Homeschooling IRL

This is not the first time we have tackled the topic of girls on the podcast. On Episode 10, we talked about many of the common pitfalls we have observed in homeschool families raising daughters. From restrictive environments to preventing any access to higher education, we dove into tough topics. On this episode, we are getting […] The post Girls, Again – HIRL Episode 68 appeared firs...

Back in Episode 9, we sat down with our friends and fellow podcasters, Hal and Melanie Young from Making Biblical Family Life Practical, to discuss the topic of boys. We talked about how these rambunctious little piles of energy can completely undo the unprepared homeschool mom. From peeing on the carpet to falling from the […] The post Boys, Again – HIRL Episode 67 appeared first on U...

Our discussion on this episode comes right out of the current headlines. Homeschool graduate and reality TV star, Josh Duggar, has fallen from the spotlight due to his confessions of struggling with adultery, pornography and a history of molestation. We jump into to discuss the frequent failures we have seen by men in the homeschooling movement. […] The post What Josh Duggar Forgot – H...

On the last episode we sat down with our good friends Jeremy and Michele White to have a serious discussion about adoption. We discussed the beginning of their homeschool journey, why they chose to adopt and the changes that happened as a homeschool family. On this podcast we dig just a little bit deeper. The White’s second […] The post Adoption and the Homeschool Family, Part 2 &#8211...

We have had several listeners ask us to address the topic of adoption, and while it would be really easy for us to produce a podcast explaining how to adopt and the benefits involved when a family adopts, we wanted to tackle all of the issues a family might be experiencing when bringing a child into the home. […] The post Adoption and the Homeschool Family, Part 1 – HIRL Episode 64 app...

So, you’ve decided that homeschooling is the best option for your kids this year, but the response from your kids has been less than positive. You want to follow God’s calling, but your kids are threatening a mutiny. What do you do now? Fletch and Kendra dive right into this discussion, because it is very […] The post I Love Homeschooling But My Kids Don’t – HIRL Epis...

Can you afford to homeschoool? What if your budget is already at its max, and you feel you’re barely scraping by just to provide the basics for your family? Join Fletch and Kendra as we sit down with our Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network colleague and CPA Carol Topp for a lively and quick discussion of how […] The post Can We Afford To Homeschool? – HIRL Episode 62 appeared first...

As we head into another homeschool year, it is so easy for many of us to get behind before we even get started. If we are not careful, we can get buried in the details and never get our heads above water. On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, we dive into the discussion about organizing your homeschool. You know that […] The post Organizing Your Homeschool – HIRL Episode 61 appeared fir...

As homeschooling moms, some subjects are very difficult to talk about, especially if we are feeling pressure to put on a facade that our lives are polished and life at home is picture-perfect. Struggling with depression in the homeschooling community can very quickly lead to shame and loneliness. Let’s face it folks, the pressure to have everything all […] The post Depression and the H...

We love to sit down in the studio and discuss the questions sent in from listeners. On this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life, Fletch and Kendra we respond to a listener who asked how she can homeschool when her non-supportive spouse is skeptical and negative about her efforts. Here’s the deal: we don’t have the answers […] The post My Spouse Doesn’t Want Me To Homescho...

This is our second stab at the topic of homeschool burnout. Back in Episode 39, we interviewed four homeschool moms and discussed the topic: I Love Homeschooling, But I’m Totally Burned Out.  On that episode we verified that homeschooling moms burn out often and regularly. Our listener Anna, wrote in and asked if we would expand the […] The post How To Deal With Homeschool Burnout &#82...

Back in Episode 25, we talked about launching your kid into college. During that discussion, we explained how we have chosen to launch our kids during their senior year of high school, which allows them the freedom to begin making life decisions before they even leave our home. One of our listeners wrote in and asked if […] The post Launching Your High Schooler Into Life – HIRL Episode...

There is a quiet fight going on under the surface in homeschooling for a long time. “Let’s face it. The quiet fight between women in homeschooling often comes down to pride.” – Angie Tolpin We dive back into familiar waters on this episode and tackle the issue of competition and pride that we see generally among […] The post The Quiet Fight Between Women – HIRL...

This is the second installment in our two-part series, Why the Rise in African American Homeschooling? In part one we sat down for a rich discussion with Dr. Ama Mazama to discuss the  issues of racism in our school system and why so many African American families were choosing to leave the public school system to begin homeschooling. […] The post Why The Rise In African American Homeschooli...

We received a message on the HomeschoolingIRL Facebook page that said, “Please, please, please do an episode on siblings fighting. Thanks!” Sibling relationships. Sibling rivalries. Siblings fighting. We put out the question to our listeners and they responded with story after story of siblings who know how to tease, fight and use sarcasm like professionals. On […] The post What...

Last month, Fletch read an interesting article in The Washington Post called, Racism in Schools is Pushing More Black Families to Homeschool Their Children. The title alone was enough to get him interested, but in the article the writer discussed why there has been such a sharp rise in African American Homeschooling. We thought this was […] The post Why The Rise In African American Homeschoo...

Whether it’s burnout or lack of content, the average “brand new” podcast will not survive beyond 7 episodes. At Homeschooling In Real Life, we are NOT average. That is why we are celebrating the past 50 episodes of our podcast with you! You have to join us for this fast paced run down memory lane. […] The post Celebrating 50 Episodes – HIRL Episode 51 appeared first o...

What if someone told you that you had no right to be angry? What if you could live a life that was defined as unoffendable? What would it look like to not be offended by the things people say and do, or by the way they treat you? And what if you could smile and relax, […] The post How The Gospel Makes Us Unoffendable – HIRL Episode 50 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Netwo...

Homeschooling your special needs child can be tricky and challenging. It can also be one of the biggest hidden blessings in your family. Are you homeschooling a child who has special needs? Guess what? So are Fletch and Kendra. Join us on they episode as we get on the phone with Wendy Hilton of Hip Homeschool […] The post Homeschooling With Special Needs – HIRL Episode 49 appeared firs...

As homeschoolers, many of us do a great job taking care of our children, their schoolwork and all of their curriculum, but often we miss taking care of our own marriages. That is where Barrett and Jenifer Johnson come in. We know the Johnsons from their ministry at I.N.F.O for Families and their past visits on the HomeschoolingIRL podcast. Now […] The post The Real Marriage Podcast – H...

How important is it for us to practice transparent parenting with our children? What should you do when your children ask you questions that are just too personal or too painful to answer? If we do practice transparency, will our kids simply follow our example? In this episode, we sit down with marriage and family therapist, Chris Oneth, […] The post Transparent Parenting – HIRL Episod...

Join Fletch once again as he travels back into television history and shares the second half of his top 10 lessons he has learned from the TV dads he was raised with. In the middle of getting their home ready to sell, Fletch heads back into the studio alone for this episode (don’t worry, Kendra pops in to say hello!). […] The post Top 10 Lessons From TV Dads, Part 2 – HIRL Episod...

On the HomeschoolingIRL podcast, we have spent 44 episodes  telling stories of other homeschooling  families. We continue to share one major theme: Live in the gospel and stop shifting your hope onto the world or religion. On this episode, we shift gears and finally share our own story of losing our religion and our recovery from “gospel […] The post Losing Our Religion – HIRL Ep...

Top 10 lessons from TV dads? What could we possibly learn from a bunch of characters on television? Join Fletch as he takes a trip into television history and shares his top 10 lessons he has learned from the TV dads he was raised with. This episode was recorded straight from the Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Convention in […] The post Top 10 Lessons From TV Dads, Part 1 – HIRL Epis...

What comes to mind when you think of homeschool conventions? Most people either love them or hate them! In the span of a few days at a homeschooling convention, you can easily get overwhelmed by the huge vender halls and rows upon rows of curriculum choices. The workshops span topics all over the homeschooling spectrum, not to […] The post I Love Homeschooling, But I Hate Homeschool Conventi...