Homeschooling IRL

Are you homeschooling for the short term? Committing to a brief season of educating your children at home? This episode, encouraged by an email we received from a Homeschooling in Real Life listener, is just for you. Don’t let the short title fool you, though. We quickly get into quite a lively discussion and face some mighty large homeschooling […] The post Homeschooling For The Short...

Moms of teen boys, this episode was made for you! What happens to those boys when they become teenagers and why are they so hard for moms to manage? Fletch and Kendra have raised three teen boys so far and they have lived to tell the tale . . . Fletch pokes a few sticks at […] The post Moms and Teen Boys – HIRL Episode 92 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network .

Do you ever feel like there just isn’t enough time in your life to take care of yourself? In the midst of your life do you fail to remember to do the things you want to do? Do the demands of parenting and homeschooling make you feel guilty if you take time for yourself? We think this is […] The post Is “Me Time” Necessary? – HIRL Episode 91 appeared first on Ultimate...

On last week’s episode, we sat down with Dale and Jonalyn Fincher from Soulation/Freedom Builders to begin an important discussion on the topic of spiritual abuse. We just scratched the surface of the discussion by talking about how homeschoolers are prime targets for “movements.” On this episode, we continue the conversation, but we focus on the practical issues surrounding the...

Spiritual Abuse. It doesn’t just happen in South American cults. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves involved in movements where the focus quickly turns to behavior modification or blind obedience to personalities and personas. On this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Dale and Jonalyn Fincher from Soulation/Freedom Builders to discuss spiritual […] The post Spiritual A...

The season break is over! We are kicking things off with an episode that answers the question: Just what is Homeschooling in Real Life? We have noticed over the years that new listeners come to our show wanting us to answer practical questions about homeschooling. Once they listen to an episode, most of our listeners realize […] The post What Is Homeschooling In Real Life? – HIRL Episo...

The HomeschoolingIRL team is taking a break between seasons to prepare and produce new shows. In the meantime, we are rebroadcasting our most popular and most downloaded episodes. On this week’s episode, we are replaying our 2nd most downloaded episode. This is our story. It is very personal, but very important to share. We discuss how our family […] The post Rebroadcast – Losing...

The HomeschoolingIRL team is taking a break between seasons to prepare and produce new shows. In the meantime, we are rebroadcasting our most popular and most downloaded episodes. On this week’s episode, we are replaying our interview with radio personality and author, Brant Hansen. Brant is the author of Unoffendable, where he discusses how the gospel takes the fuel out […] The post R...

The HomeschoolingIRL team is taking a break between seasons to prepare and produce new shows. In the meantime, we are rebroadcasting our most popular and most downloaded episodes. On this week’s episode, we are replaying our discussion about Black Sheep Homeschoolers.  What do you do when you have ‘that kid.’ You know, the one that just doesn’t fit in with […] The pos...

The HomeschoolingIRL team is taking a break between seasons to prepare and produce new shows. In the meantime, we are rebroadcasting our most popular and most downloaded episodes. Join us this week as we replay our interview with Kimm Crandall,  author of the book Christ in the Chaos.  Kimm walks us through her story and reminds the listener what happens when we […] The post Rebroadcast &#82...

Wait! This is NOT a rebroadcast of an old episode! Homeschooling is a Buzzkill has been one of our most popular downloads, so we decided to sit down and record a completely new episode. After more than two years of podcasting, it was time to discuss again one of our favorite topics: how homeschooling can be a […] The post Homeschooling is a Buzzkill Remix – Episode 83 appeared first on...

Are you stuck in holiday traffic? Are you locking yourself in the bathroom at your family get-together to avoid Crazy Uncle Larry? Are you sick of hearing Christmas music? This quick episode is just for you! Merry Christmas HIRLers! Join Fletch and Kendra on this short and fun episode as we share some Christmas laughs with […] The post Stocking Stuffer – HIRL Episode 82 appeared first...

After 80 episodes, we are finally returning to the topic that has defined this podcast since the very beginning. Join Fletch and Kendra as they sit down in the studio with Jim Applegate to discuss the topic of Hope Shifting. Jim is the lead pastor at Redeemer Church in Modesto, CA and the author of […] The post Hope Shifting – HIRL Episode 81 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podca...

On this episode, HIRLer Chris calls in and asks us: “How can I be a good homeschooling parent raising kids and still take time for the things that feed my soul and bring me joy?” We jumped on this topic, because we love to remind homeschoolers not to “lose themselves”in the midst of schooling the family. […] The post Raising Kids, Losing Yourself – HIRL Episode...

Does Santa have any place in the celebration of Christmas? If you listen to some homeschoolers talk about it, event the mention of Santa Claus associated with Christmas will land you in the “loner’s corner” of your co-op. Yet, others celebrate good ol’ jolly Santa Claus right next to the baby Jesus. There is also […] The post Jesus vs. Santa – HIRL Episode 79 ap...

We are talking about Family Devotions for the Real Family on this podcast. You know REAL family devotions. The families with the toddler hijacking the deep discussion, and the teens are daydreaming, and mom is falling asleep because it’s been a long, long homeschooling day. Can you relate to family worship that looks like this? Family worship […] The post Devotions For The Real Family...

This is our final installment in our mini-series of episodes called: Surviving the Holidays. This episode is all about being spread too thin during the holidays. We begin the discussion talking about the unique aspect that holidays can bring to a homeschooling mom. You are already dealing with a full plate and often the holiday season is […] The post Spread Too Thin – HIRL Episode 77 a...

We are in the middle of producing a mini-series of episodes called: Surviving the Holidays. What happens when you are forced to spend time during the holidays with a tricky family situation. On this episode, we focus on what to do when your family does not accept your choices or you struggle with the choices they have […] The post Family Feud – HIRL Episode 76 appeared first on Ultimat...

For the next few weeks, we are producing a mini-series of episodes called: Surviving the Holidays. On this first episode, we are focusing on the financial strain the holidays can cause. How do we look at our holiday spending in light of the gospel? How do we communicate as a family the importance of the […] The post Financial Strain – HIRL Episode 75 appeared first on Ultimate Homescho...

On this episode, we discuss the topic of homeschooling gifted kids. Do you think your child might be gifted? Off the charts? An outlier? We are going to jump into the discussion on this episode together. Join Fletch and Kendra as they sit down with educator and homeschooling mom of exceptional kids, Colleen Kessler, for a conversation that […] The post Homeschooling Gifted Kids – HIRL...

When is the right time to start giving your kids freedom in the area of their finances? At what age should they have a checking account? What about a credit card? And when should we trust them with the internet, social media, and a smart phone? Hal and Melanie Young, authors of Raising Real Men […] The post Raising Adults – HIRL Episode 73 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast...

We are beyond the days of speculating about whether social media will last. Instead social media continues to morph and reinvent itself into new platforms with new target audiences. Whether it focuses on 140 characters of shared data or photos or just modified chatting with friends, social media is invasive. Are you wondering how to […] The post Teens And Social Media – HIRL Episode 72...

Do you think you are homeschooling a child with dyslexia? Join Fletch and Kendra as they interview Maryann Sunderland. Maryann is the author of Dyslexia 101 and an expert at the subject of homeschooling with dyslexia. She is a homeschool mom of 7 kids (and 6 of them have been diagnosed with dyslexia).  This is a great discussion […] The post Homeschooling With Dyslexia – HIRL Episode 7...

The statistics say it all, 1 in 5 children will be sexually abused before the age 18. A child is much more likely to be abused by a trusted adult than a stranger. We teach our kids fire safety. We teach them about water safety. We teach them about traffic safety.  Somehow the conversation about personal […] The post Let’s Talk About Sexual Abuse – HIRL Episode 70 appeared first o...

On this episode, we welcome back a favorite guest on this podcast. Thomas Umstaatd, Jr. joined us on Episode 26 when we discussed his viral blog post: Is Courtship Fundamentally Flawed?  On this episode, we return to the topic and discuss again if courtship is better than dating? Are families who practice courtship instead of dating out […] The post Courtship In Crisis – HIRL Episode 6...