Homeschooling Down South

Rene Christensen, visionary behind Training Them Wisely, joins the podcast to share her wisdom from practical routines, to faith-filled perspective. Rene explains her journey from convincing her husband to homeschool as a first-time homeschool mom to someone who now confidently adapts curriculum, protects the most important parts of the day, and keeps her home focused on both learning and disciple...

This week, Sheila Catanzarite shares how notebooking inspired her homeschool approach to help her raise confident, expressive daughters and continues to inspire her as she helps homeschool families rethink what writing can look like at home. If writing feels stressful in your homeschool, this conversation may change the way you think about it. Sheila explains how living books, short lessons, narra...

Homeschool planning does not have to mean rigid schedules or a binder full of paper you never use. Jenn Dickerson of Homeschool Planning shares the flexible system that helps families stay organized, keep simple records, and build a homeschool rhythm that actually fits real life. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by curriculum choices, behind on planning, or unsure what to keep for records, this con...

What if your next homeschool field trip was an indoor skydiving lesson that left your kids braver, your group more connected, and your whole family eager to go back? Today we talk about Kayla’s first visit to iFLY Atlanta—and how an exciting day in the wind tunnel became a memorable mix of fun, science, and confidence-building. We talk with podcast friend Whitney about how to set up the field trip...

Today we are re-releasing Episode 16, our conversation with friend of the podcast and mentor to so many homeschooling moms, Jennifer Henn. We are sharing her words and wisdom as a celebration of her life and legacy. Please keep the Henn family in your prayers. If you would like to support them, please visit this fundraiser run by our friends at Unite Homeschool Network . Show Notes: Theme Song: To...

Homeschooling gets a lot more beautiful when you stop treating poetry like a performance and start treating it like play. In this episode, Rachel Donahue, homeschooling mom and Chief Creative Officer at Bandersnatch Publishing, shares why poetry belongs in every homeschool. She explains why beauty matters so much in education and why the right poem can stay with a child for life. Rachel also expla...

Angela Smith, homeschool veteran mom and founder of Inquisicook, turned a childhood frustration into a homeschool kitchen curriculum that gives kids real science, real cooking skills, and real confidence. If you’ve ever wanted your children to do more than follow a recipe, this conversation will show you how food can become one of the most practical, engaging subjects in your homeschool. Angela sh...

Kayla and Kat chat with Shelby Gwinn and Joni Harrison, the women behind The Homeschool Issues, a growing online homeschool magazine created to highlight the many different ways families homeschool. From a book club connection that turned into a creative partnership to the launch of a publication built around community, flexibility, and honest storytelling, Shelby and Joni share how their homescho...

Season 2 continues with an historic bang as we welcome Linda Lacour Hobar to the podcast. Tune in to hear about Linda’s homeschool journey and her beautiful wisdom about how Mary and Martha would homeschool today. Linda has created a living history curriculum, forged from her love of people and their stories, that is complete, chronological, and Christ-centered. In this episode, Linda shares about...

Nick Robinson begins our second season sharing insight and wisdom from a homeschool dad. Nick shares how he and his wife navigate being working parents and sharing the homeschooling load. He also gives us an overview of the Classical Conversations model - if you have ever been curious, all your answers are right here! Nick shares about leaning into God’s open doors to create free and paid content...

Thank you for joining along this summer during our summer series exploring additional aspects of homeschooling down south. In this final episode of the summer series, we talk about getting back into our homeschool routines in the next few weeks, the curriculum we’re using, what we’re looking forward to, and advice for new homeschoolers who are just getting started. Wherever you are on your homesch...

We are celebrating our experience at The Southeast Homeschool Expo - as exhibitors and presenters. In Part 2 we’re talking about the workshops we hosted. If you missed a workshop, we share a little highlight reel with you and help you find the episodes we discussed. Hear all about our experience - including what presenting during major venue renovations was like for us. We gush more about the bles...

We're celebrating our experience at The Southeast Homeschool Expo - as exhibitors and presenters. In Part 1 we’re talking about the blessings and interactions at our booth during the 2026 Expo. Hear all about the behind the scenes experiences and what we loved about exhibiting. Come back next week for Part 2, when we’ll share about our experience leading workshops. Show Notes: Theme Song: Toge...

Has Homeschooling Down South inspired your next adventure? It certainly has ours. In this episode, we're reflecting on the incredible opportunities the podcast has brought into our lives, from hosting field trips and creating learning guides to discovering new places, attending homeschool conferences, and building friendships within the homeschool community. Join us as we look back on the expe...

Do you celebrate the little wins in your homeschool or are you always racing toward the next milestone? In this episode, we're talking about why the smallest celebrations often have the biggest impact. From finishing a math workbook to completing a read-aloud or mastering a new skill, we're sharing simple, meaningful ways to recognize your child's progress and create joyful homeschool...

Tired of gifts that end up forgotten in a toy bin? In this episode, we're sharing our favorite homeschool gift ideas that actually get used (and loved!) all year long. Whether you're creating a Christmas wish list, planning for birthdays, or helping grandparents find meaningful gifts, we've rounded up our favorite memberships, subscriptions, educational resources, experiences, and prac...

Remember Episode 35? When the term “Franken-schooling” was coined. Today we’re talking about our Franken-schools! Hang out with us as we dissect our homeschools and put the pieces together to create our own beautiful, unique, and let’s be honest, kind of quirky homeschools; but we also remember how important it is to hold those pieces together with safety pins, not superglue.  Visit us: Homeschool...

Join us as we share our Teach Them Diligently conference experience. If you want the ins and outs of this incredible conference experience, we’ve got highlights and advice so you can walk into the 2027 conference in the know. We talk about the fun we had in Pigeon Forge. We highlight the refreshment we both gained from the Christian care at the conference, as well as all the fun we had in this mou...

Kat shares her experiences from the 2025 Charlotte Mason Institute gathering. If you love the Charlotte Mason applied philosophy, this episode for you! And if you’re curious and want to know more about Mason’s approach, this episode is also for you! Hear about a beautiful conference experience at Epworth by the Sea and how this conference is different than so many other homeschool gatherings; from...

This episode explores the Great Homeschools Convention held in Greenville, South Carolina. It’s the second in our series featuring homeschool conferences and conventions held in the southeast. Hear about navigating such a large conference, the surprising speakers, and how we both reflect on our homeschool journeys through experiencing the convention. We share our exhibit hall surprises, our worksh...

Kat shares her experiences from the past four Wild + Free Conferences in Franklin, Tennessee. Whether you’re new to Wild + Free, the conference, or you’re a seasoned Wild + Free mama, this episode explores the beauty of conference weekend in Tennessee. Hear about attending and volunteering at the conference, what special experiences group leaders have, and the way homeschool moms are refreshed. Th...

This episode is all about the Southeast Homeschool Expo. This episode is the second in our summer series, and first of our conferences and conventions mini-series. Discover how the Southeast Homeschool Expo transformed our confidence in homeschooling and inspires us each year with fresh resources and unexpected solutions. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about attending a homeschool conf...

Welcome to our summer series! Let’s talk about how it feels to be a homeschooler when summer hits. We share our summer homeschool plans and preview this summer series so you know what to expect each week. We talk about goals for the summer and look to the future. Join us as we kick off summer! Show Notes: LIFEPAC AOP Made Makers Visit us: Homeschooling Down South TikTok Instagram Facebook We’d lov...

Unlock the secret to remarkable homeschooling experiences at Georgia Aquarium’s Tuesdays in the Field, a program that transforms a regular field trip into a hands-on, science-rich adventure you and your kids will never forget. If you’ve ever wondered how to make biological sciences come alive for your homeschooler, this episode reveals everything you need to know to join this exclusive, educator-l...

Rebecca Farris from The Well Planned Gal shares her deeply inspiring story—from helping legalize homeschooling in Tennessee to pioneering innovative tools like customizable digital planners and neurometrics-based curricula. She reveals how her personal journey led her to create resources that empower moms with structure, confidence, and an educational approach rooted in science. You’ll discover th...