The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast

Welcome to The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast! This week, we’re talking about something nearly every mom struggles with at the end of the school year: motivation! As the school year winds down, motivation can be hard to find, and it’s easy to start questioning everything. Are we doing enough? Does this even count as school? Are our kids going to be ready for what’s next? We have a great conversation about those fears, and hopefully leave you encouraged to finish the year with confidence and peace. Before we get started, we want to thank Teaching Textbooks for making what we do possible. They help thousands of homeschoolers smile every day, and if you haven’t checked them out yet, you can do so at teachingtextbooks.com. Today’s show is being underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and Redeem Healthshare, where members are committed to honoring Christ through a community of Christians that pay one another’s medical bills. Redeem Healthshare helps families take a safe step of faith as they feel God’s Leading in career or ministry changes or in bringing mom home. You can learn more here, https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL7B0 about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries Have a great week and don't forget to smile!

Welcome to The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast! This week we’re talking about something I think a lot of you are going to relate to. We start things off with a message from a homeschool mom who shared that she’s feeling overwhelmed right now—trying to juggle schooling her last two kids, being a grandma, planning a wedding, and everything else life is throwing at her. If you’ve ever felt like you’re spinning a dozen plates at once, you are definitely not alone, and we want to encourage you today. We also discuss something that multiple listeners brought up: how do you get your 10–12-year-olds to actually care about what you’re teaching? Sometimes they just don’t see the value in what they’re learning. We offer some tips and encouragement for that as well. As always, we hope this episode leaves you feeling encouraged! Before we get started, we want to thank Teaching Textbooks for making what we do possible. They help thousands of homeschoolers smile every day, and if you haven’t checked them out yet, you can do so at teachingtextbooks.com. Today’s show is being underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and redeemhealthshare, where members are committed to honoring Christ through a community of Christians that pay one another’s medical bill. Redeem health share helps families take a safe step of faith as they feel God’s Leading in career or ministry changes or in bringing mom home. You can learn more here https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL6M0 about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries Have a great week and don't forget to smile!

Welcome to The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast! This week, we’re introducing the newest regular member of our podcast crew, Katherine Petgen! Katherine is Todd’s daughter, a homeschool mom, a wife, and a homeschool graduate. She shares how homeschooling has impacted her life for the better, along with some of the lessons she’s carried into her own family. We also talk about her homeschooling personality type and how that can shape the way we approach teaching our kids. Lastly, we dive into the question so many parents wrestle with, when should you start structured homeschooling and how to push back against the pressure to begin too early. Before we get started, we want to thank Teaching Textbooks for making what we do possible. They help thousands of homeschoolers smile every day, and if you haven’t checked them out yet, you can do so at teachingtextbooks.com. Today’s show is also underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and REDEEM HealthShare. Members are committed to honoring Christ and serving one another through healthcare needs. As Todd likes to say, “We use, love, and recommend Samaritan Ministries.” You can learn more about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries here https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL6M0 Have a great week and don't forget to smile!

Welcome to The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast! This week, we’re bringing back a conversation from a couple of years ago that we think you’re really going to love. We had the opportunity to sit down with two very special guests—homeschooling pioneers David and Shirley Quine from Cornerstone Curriculum. They share so much wisdom from their decades of experience, along with a real heart for family and homeschooling. It’s one of those conversations that’s just packed with encouragement, and is something every mom needs to hear! We hope you enjoy! Before we start we want to thank Teaching Textbooks for Making what we do possible! They help thousands of homeschoolers smile each and every day, and if you haven't checked them out, you should, over at teachingtextbooks.com Today’s show was also underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and redeem healthshare. Where Members are committed to honoring Christ and serving one another through health care needs. As Todd likes to say, "We use, love, and recommend Samaritan Ministries. You can learn more about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries here https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL6M0 Have a great week and don't forget to smile!

Hey everybody, welcome back to The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast! This week we’ve got a fun episode for you! We are joined by Brandee Gillham from the Colorado State Homeschool Organization, and we’re going to be talking all about homeschool conventions. Whether you’ve been to one before or you’ve never even considered going, we’re going to unpack why they can be such a valuable part of the homeschool journey. We also talk with Brandee about how she got started homeschooling, when she went to her very first homeschool convention, and what her takeaway was from that experience. She also gives tips to the Type A homeschooling moms out there. It is a great conversation, and we are sure it will leave you encouraged! We want to thank Teaching Textbooks for making The Smiling Homeschooler possible. They’re an amazing math curriculum, and we encourage you to check them out at teachingtextbooks.com. Today’s show is also being underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and Redem Healthshare. Where Members are committed to honoring Christ and are a community of Christians that pay one another’s medical bills…helping families take a safe step of faith as they feel God’s Leading in career or ministry changes, or in bringing mom home. You can learn more about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries here https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL6M0 Have a great week and don't forget to smile!

Hey everybody, welcome back to The Smiling Homeschooler! This week we had a really fun conversation with Audiobook reader Jim Hodges. We talk about something that has been incredibly powerful in our homeschooling over the years… books and audiobooks. There is something special about the way stories engage our kids’ imaginations when they are listening or reading, picturing the characters, the places, and the adventure in their own minds. It’s a very different experience from just watching something on a screen. We talk about why imagination matters, some of our family’s and Jim's favorite books and audiobooks, and why he has been so passionate about creating content that is not only entertaining but also completely family-friendly. If you’re looking for ways to encourage reading, build imagination, and find great content your whole family can enjoy together, I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation. You can stream his amazing audiobooks here https://stream.jimhodgesaudiobooks.com/ Before we get started, we want to thank Teaching Textbooks for making The Smiling Homeschooler possible. They’re an amazing math curriculum, and we encourage you to check them out at teachingtextbooks.com. Today’s show is also being underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and Redem Healthshare. Where Members are committed to honoring Christ and are A community of Christians that pay one another’s medical bills…helping families take a safe step of faith as they feel God’s Leading in career or ministry changes or in bringing mom home. You can learn more about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries at this link https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL6M0 Have a great week and don't forget to smile!

This week on The Smiling Homeschooler, Rissa joins Ben for a life update and a really honest conversation about homeschooling through different seasons. A few months ago, Rissa shared that she was walking through a very difficult time. During that season, homeschooling didn’t look the way it normally does in their home. It felt heavier. Slower. Survival-mode some days. In this episode, they talk about what it looks like to homeschool when you’re not at your best — when expectations have to shift, when grace has to grow, and when “just getting by” is actually enough. They also share encouragement for families who may be in a hard season right now, and the reminder that seasons do change. What feels overwhelming today won’t last forever. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing enough… if you’ve ever felt behind… or if homeschooling looks different than you thought it would — this episode is for you. we want to thank Teaching Textbooks for making what we do possible. let them know that you appreciate their support of us and check them out at teachingtextbooks.com Today’s show was also underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and Redem Healthshare. Where Members are committed to honoring Christ and serving one another through health care needs. As Todd likes to say, "We use, love, and recommend Samaritan Ministries. You can learn more about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries by clicking this link https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL7q0 Have a great week and don't forget to smile!

Welcome back to The Smiling Homeschooler! This week, we’re talking about something that almost every homeschool family faces at some point… what do you do when the people around you just don’t understand homeschooling? For a lot of parents, choosing to homeschool doesn’t just come with lesson plans and curriculum decisions — it comes with questions, raised eyebrows, and sometimes even criticism. Maybe it’s extended family. Maybe it’s friends. Maybe it’s your culture or community. Maybe someone you love is saying, “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Those moments can make you second-guess yourself. You start wondering… am I doing the right thing? Do I have to prove something? Do I need to do this perfectly so no one can point fingers? Tonight we want to talk about that pressure. Where it comes from, how to handle it, and why you don’t have to be perfect to be effective. We’ll talk about being real, being confident in your conviction, and what it looks like to keep going even when support isn’t there yet. Before we get started, we want to thank Teaching Textbooks for making The Smiling Homeschooler possible. They’re an amazing math curriculum, and we encourage you to check them out at teachingtextbooks.com. Today’s show is also being underwritten by Samaritan Ministries and Redem HealthShare. Where Members are committed to honoring Christ and A community of Christians that pay one another’s medical bills…helping families take a safe step of faith as they feel God’s Leading in career or ministry changes or in bringing mom home. You can learn more about REDEEM HealthShare by Samaritan Ministries here https://hubs.ly/Q03VZL7q0 Have a great week and don't forget to smile!