The Homeschool Solutions Show

Join Jessica Smartt for a conversation with Connor Boyack, author of The Tuttle Twins books and president of Libertas Institute! About Connor Connor Boyack is founder and president of Libertas Institute, a free market think tank in Utah. Named one of Utah's most politically influential people by The Salt Lake Tribune, Connor's leadership has led to dozens of legislative victories spanning a wide r...

One thing we often neglect in our busy schedule is nurturing our walk with God. With everything we must complete, we feel that we just don't have the time to have a quiet time. However, Jesus tells us, "Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and...

One thing we often neglect in our busy schedule is nurturing our walk with God. With everything we must complete, we feel that we just don't have the time to have a quiet time. However, Jesus tells us, "Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and...

Interests can lead to learning, but kids don't always follow them past fun and convenience. Career dreams can only become reality through work and meeting requirements. Requirements only parents may fully understand and need to push behind the interests. But what if they have no interests? There's a spark for learning in all kids that we want to kindle but not put out. But how do we find the perfe...

Can your children trust you? Before you answer that question, another question should be asked: "Do your children talk to you?" In our relationship with our children, trust is a precious commodity; but it's not one that magically appears in abundance, as if you've suddenly won the lottery of your child's confidence. Trust is acquired and saved over time. Over long and sustained periods as we prove...

Life can be so busy that it's hard to focus on the things that really matter. Although Cal Newport's book, Deep Work, isn't written specifically for homeschooling families, his ideas are surprisingly compatible with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education, and can help you discover ways to create focused, peaceful, and productive habits in every area of life.  About Janice Janice Campbell, a lif...

Whether you're just getting started or have been schooling for a while, there are a few basic things to know that might make your life easier. When I started homeschooling, I was lucky enough to have done enough reading and non-traditional learning so I knew that the "school-at-home" model wasn't what we wanted. That helped. However, I started out expecting that I'd be able to make perfect plans a...

Have you ever begrudged your family for under-appreciating your homeschool efforts? If so, you then probably felt guilty for feeling neglected. For the love of homeschooling and our families, we do all we can to show it. Having these thoughts and emotions could be homeschool burnout. Or could you be overdoing it and wearing out your audience?  About Jennifer Jennifer Cabrera, the Hifalutin Homesch...

Nobody ever said that homeschooling would be easy (and if they did they must be lying). How could it be? It's one of the most self-sacrificing endeavors that you could ever attempt. In this episode, we'll discuss how this often discouraging struggle against our selfish nature is the very thing our children need to see played out before them so that they too may be inspired to struggle against thei...

In this personal and insightful episode Jessica shares what she's learned about how to make homeschooling sustainable for the mom, including specific self-care ideas and tips for moms in all stages. About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources  Jessica'...

One of the most important things you can do for your children (and yourself) is to help them build good habits. And one of the most important elements of the habit building process is consistency. In this episode we'll discuss some strategies to help encourage your child to become consistent in their daily tasks. About Sean Sean Allen is the founder of The Well Ordered Homeschool , husband to his...

It's a new year and God has gifted you 525,600 minutes! How will you invest them to ensure you have the most fruitful, life giving homeschool year ever? By beginning with the ENDS in mind! What were your gains last year? What do you want to gain by the end of this year? Join Shiela as she shares a simple framework to help you reflect on the gains you had last year in order to plan for the ones you...

Anyone else experiencing the winter doldrums? As the saying goes, the days are long but the years are short. Well, winter homeschooling days get reeeeally long. But the end is coming - both the end of your year and the end of this initial leg of your parenting journey (that is, when you send your children off into the world). Will you feel as if you deserve to cross the finish line when it arrives...

Reasons and help letting go of comparison and intimidation from publishers and professionals, unrealistic expectations, other homeschool families.  About Jennifer Jennifer Cabrera, the Hifalutin Homeschooler , is the writer of homeschool truth, humor, and inspiration.  Jennifer lives in Salado, Texas with her husband and three brilliant boys.  She is a licensed Physician Assistant/MPH, but set asi...

How do we muster the will to rise and get dressed and get back a life of learning in the cold and winter months? Much less entice our teens to do the same? With new resolve and new fleece pajamas, homeschooling in winter is a privilege filled with opportunities for getting ahead academically, productive family time, and remembering why we homeschool in the first place. About Jennifer Jennifer Cabr...

It feels like there is so much opposition to homeschooling. Though today there is a far greater degree of acceptance, plenty of voices remain which not only question but blatantly oppose our efforts to raise our children at home. That said, the greatest opposition probably comes in our own self doubts and even resistance to what homeschooling requires of us. And what does it require? Just about ev...

January is the perfect time for a mom's personal retreat. In this episode Jessica will share tips and tricks of hosting your own personal homeschool mom retreat. With a little bit of creativity, you can benefit from taking the time to rest, pray, plan, and goal-set for the second half of the school year. About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in su...

Have you ever thought how odd it is to have children move from grade to grade in lockstep with other children, even though they develop and learn at different rates in different subjects? Did you know that this idea of grade segregation is relatively new in the history of the world? Homeschoolers usually figure out how illogical the whole idea is, but I thought this excerpt from one of my favorite...

In this episode Jessica interviews Lyndsey from Treehouse Schoolhouse about all sorts of things related to homeschool mom life. They chat about why Lyndsey and her husband decided to move from Florida and buy land to build their dream home as well as how to balance physical health goals, homeschooling, and running two businesses from home! About Lyndsey Lyndsey is a homeschool mom of four and the...

A while back, I came across an interesting comparison of two middle school reading lists — one from 1908 and one from a bit more than 100 years later. The original article compared the lists based on time period, thematic elements, and reading level, and I'll share that comparison along with a few ideas for interesting middle-grade reading. About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and write...

In this brief episode you'll learn why penmanship, including cursive, is important for learning, and you'll get practical tips for helping your children master this useful art. About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of fou...

In this brief episode you'll learn why penmanship, including cursive, is important for learning, and you'll get practical tips for helping your children master this useful art. About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of fou...

In this brief episode you'll learn why penmanship, including cursive, is important for learning, and you'll get practical tips for helping your children master this useful art. About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of fou...

Everything, and I mean everything that is right and true is under assault today. For instance, we've moved far beyond questioning whether a woman's rightful place is in the home rearing her children. Today, the world and all her emissaries of confusion question whether such a thing as a woman even exists. For decades we've been told that women are just as capable as men, no matter the field, no ma...

Homeschooling science is often frustrating and impossible, easily replaced with videos, or neglected altogether. Don't let it be! I've got help and great offers! Science can be hands-on, exciting, edible, and dangerous! And can create lasting family memories. Like when you almost burn the house down for the science fair. True, hilarious story here…. About Jennifer Jennifer Cabrera, the Hifalutin H...