhythms that I do with my
younger kids, whether they're inschool or not, is like we read
together.
We read a great story, reallyhigh quality, you know, like
(47:07):
heartwarming, like CharlotteMason living book, and then we
and then I use that as likeinspiration for a play
invitation or a simple projectinvitation, for example, like
grandparents day is coming upand one of our favorite things
to do every year.
One of my favorite books iscalled Molly Lou Mellon.
(47:27):
Like stand tall, molly LouMellon, and it's about a little
girl and she's listening to theadvice of her grandma and it's
so sweet and like so a realworld project that we do with my
kids is they plan agrandparents tea or a
grandparents like, host them fordinner and like they actually
(47:48):
do it all.
So I'm just like the guide onthe side, helping them kind of
think through sort of like a,like a project manager or
whatever, but I I'm letting themwrite the invitation or send
the audio text or you know, orlike design the invitation on
Canva and then they have to sendit and plan the day and serve
the food, cook the food, and soI'm just all about real world,
(48:12):
relevant, simple projects thatour kids can do, and sometimes
that is inspired by some of myfavorite books.
So I put it, I put some of myfavorite little projects like
that and play invitations.
An example of a play invitationwould be like like you read the
Gingerbread man invitationwould be like like you read the
(48:32):
gingerbread man and then likeyou use Play-Doh and you use
things from your pantry todesign your own gingerbread
creature, and so that would bean example of a play invitation.
But I put all this together intoa free guide and basically I
put all of the knowledge andwisdom that I've gained over
teaching for 20 years and beinga mom of five into this guide
and it's called Roots and WingsA Busy Mom's Guide to Raising
(48:56):
Good Humans, and you can find itand download it at
wwwsimplejoyfullearningorg.
And then you can like keepgetting email, like I'm starting
to send a newsletter out andit's that's really exciting for
me.
I'm enjoying writing them.
But so there's that guide.
And then I also have this thingcalled the curiosity jar, which
(49:18):
it like I'm just all aboutmaking things simple for moms
because, like I know howoverwhelming it is to be a mom
these days and just likeoverload of information and the
mental load that we have and youknow, like the all the advice,
like we could probably tell youthe pros and cons of like every
decision option that we have.
(49:39):
So the curiosity jar is justlike a printable you print it
off, you cut up the prompts, youstick them a jar and then every
day you can just pull a promptand it's like a creative
activity.
It's a play invitation or asimple project that you can do
with your child and there's evenan extension, like if you want
your kids to explore AI with you, you can even extend it with
(50:02):
that.
So, like one example of thatwould be like there's like
pre-STEM type of projects likebuilding things, like build a,
you know, like use items fromyour recycling box to build a
boat and like see, you know, seeif it floats and see if you can
get it to.
You know move and then you knowlike it'll also encourage you
(50:24):
to explore that topic or thatproject using AI.
But you use definitely use yourbrain power first and your own
natural creativity and thenusing AI to kind of enhance it.
But that is available toeveryone.
If you want to check that out.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
Cool.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
But yeah, I hate to cut this short, but I have to go
get her.
No, no, next project is thatshe's gotta get her license.
That's gonna be a game changerfor us awesome.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
Yeah, no, it's been an hour, so I'm gonna link all
of that in the show'sdescription so people can just
click right there easy to find.
Tony, thank you so much forbeing here today.
Speaker 2 (51:04):
This has been so enlightening, thank you oh,
you're so welcome and I wouldlove to keep in touch, like if
there's anything I can do foryou, just let me know.
Thank you so much for your timeand for hosting me.
It's been an honor.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
Well, I'll be using your guide myself, with my son
and my daughter, so that'll be alot of fun.
I will make sure to put somereels up and show everyone how
it's going and link them to you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for tuning into thisweek's episode of the homeschool
how to.
If you've enjoyed what youheard and you'd like to
(51:40):
contribute to the show, pleaseconsider leaving a small tip
using the link in my show'sdescription.
Or, if you'd rather, please usethe link in the description to
share this podcast with a friendor on your favorite homeschool
group Facebook page.
Any effort to help us keep thepodcast going is greatly
appreciated.
Thank you for tuning in and foryour love of the next
generation.
Welcome to this week's episode of the Homeschool
How-To.
I'm Cheryl and I invite you tojoin me on my quest to find out
why are people homeschooling,how do you do it, how does it
differ from region to region?
And should I homeschool my kids?
Stick with me as I interviewhomeschooling families across
the country to unfold theanswers to each of these
(00:26):
questions week by week.
Welcome, and with us today Ihave Toni, a homeschool mom and
creator of Simple, joyfulLearning.
Hi, toni, how are you?
Hi, I'm doing great.
How are you?
Thank you, thank you for beinghere today.
You have a very cool story,because this is one that when I
(00:47):
first started the podcast, Ithought I was getting like a
diamond in the rough, talking toa public school teacher who
decided to homeschool her kids.
And then, now that I've beeninterviewing people for two and
a half years, I'm like, wow, alot of teachers do actually
leave the system to home educate, and that's kind of where your
story came from.
(01:07):
But you have a very uniqueperspective on it and I can't
wait to hear about it.
It's so fun, and I guess itseems that way because I'm
talking to a bunch ofhomeschoolers, but you know, we
just you think of, like all theeducation you have to go through
to be a teacher to walk awayfrom.
That is huge.
You have to go through to be ateacher to walk away from.
That is huge.
(01:28):
So why don't we start out byjust how many kids do you have
and what even got you intohomeschooling in the first place
?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Sure, so I am a former teacher, so I've actually
been in early childhoodeducation for over 20 years now
and I have five kids ages twothrough 16.
And they're like three or fouryears between them all and the
reason I got into homeschooling.
We have a very interestingjourney.
My eldest daughter, who's 16now, she went through schooling
(01:58):
up until fifth grade and I hadstarted, I had left public
school teaching, which I loved,which was a lot of fun, but I
noticed some things that Icouldn't unsee and I started
this journey of trying to findthe perfect school for my kids,
(02:23):
which doesn't exist, by the way,it never will, I just I guess
the pen tube.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So whoops, did you hear that?
Yeah, so it cut off at, I guess, the bottom line Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
I'll say it again.
So the bottom line is schoolstoday are not preparing kids for
the world that they're walkinginto.
I think that schools are tryingto improve, but the rate at
which the world is moving due totechnology is just going so
much faster, and I think thething that I wish a lot of
(02:59):
parents realized is there are acouple of things.
So I think schools don'trespect young kids, or even
middle and high schoolers, theirnatural physiology.
I mean, if you think about it,we as adults we don't even like
sitting and learning at a classfor longer than about an hour,
but we expect kids, young kids,who are very active and they are
(03:23):
actually designed to learnthrough all of their senses, not
just sitting and getting, or,you know, hearing and vision,
but they're designed, theirbrains are wired to where
they're supposed to be, usingall of the senses, even ones
that we don't even know about,like the vestibular sense and
the proprioceptive sense, whichlike spinning and balance, and
(03:47):
and it affects them.
So I just that was one thing,and I did see a lot of young
does it just keep kicking outwhat's going on?
Does it keep kicking you out?
It's not kicking me out, but itjust says like it just pauses
me.
So it makes me wonder if that'sreally weird.
If it, but I can just startagain with that point.
(04:08):
Yeah, that's really strange.
Yeah, and you're really blurryto me, but I'm clear.
Is that how it is on your end?
I'm clear, but you look clearas well.
Oh, okay, good, well, that'sall that matters is the one on
your end.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Okay, the end recording will look good.
I promise we can do all sortsof stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Awesome.
Okay, I trust you.
I'm just honored to be here.
So little boys especially areexpected to sit and there's been
this, you know,over-feminization of education,
I think, because most teachersare women in America and so we
just expect little boys to beable to sit there like little
(04:50):
girls do, and it's just not thecase and it just breaks my heart
for little, sweet, active boysthat keep getting in trouble for
not sitting, which they'redesigned to get up and do, and
it just makes me like it irks me, because there are some
tolerant teachers, but for themost part, the system like I
(05:12):
love teachers.
Teachers are great.
They are put their heart in it,they care about the kids, they
want to do what's best for thekids, but the system that
they're in doesn't always allowthem to respect like their
natural physiology or, you know,like there's not enough
sunlight, there's just thingsthat teachers can't control and
(05:34):
the system expects the system isreally more convenient for the
adults in the building than itis for the kids, which it should
.
It's backwards, like it shouldbe.
You know, it's all about thekids and their growth and
another reason I homeschool isbecause I think schools are
still overly focused on learningto know things, and that made
(05:56):
sense when we didn't have accessto the internet.
You know podcasts and all theseworld-renowned experts that
have courses.
But I think it's more importantthat we raise our kids to learn
to be and learn to do, and Ireally believe in having them
fail earlier and more often, andI just feel like school doesn't
(06:19):
allow kids to really fail untilmaybe like after they graduate
college, because I feel likethat's what happened to me.
So I was really good at school,like I learned the game really
early on.
I was like, okay, I get it,like you're supposed to just
follow the instructions and youknow, do what we're told and
turn in these assignments andmake good grades.
(06:41):
And I happened to be good at it.
So I memorized the stuff, Iregurgitated onto the test and I
would forget it and and gofigure, that is what most people
do, like they learn it and thenthey forget it like two months
later.
And so I graduated with all theribbons and medals and I was
(07:02):
like jingling when I crossed thestage at graduation and I wish
I could go back and basically,bottom line, I just feel like I
wasn't prepared for life.
I felt like, okay, I know howto take tests and that's about
it.
Like I need, you know, becausemy parents were like, oh, your
job is school and I did reallywell at school, so they didn't
(07:25):
really complain.
But I wish that I had maybestarted some apprenticeships
earlier on and you know, like Ijust felt like I was lacking in
the life skills.
So with my kids I definitely amtrying to instill more life
skills earlier on, and that'sjust easier to do when you
(07:47):
homeschool.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Oh for sure.
Yes, so much of what you saidthere is so important and, like
you were mentioning, theteachers are good people.
It's the system and you're soright, because there's nothing
about a square cement room with30 to 35 kids in it that would
be conducive for activity.
You know, like in all thesedesks in the middle, like a
(08:10):
teacher just couldn't, you can'tbring them outside every single
day, and you know you get 39minutes in some cases and by the
time you get all their gear onto go outside, you know it's
time to come back in.
So even this, like when I talkto teachers about, well, you
were early childhood, so youknow it takes.
You know it's time to come backin.
So even this, like when I talkto teachers about well, you were
early childhood, so you know ittakes.
You know, the first 15 minutesfor kids they're kind of like I
don't know what to do withmyself.
(08:32):
And then the next 15 minuteblock they're like starting to
explore things oh, look at thispuddle, the snowbank.
The next 15 minutes they'rekind of creating their own
little world with each other andtheir languages.
And then, like the next 15minutes, they're fully submerged
and their brain is like goingoff doing all these synapses and
making connections and doingall this healthy stuff for them.
So it's like even if a teachercould be like I'm going to bring
(08:54):
them outside for English everyday, by the time you get out
there and the bell rings, it'slike they've only had 20 minutes
and nothing really could havehappened then.
So I mean that is just so keyright there in what you touched
on.
And you're right, it's the test.
I don't know anything fromschool or college.
Four years of college too, Idon't know anything, you know.
The one thing I remember is mybusiness law teacher said don't,
(09:17):
don't propose.
Men Don't propose on theirbirthday or Christmas, cause if
you don't actually go throughwith the marriage, you can't get
that ring back.
It's a gift, that's the onlything I remember I was like
don't get proposed to on aholiday, that's it.
It must've been relevant to meat the time, so it stuck with me
, or just something that Ithought was funny.
(09:38):
But yeah, you're right, everytest.
I don't remember a single thingon it Sociology, history,
spanish, french, none of it,none of it.
So, yeah, okay, so go on withhow.
You mentioned something elsetoo.
That was really cool thelearning with different parts of
their senses.
I didn't even know what thelumbar, what did you mention?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
So the vestibular sense, that has to do with your
balance and, like your, you knowyour ability to balance with
your eyes closed.
And young kids actually need tospin a lot to develop that and
they will do it naturally ifthey're given enough time and
space to do that.
But if they're, you know, stuckindoors all day then they can't
(10:22):
develop that.
And actually when I wasteaching, we were having issues
with kids coming in and likefalling out of chairs because
they had just been indoors forso long, and I have a real
concern about that.
Like, especially with all thescreen time and using the
screens as babysitter time, likeI don't think parents realize
(10:43):
the harm that that does to youngdeveloping brains.
And then the other sense was theproprioceptive sense, which is
the one that's like your abilityto kind of feel space, um, when
your eyes are closed.
But I think the theproprioceptive.
(11:03):
I know I know a little lessabout that, but I just think
it's interesting that there areother senses that we didn't even
hear about because we onlylearned about the five main ones
but there are actually otherones that I think we don't know
a lot about.
Oh, I'm sure that young kidsprobably do a lot of that, and I
mean like try to develop thatwhen they're young, naturally,
(11:25):
but we just don't even realizeit yeah but and I just learned
about the- sixth sense.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
We have like a bio field around us that goes out
about I don't know six feet.
I don't.
I don't think this isconspiracy.
I think this is actuallylegitimately true.
They just don't teach about itin school, but it's the energy
around us and it really affects,like you know, what we're
thinking and how we're feelingand stuff.
So, and like the wifi mighthave something to do with that.
But yeah, that that is great inscreen time too.
(11:55):
Okay.
So let's get into what switchedyou from.
I'm a school teacher and I'mgoing to homeschool my kids.
Let's start there, okay so.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I knew that I was going to need to transition my
daughter to like an alternativetype, more innovative type of
school before middle school.
Because once they're in middleschool and high school it's just
so much harder to um tobasically pull them out because
they want.
They're so plugged in withtheir friends and they're so
(12:24):
influenced by their friends andthat's another reason that I
love homeschooling.
What that I preferhomeschooling is because I want
to hold on to that influence andnot like, if I don't know.
If you've heard of dr gabbermate's book.
It's called hold on to yourkids.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
I've heard of the book.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Yes, okay, yeah, he talks about how you know when
they're in school.
It's kind of like they gettheir influence and they only
care about what their friendsthink and it's kind of like the
blind leading the blind right,because they I mean, what do
they know when they're in middleschool about life and about
making wise choices and healthyhabits?
But, like, I think if youhomeschool, it's just so much
(13:05):
easier to hold on to, to like,instill your values and to hold
on to that influence.
Because I remember when I wasin school I was a good, I was
like really into school and Imade wise choices.
But I was also really worriedabout like being popular and
(13:25):
what other kids think I don'tknow.
Homeschoolers don't have toworry about that as much.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I was thinking about this today, with just the
screens and the phones and stuff, because my son, well, he's
seven.
He'll sometimes say to me, likewhen can I get a phone?
But it's never like that'sbecause he sees like a cousin or
a neighbor have it and he neverjust brings it up on his own
randomly because he's his, hishomeschooler friends don't have
cell phones and so it's easyenough for me to say, well, when
(13:53):
you can afford one, you have ajob and hopefully when you're
out of the house.
But no, but I do want to bearound to supervise the first
few years too.
But it's like, yeah, you don'tneed, we might need something to
track him sometimes, because hedoes go off into the woods like
a rogue homeschooling childsometimes will, and you know, or
go off on his four-wheeler dirtbike.
(14:14):
So I'd like to have something.
But you know, it's like it's soeasy when you homeschool to not
have to worry about who hassnapchat and who doesn't, and is
your kid being left out of thegroup text and everybody is
included on it and the insidejokes, and your kid isn't,
because you won't allow them tohave a cell phone and that's got
to be so hard to navigate.
Of course you get your kids acell phone because, well, if I'm
(14:36):
at work and you come home earlyfrom school, I want you to have
.
We don't have a house phone, soI want you to be able to
contact someone in an emergencyor call me if you need me.
Or school shooting god forbid.
I wanted you to be able to getahold of me.
Any of those things on top ofthe peer pressure of you know,
all these kids are involved init and I'm not, I'm left out.
You don't want that for yourkid.
(14:57):
You want them to be involved.
So I it's gotta be so hardhaving kids in school and having
to deal with that innerstruggle.
Cause I have the inner strugglewith my daughter watching
Blippi and it's it's likewhatever.
Sometimes I just throw my handsup, I don't care, watch Blippi,
but right, that's like step oneof like step.
You know 50 steps to like.
(15:19):
You know they're on Minecraftor whatever, for I don't know,
that's probably a bad analogy,because I don't even know what
Minecraft is, I've never seen itplayed.
But or you know your kid beingon Snapchat all day long.
Right, like there's got to besomewhere where that balance is
okay, but it's just so mucheasier to manage when you're
homeschooling.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
You know it is, and I was a little worried, like when
my eldest daughter was likefive or six.
She was like pretty strongwilled and independent and I was
like I was always thinking orsix, she was like pretty
strong-willed and independentand I was like I was always
thinking to myself like I'mgoing to have a hard time when
she's a teenager, like I don'tknow, I better prepare myself.
(16:00):
But honestly, I am sopleasantly surprised like with
how like I mean, she there'slike nothing she can't do.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Thinking about homeschooling but don't know
where to start.
Well, I've interviewed a fewpeople on the topic Actually,
120 interviews at this pointwith homeschooling families from
across the country and theworld and what I've done is I've
packed everything I've learnedinto an e-book called the
Homeschool How-To CompleteStarter Guide.
From navigating your state'slaws to finding your
homeschooling style, fromworking while homeschooling to
(16:32):
supporting kids with specialneeds, this guide covers it all
with real stories from realfamilies who've walked this path
.
I've taken the best insights,the best resources and put them
all into this guide.
Stop feeling overwhelmed andstart feeling confident.
Get your copy of the HomeschoolHow-To Complete Starter Guide
today and discover thathomeschooling isn't just about
education.
(16:52):
It's about getting what youwant out of each day, not what
somebody else wants out of you.
You can grab the link to thisebook in the show's description
or head on over tothehomeschoolhowtocom.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
That's another reason I think homeschooling is
helpful because so I'm a mom offive.
And I think homeschooling ishelpful because so I'm a mom of
five and so I couldn't doeverything for them, even if I
tried, right, but but they, mykids, know earlier on like I
better make something happenbecause like I'm in charge of my
life.
(17:23):
And I just think in traditionalschool it's like we're
graduating, all these kids thatare like waiting for
instructions or waiting for likethe life handbook.
And I just, I just think, likefrom all the homeschooling
families that I know, it seemslike their kids are more like
proactive or they're just likemore self-autonomous and they
(17:47):
kind of they self-reflect andthey're like they have like a
clearer picture of where they'reheaded.
And maybe it's becausehomeschooling you know you can
individualize and you can focuson, you know like each kid's
talents and interests and youknow like their, their unique
design.
And I fully believe that we asparents, it's our, it's like our
(18:11):
mission to to help them figureout their mission, and like it's
just a little bit easier when,when you're homeschooling, and
so I should probably tell youI'm having to transition, like
with my, I was staying at homeand I didn't have to make income
, and now I do, so it's so.
(18:33):
I do have two that are likegoing to school out of the five,
but and then my and then one ofmy kids is in like a micro
school situation, which you knowis great.
And then I have one that's likefull time homeschooleded and
she's also dual enrolled, soshe's actually taking at 16.
She's taking college classesand getting credit for and you
(18:58):
know that's paid for with taxdollars.
So that's nice and this wasfully her idea.
Because I'm not one to likepush college, I have the
unpopular opinion that the ROIis just not good.
I'm not just monetarily wise,it's like time wise, like
they're in the prime of theirlife, and I just don't see how
(19:20):
more schooling is.
I mean, it should never be theend goal, like it should be a
means to an end, like if theylike.
So my daughter's taking twodifferent things, very different
things criminal justice andinterior design right now, and
she's trying to choose, like,which direction she'd like to go
.
And I think, like when I was 16, I had all these plans but they
(19:43):
were very abstract and I didn'tknow that there were so many
jobs that you could even makeyour own job, and so I just had
like a list in my head, but Ididn't have time to explore them
, so I just I really wish thatwe could bring apprenticeships
back earlier on, like startingin middle school and early high
(20:05):
school.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
That makes so much sense.
Like, as you're saying that,I'm thinking of my nephew that
graduated and he got like aspeeding ticket and he was.
He got the ticket in the mailand he just took I think it's
just something I'm like youmight owe up to $300.
And he took $300 cash, put itin the envelope, sealed it up
and asked my sister how do Iaddress this?
(20:26):
And she's like there's so manythings wrong with this situation
.
You don't just send money.
You have to have a court dateand you can't seal it up before
you see where the address was,like there was, and you don't
send cash.
So but you know it's right andhe's not a stupid kid, it's just
like the school never taughtthat and parents don't know what
(20:48):
the schools aren't teaching.
So if it didn't come up in life, right, they don't know.
Like, hey, make sure, before webrush teeth tonight, we teach
him how to fill out an envelope.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
You know, teach him how to write a check exactly so
I can I can give you someinsight on that.
I think one of the main thingsthat I wish a lot of parents
knew is I wish that like so evenin elementary school.
So I I got my master's degreein early childhood education and
then I also got gifted endorsed.
(21:18):
So I also like know aboutgifted kids and like how to
teach them, but I don't thinkparents realize that, like
creativity and critical thinking, don't really, don't really
have time to to do activitiesthat have the kids practice
(21:38):
those majorly valuable skills,and so it's all like I just
believe academics should servekids, not like suffocate them,
like they you know, likecreativity, like these meta
skills are not being practicedbecause of like standardized
testing and all the focus onthat, and so I just like, unless
(22:01):
they qualify for like the giftquote, gifted unquote program
which they only meet like once aweek, the kids are not really,
the teachers are not really ableto focus on creativity and
critical thinking and it justhas to stay very surface level.
And that's a real problem,because the world that we're
(22:22):
walking into with AI andeverything, like we need
critical thinkers and creativeproblem solvers and excellent
communicators and really goodcollaborators, and, like, the
number one thing that businessesare complaining about, about
our college graduates, is thatthey don't know how to work
together on a team.
(22:43):
And they don't.
They're just like waiting to betold what to do.
And you know, like, so that's.
I really just want my kids andall kids like to just be, have
more opportunity to add valueand you know to, to like look
around and see, like, whatproblems do I need?
What can I help solve?
(23:04):
Instead of you know, like, oh,it's, it's two o'clock, it's
time for math, let's just focuson math.
And you know, like, oh, it'stwo o'clock, it's time for math,
let's just focus on math.
And you know, take calculus.
Even though I'm not going to bea math teacher and I probably
won't use a lot of this orremember a lot of this After the
test, I just, you know, like wejust got to focus on you know.
And then I know you probablyknow this already, but a lot of
(23:27):
parents might not but the schoolsystem was modeled after the
Prussian system, which wasbasically created to train
obedient soldiers, andRockefeller was known for
supposedly saying I want anation of workers, not thinkers.
And so if you think about itthe way that I mean even, let's
(23:51):
just say that's not even true.
Um, let's just say that is aconspiracy theory or something
like if you just think about theway the school day is designed,
it's just not producingcreative and critical thinkers
and then I have a really, reallysad story.
I'm like I just went on vacationwith a couple of girlfriends
three others and two of themknew of situations where their
(24:14):
child, like their middle schoolage child and like, like I think
, a freshman in high school, somiddle, like a, like a 12 year
old and a 16 year old who werehaving suicidal thoughts and
they come from good families,and so I just think that's when
we need to, as a society, likestop and think, like what is
(24:35):
what is wrong?
Like why are we having to talkto middle schoolers about not
hurting themselves?
Speaker 1 (24:41):
So it's just really sad I've I've mentioned this a
couple times lately becausethere's a lady on Instagram Her
handle is scrolling to death andshe used to work in like social
media marketing and not and sheleft it because she realized,
like, the harm that that isdoing to children.
And now she speaks out about it, has an organization about it,
(25:02):
uh, bringing awareness, and sheposts all the time about the AI
that is getting children to hurtthemselves and it's like thing
I don't know.
I mean to me AI, somebody hasto program it to do that.
So whether that's happening andthat's some sort of like war
initiative, I don't know fromwho, but their AI.
(25:24):
She, you know, shows theseexamples and has these parents
on that talk about how theirchild committed suicide because
of the AI, like basicallyturning the child against their
parents by turning onto them andit poses as a person.
I think the kid understandsthat it's AI, but they almost
then start to believe this is areal person, this is my friend.
And then, oh yeah, my parentssuck and they don't get me and
(25:47):
yada, yada, and then, hey, youcould get them back by doing
this.
I think it spans over a lengthyamount of time, but that's just
so interesting on top of thewhole, just like what the social
media and the TV, theelectronics does to the brain.
But yeah, these are in thoseyears where they're still
forming, still forming.
(26:10):
And you brought up a few timeswhich is so relevant to what I
went through always being toldwhat to do so that you never
kind of have initiative overyour own time or agency, I guess
that's the word.
You never have agency over yourown time, because I mean, from
the time I was, from the time Iwas, remember I always had to be
at, you know, the babysitter'shouse before school, get to
school, then you know home afterschool and do the homework and
(26:32):
then get to the dance class andthen go to bed, shower in bed.
You do all that.
And then, once you're incollege, it's okay, yep, you're
doing your activities and you'redoing your classes.
You don't know why you're doingyour job.
And then you graduate and it'slike, what do I do now?
I don't know my parents, mostparents push their careers on
you.
So I became a government worker,like both minded, and for 16
(26:54):
years it was like, okay, get up,go to the office, sit in the
cubicle and, like you said, 2 pm, it's math time.
I'm here to learn math.
It was like okay, it's Thursdayat 2 pm, that's the time where
we have our unit meeting.
Okay, well, why are we meeting?
I don't know.
Because we meet every Thursday.
It's easier just to put it onthe calendar for every Thursday
at 2.
Do we have anything to talkabout?
(27:14):
No, but we'll just sit here forthe hour because it's on the
calendar and that's what we'resupposed to do.
Okay, are we going toaccomplish anything?
No, but it's on the calendar.
And that's at a lot ofcompanies, because my husband
works for a private company andhe says it's still the same
thing.
They have like a routinemeeting every week and even if
(27:35):
their time is better spent at ajob, getting the job done, it
doesn't matter.
They still have to be on thatcall to talk about all the jobs
that have to get done still.
So it's like that could be oneemail.
These are the open jobs, right?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
right, it's just right.
That should be a key for allleaders.
Like, if it can be in an email,just put it in an email.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Yeah yes, so yeah, and I see that with my sister's
kids too.
It's like you know, okay, well,I'm gonna take a police exam.
Okay, well, why do you reallywant to be a police officer?
Is just because your father didthat.
So that's what you know.
That's like a career thatyou're comfortable with, which
is why a lot of kids becometeachers, because they've seen a
teacher for 12 years or 16years and they're like, oh, I
(28:20):
know that one, I can do it.
You know, it's something I seeevery day.
So, yeah, that there's got tobe some sort of studies into
that too.
But yeah, this is alsointeresting.
I don't know what I jumped in,sorry, I got all like what you
said to.
Academics should All right.
Academics should serve kids,not suffocate them.
I mean that if a statement wasever truer, oh my goodness.
(28:44):
Because why would you teach akid about I don't know geology
if they just don't care?
But they really want to knowhow mechanics work on a truck.
You know, like why waste theirtime with it?
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yeah, it's like it's.
I mean, if you think about it,we, I mean it makes sense if you
learn things so much fasterwhen you're actually interested
in them.
And so that's another reason Iprefer homeschooling over a
traditional model is becausetheir natural curiosity and
creativity is preserved and,unfortunately, the way the
system is set up they don't havetime to dive into.
You know like, oh Johnny, I'msorry that you're curious about
that butterfly, but we've got toget back to science in the
classroom and playing withplastic animals.
(29:33):
You know, like we, we don't, wedon't, and I think we don't
give kids as much credit as theydeserve because we don't trust
them Like I, like I.
So in my journey it brought meto a really cool innovative
model called Acton Academy, andthey have guides as opposed to
(29:55):
teachers.
Like sage on the stage teachers, they have more like guides on
the side, like sort of likeMontessori model, where actually
the guides are not evensupposed to answer questions,
Like it's that serious, Likethey're just supposed to be,
like well, where can you look tofind that out?
Like everything's figureoutable, Like you know, like they're.
They're there to provideworld-class examples and to kind
(30:20):
of guide the children, but thechildren themselves are learning
to self-govern and they haveSocratic discussions every day.
And that brings me to one of myfavorite like homeschooling
rhythms is like we have aSocratic snack where we gather
together, food always brings ustogether and we talk.
(30:40):
You know like it's?
It's just where a Socraticdiscussion is like where you're
given a choice and you chooseand then you're given more
information.
Given choice and you choose andthen you're given more
information.
And basically it helps you tolearn to debate respectfully and
to really ask better and betterquestions.
And because, like, it justmakes sense that like the like,
(31:01):
the better your questions are.
A good question always trumps agood answer, right, Because
curiosity should be leading us.
Like, look at science, and yes,we need kids to know how to read
and write and do arithmetic andknow the scientific method, for
example, but they don't need tobe forced at all of this
(31:24):
surface level info that theymight not even be interested in.
And all the while they'reasking a very valid question
like how is this relevant to mylife and me and my path?
And I just like, when youhomeschool, everything is
relevant to what they're doingpretty much like, like other
outside of.
They're in, they're doing whatthey're interested in.
Like, my son loves chess, so heloves to, you know, play chess
(31:49):
in his spare time and they getto.
They have more opportunity tochoose their own interests, I
think, and more time to explorethem than most kids, Because,
like, if you have to spend sevenor eight hours at school all
day learning stuff that you mayor may not be interested in, it
(32:09):
doesn't leave a whole lot oftime for you to explore, you
know, things that you reallymight be interested in.
That's another reason wehomeschool.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
So true, because before I homeschooled I was like
, what do these people do allday?
Like I'm not just going to sitthere and read textbooks with
them, that's just not my thing.
And then I remember, like whenI officially quit my government
job, I'm like, whoa, I couldjust do whatever I want.
Today, like, this is weird.
I mean not whatever I want,because we don't have like all
(32:38):
the money in the world, but likewe can go on a hike if it's
nice out, we can pack a lunchand eat by the stream, we can go
on a bike ride or go for arollerblading, like I the.
In the last 12 months I havebought rollerblades, ice skates.
I've ice skated for the firsttime this past year.
(32:58):
Um, yeah, what else we do likejust you know, even things that
are free, that are available tothe community, but usually you
don't have time to do thembecause your work and school and
everything else, all the sports.
And you know we did like freestuff, like, oh, let's go to the
.
There's a bird sanctuary thathas all these wounded hawks and
eagles right near us, and so nowthat we found out about it,
(33:21):
we'll go there a couple of timesa year and check up on them and
it's like we would never havetime to do this if we were in
school.
You might take a field trip,but like when you bring 30 kids
anywhere and I've realized thiseven with homeschooling when you
bring a bunch of homeschoolersto something, you're not getting
out of it as you would like.
If it was just me bringing mykids, you know they're always
(33:42):
going to want to just play over,take it all in and learn so
yeah, that's kind of like a noteto self too.
Like don't feel that you have tojoin those field trip groups,
see where they're going and thengo a week later.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Yeah, or maybe a mix of both, right?
Like I always try to remindmyself, kids are just like us we
we like to have time tosocialize, but we also, you know
, want to learn what we want tolearn, what we want to learn,
what we're curious about.
Right.
So, like curious, lettingcuriosity lead the way is not
(34:13):
really possible in traditionalschooling model, but it is
possible in homeschooling, andso just preserving that natural
curiosity and creativity, Ithink, is just super important.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
So talk to me more about the rhythms, because I
really like what you mentionedabout the Socratic way that you
and I'm going to look into thatmore and just see what, because
I like that idea of liketeaching them how to ask
questions not just why, butreally how to ask questions.
So what are some other rhythmsthat you work on with your kids?
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah.
So other than the Socraticsnack time where I just
basically we kind of try to havea Socratic discussion or I just
ask them not just about theirday or what their goals are, or
anything like that, I just wejust I bring up a topic and they
have to choose, and then webring up more information and we
just kind of practice askingbetter and better questions and
(35:08):
debating respectfully.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
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(35:35):
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Speaker 2 (35:41):
And then the other major thing I think that a lot
of homeschool parents do reallywell is reading aloud with their
kids, especially younger kids.
You know, pre-k, kindergarten,up to like maybe second grade,
because third grade is the iskind of the age where they
switch from learning to read toreading, to learn that, you know
(36:06):
, when they can kind of read ontheir own and learn things.
But up until third grade andeven after third grade, it's so
nice to read with your kids andI feel like most parents just
maybe think like if I just readthis story and shut the book and
then it's bedtime, that'sequivalent to like like making a
(36:29):
big feast and then only servingthe appetizer, because it's
like there's so much you can getfrom reading a story with your
child and talking about it andconversing about it.
And I think one thing I wishall parents knew is like kids
will learn to read and write somuch faster and easier if they
(36:51):
have a strong oral languagefoundation, so like you can't
learn to read if you don't knowhow to say it properly.
And so if your child is sayingher is going to the store and
then and then they see the wordshe is going to the store like
they don't have a chance, likethey have to, you know.
(37:11):
So a strong oral languagefoundation is built by just
conversing a lot like, not, not.
And I think a lot of parentsare just in a hurry all the time
and like talking at their kids,giving them instructions and
baby talking at times, and it'sjust it does them no favors,
like, so I wish more parentsunderstood that speaking to them
(37:35):
and not dumbing down theirvocabulary is way better.
Sometimes it's it's kind ofcommon to think like oh, I need
to use smaller words with mykids because that they'll
understand it better, whenactually their brains are like
sponges, so they, if you use thebig word once or twice with
(37:56):
them, or they see it in a tv, ina movie or something, and then
they hear you say it like, itdoesn't take as many repetitions
for them for their brain to useit and to absorb it and then
use it themselves, whereas youknow a kid that is on screens
all the time and is only beingtalked at and is only in school
all day, learning things thatthey may or may not be
(38:19):
interested in, like, versus akid who you know wakes up and
like, does chores and hasmeaningful work and is
contributing to their family andlearning life skills and
reading books that they'rereally interested about the
topic and maybe writing aboutthat topic or journaling about
that topic and like modeling thehealthy habits of their parents
(38:41):
, like which kid is going tohave a better chance, you know,
to be like successful withwhatever they want to do later.
Chance, you know, to be likesuccessful with whatever they
want to do later.
So the core rhythms in ourhouse are chores, because I
don't believe in raising houseguests Like I.
I think it's really importantthat kids learn to contribute
(39:04):
early and often so chores I meanI'll even say like I'm not
taking you to your friend'shouse until you do the chores,
or I'm not, I'm not even takingyou to your class until you get
your chore done.
So you better hurry, because Ijust think it's important, and
where else are they going tolearn that?
You know, like havingresponsibility, and when you
don't do it, look what happens.
So chores and then core skillwork.
(39:26):
That's the reading, writing,arithmetic, like those basic.
And then core skill work.
That's the reading writing,arithmetic, like those basic.
You know, scientific method,like the basics, um, they spend
maybe one or two hours on that aday, no more than like.
No more than like an hour and ahalf um, and then like reading
a lot.
So one of my favorite favoriterhythms that my, that I did with
my full-time homeschooled kidslast year was they had, so we
(39:51):
got into this thing where.
So I'll I'll tell you about myson.
He was, he wasn't um, he waslike not, he was 11 when he
finally found a series that thatmade him want to read.
Um, before that it was like Idon't really want to read and I
was like, it was like pullingteeth.
But um, once he finally found aseries that he liked, then it
(40:12):
was like, oh, buy me the nextbook, or let's go get the next
book for this, and then leadingon to other series.
Um, and then we ran into theissue we all need to know,
because we all don't want toread okay, I think it was called
gregor I don't know if you haveheard of that, but it's called
Gregor G-R-E-G-O-R and it's kindof weird.
(40:34):
He was telling me all about it.
I was like really Like, okay,whatever works.
And then he's just from there,like sometimes he reads things
that I recommend and you knowthat I find for him, and
sometimes he hears things fromother friends.
But so then we ran into theissue of him wanting to just
read fiction all the time, andso we turned it into a like he
(40:58):
has to read one page of adevotional every day, like,
which is quick, and then onepage of a biography and tell me
about that person and their life, which is so cool to learn
about and so inspiring to learnabout other amazing humans that,
like overcame amazing things orlike built incredible things or
(41:20):
filled a huge need.
So I love that rhythm like, andit inspires me too.
And then and then one chapterof a nonfiction book.
It could be anything you wantto learn about, like if you want
to learn about how to do likeanimal balloons or whatever.
Like it could be about Legos.
It could be anything that youwant as science.
(41:41):
And then, after you know thedevotional, the biography and
the one chapter of nonfiction.
Then you can read as muchfiction as you want, like go to
town, but I love having that inplace.
And then the biographies kindof touch on history, right,
because it's like why was AnneFrank needing to do?
You know like, needing to hide,like, and then you know, it
(42:02):
leads you to discussions aboutyou know history and you know
like.
And so, going back to thatSocratic snack, one time we were
talking about how, like I, thisis just an example of the
Socratic snack.
So I was saying, okay, so you,this is the situation.
You, you know that a boy inyour, in your little class, is
(42:23):
being accused of something thathe actually did not do, of
something that he actually didnot do.
He is, but he is usually makinglots of mistakes, so everybody
thinks he's, you know, bad andmaking poor choices, but you
know for a fact that he did notdo the thing he's being accused
of.
Do you A, like, stand up forhim and say something.
(42:44):
Or, b, just stay quiet.
And then that led them into.
They're like well, this is whatI would do and why.
And then I give moreinformation and I was saying so,
like, so then it just led us toa neat discussion about like
how it's important to stand upfor what you know, for saying
the right thing, becausesometimes people are misled and
(43:06):
they might not know like all thefacts, and so truth is just
really important.
And it led us into this wholediscussion about you know, like
somehow we talked about Hitlerand like I don't know, it just
led us down the road and it'sjust really cool because
otherwise we would not haveenough time to do those things.
(43:27):
And so like it's just neat howyou can tie history in, because
basically the point of learninghistory is so we don't make the
same mistakes, right, and I mean, aside from it being really
interesting what people had togo through, but like the point
of history is kind of so theycan turn it around and
internalize like okay, so so weshouldn't, you know, just go
(43:50):
along with what everyone isdoing or believing, like we
actually need to have, like itneeds to stand on truth.
And that leads me to say, like Ithink homeschooling is just,
it's just easier to impart yourway of life, like I think
education is something thatnever stops.
It shouldn't stop when you getyour certificate, like it should
(44:14):
always be, you know, like weshould always be learning and
growing and like investing inour own personal development,
and I just think it's easier todo that when that's a habit of
theirs from early on, versuslove that maybe they get into it
after college, maybe they don't.
Like I don't really feel like Istarted really learning and
(44:38):
self-educating until I was outof college and I started
listening to podcasts andreading books that I was
interested in, versus justsitting and getting and taking
tests.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Yeah, getting indoctrinated.
Yeah, it's only the victorswrite the history books.
You know there's other sides tothese stories.
There's other things that wenton that they've left out.
Yeah, it's interesting what youthe Socratic method that you
were talking about uh, somebodyhad sent me the author of this
book called what should Danny do.
(45:11):
I actually just pulled it up soI'm like, oh, my God, that
reminds me of this book.
I know that you do.
They sent me the two books andI I, I wrote a couple, like I
wrote a story for them on myInstagram, and I keep meaning to
do like a more of a real form,because the books are so cute
and it's just like that, likeyour child picks what should
Danny do.
So then it's based on what theypick.
(45:31):
You go to that page and thestory continues, but you're
supposed to go through all likeeight stories over time, so
you've always got a differentstory to read, because you want
them to pick the bad choice sothat they can see what the
impact of that is, and I lovethat, and so I'm going to link
what should Danny do in theshow's description too, so we
(45:52):
can give props to the authorthere because that goes right.
Twins, they have some follow thestory books also, like for for
middle school and high schoolyou know, I haven't gotten them
because my son's seven and theykeep asking me, like, do you
need other books?
And I'm like, no, I don't, mykid's only seven.
So like I don't know.
We're into the history ones now, which I'm loving.
(46:13):
But you're right, they do havea choose your own consequence.
I just haven't gotten there yetbecause he's seven.
But I'm excited too that, yes,you're right, that's so.
Thanks for um promoting that.
I'll put the title twins with15 off discount for you in the
show's description too.
Oh, that's so awesome.
So, all right, you have to getyour daughter right.
So let's just wrap up.
(46:34):
How are you like?
You mentioned before that youhave to, like, get income.
Now you're a homeschool mom.
I know that you have kind of aside gig going on while you're
homeschooling.
Tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Yeah, so I've developed something I call the
roots and wings method and thatis because I was a teacher for
so long and read so manychildren's books, I curated my
favorite ones and one of therhythms that I do with my
younger kids, whether they're inschool or not, is like we read
together.
We read a great story, reallyhigh quality, you know, like
(47:07):
heartwarming, like CharlotteMason living book, and then we
and then I use that as likeinspiration for a play
invitation or a simple projectinvitation, for example, like
grandparents day is coming upand one of our favorite things
to do every year.
One of my favorite books iscalled Molly Lou Mellon.
(47:27):
Like stand tall, molly LouMellon, and it's about a little
girl and she's listening to theadvice of her grandma and it's
so sweet and like so a realworld project that we do with my
kids is they plan agrandparents tea or a
grandparents like, host them fordinner and like they actually
(47:48):
do it all.
So I'm just like the guide onthe side, helping them kind of
think through sort of like a,like a project manager or
whatever, but I I'm letting themwrite the invitation or send
the audio text or you know, orlike design the invitation on
Canva and then they have to sendit and plan the day and serve
the food, cook the food, and soI'm just all about real world,
(48:12):
relevant, simple projects thatour kids can do, and sometimes
that is inspired by some of myfavorite books.
So I put it, I put some of myfavorite little projects like
that and play invitations.
An example of a play invitationwould be like like you read the
Gingerbread man invitationwould be like like you read the
(48:32):
gingerbread man and then likeyou use Play-Doh and you use
things from your pantry todesign your own gingerbread
creature, and so that would bean example of a play invitation.
But I put all this together intoa free guide and basically I
put all of the knowledge andwisdom that I've gained over
teaching for 20 years and beinga mom of five into this guide
and it's called Roots and WingsA Busy Mom's Guide to Raising
(48:56):
Good Humans, and you can find itand download it at
wwwsimplejoyfullearningorg.
And then you can like keepgetting email, like I'm starting
to send a newsletter out andit's that's really exciting for
me.
I'm enjoying writing them.
But so there's that guide.
And then I also have this thingcalled the curiosity jar, which
(49:18):
it like I'm just all aboutmaking things simple for moms
because, like I know howoverwhelming it is to be a mom
these days and just likeoverload of information and the
mental load that we have and youknow, like the all the advice,
like we could probably tell youthe pros and cons of like every
decision option that we have.
(49:39):
So the curiosity jar is justlike a printable you print it
off, you cut up the prompts, youstick them a jar and then every
day you can just pull a promptand it's like a creative
activity.
It's a play invitation or asimple project that you can do
with your child and there's evenan extension, like if you want
your kids to explore AI with you, you can even extend it with
(50:02):
that.
So, like one example of thatwould be like there's like
pre-STEM type of projects likebuilding things, like build a,
you know, like use items fromyour recycling box to build a
boat and like see, you know, seeif it floats and see if you can
get it to.
You know move and then you knowlike it'll also encourage you
(50:24):
to explore that topic or thatproject using AI.
But you use definitely use yourbrain power first and your own
natural creativity and thenusing AI to kind of enhance it.
But that is available toeveryone.
If you want to check that out.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
Cool.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
But yeah, I hate to cut this short, but I have to go
get her.
No, no, next project is thatshe's gotta get her license.
That's gonna be a game changerfor us awesome.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
Yeah, no, it's been an hour, so I'm gonna link all
of that in the show'sdescription so people can just
click right there easy to find.
Tony, thank you so much forbeing here today.
Speaker 2 (51:04):
This has been so enlightening, thank you oh,
you're so welcome and I wouldlove to keep in touch, like if
there's anything I can do foryou, just let me know.
Thank you so much for your timeand for hosting me.
It's been an honor.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
Well, I'll be using your guide myself, with my son
and my daughter, so that'll be alot of fun.
I will make sure to put somereels up and show everyone how
it's going and link them to you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for tuning into thisweek's episode of the homeschool
how to.
If you've enjoyed what youheard and you'd like to
(51:40):
contribute to the show, pleaseconsider leaving a small tip
using the link in my show'sdescription.
Or, if you'd rather, please usethe link in the description to
share this podcast with a friendor on your favorite homeschool
group Facebook page.
Any effort to help us keep thepodcast going is greatly
appreciated.
Thank you for tuning in and foryour love of the next
generation.
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