Do you wish you knew what it was like to be a child who is homeschooled? What about college, do you question what it will be like for your homeschooler? Joining the workforce, getting married, having children, contemplating homeschooling their own kids, all these are concerns we have as homeschool parents looking at our children's futures. In this podcast, we will be addressing each of those concerns from the perspective of an adult who was homeschooled from birth. Our host, Chaz, who was also homeschooled, will be interviewing Reuben, who will be sharing his experience growing up homeschooled and life as an adult. They will be discussing:Thoughts and opinions of homeschooling as a childSports and homeschoolingStarting college as a former homeschoolerEntering the workplaceMarriage and starting a familyAdult perspective of homeschoolingSuggestions for parents who are homeschooling We hope that you will be able to use their suggestions and experiences to add to your child's homeschool adventure.

Siblings, sometimes it feels like all they do is fight. You walk in the room and they are playing so sweetly together, and seconds later they are screaming and throwing things at one another. What is a parent to do?In this podcast, Chaz and Christie share their advice on working through sibling tensions to become best friends for life. Chaz was the youngest of three with only 3 years and 3 weeks between him and his oldest brother. Christie grew up with a sister 10 years younger than herself. Both share advice on helping your children grow their sibling relationships from their differing life experiences. In this podcast they will discuss:Teaching your children the permanence of friendship in familyBeing best friends for lifeUsing the technique of grounding your children from each otherUsing the outdoors as a tool for diffusing tensionsHow to guide your children as they "work things out" with each otherWe hope this podcast gives you tools that will equip you for handling sibling tension when it comes, so that you can have children who are best friends for life.

You wake up in the morning already stressed about the day. Your homeschooling has had a bad week due to errands that had to be run. But it's not over yet, today is another day of appointments, shopping and of course a homeschool group get together. Sometimes it feels like you can never get to reading, writing, and arithmetic for all the other challenges in life. From personal experience, we can tell you there is a way to educate your homeschoolers on the run, and that is what today's podcast is all about. Chaz and Christie have been where you are and share many of their personal experiences of homeschooling on the run. Chaz shares some of the unique opportunities he had to learn growing up, due to his parents being busy in the community. And Christie shares some of the frustrations and concerns she felt as she tried to figure out how to give her children, including Chaz, a well rounded education while still maintaining their business.In this podcast they go into detail about learning opportunities that abound in the:Grocery storeDoctors officeBankThey also share the importance of being aware of the unique opportunities that your particular lifestyle brings for learning on the run, whether it is going to the pier for fresh fish, or doing a building project at home. Each of us can take advantage of those days packed with errands to homeschool on the run.Hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we enjoyed making it.

Homeschooling teens is hard work, but it also comes with a lot of joy. In this podcast Chaz and Christie will be discussing techniques to add interest and accountability into your homeschooler's school day. Using the ideas of expectations, freedom and control, they will describe a classroom environment that allows for:Decision makingLarge project managementLearning how to find and use resourcesWorking towards adult goalsRespectChaz, as an adult who was homeschooled, and Christie, as the mom who taught him, are in the unique position of being able to share ideas from not just the prospective of the parent, but also the teen. By listening we hope you will glean ideas for your homeschool teen.

Parenting teens….. A phrase that has strikes fear in many souls.And who hasn’t heard the phrase - if you can’t control your child at two, you sure won’t be able to control him at thirteen. But, it doesn’t have to be that way and that is what we are going to discuss on this podcast - Teaching Teens.This will be a two part series discussing the challenges of raising teens. Part 1 will emphasize the need for expectations for your teens and helping them set up their own expectations. We will also be discussing teen emotions and how best to support them, while also training them in mature responses to their feelings.In Part 2 we will be exploring the academic side of raising teens.As a former homeschooler, and the mom who taught him. Chaz and Christie are in an unique position to share with you their personal experiences of transitioning from pre-adolescents, into the teenage years, college years, and eventual adulthood. 

Whether you are awaiting the birth of your first child or trying to decide if you should begin homeschooling your teenager, the question of "when do I begin?" is an important starting point for every homeschool parent. In this podcast, Chaz and Christie will discuss the right time to begin homeschooling your child. This podcast will define what homeschool is and give specific advice for people who are preparing for the  birth of their child by encouraging them to see all of life as a homeschool experience. They explain the importance of understanding baby development and making intentional lesson plans for helping your child reach the necessary milestones. In addition, they give practical ideas for encouraging learning without breaking the pocketbook. They also discuss the older child and when you should begin homeschooling your teenager. This podcast even includes ideas for how to homeschool your child if they are a traditional student.We look forward to sharing this podcast with you and ask that if you enjoyed the episode that you would like and follow us.

There is nothing like working alongside mom and dad to help your child develop the skills they will need as adults. When our children join us in our day to day work they learn more than just how to wash dishes or change the oil in their cars. And that is what Chaz and Christie will be discussing in this podcast. They have a unique perspective on this subject due to their personal experiences as a homeschooled adult and the mom who taught him. By having been there before you, they will encourage you in your own homeschool adventure as you have your child work alongside you.

I know, life is busy. There are babies to feed, houses to clean, kids that need homeschooled,  and bills to pay.  Now, to add to that - making sure my husband isn't getting neglected! You just can't win, can you.But, what if you could? What if there is a way to keep up your responsibilities and have a spouse that doesn't feel like the last thing on your list? That is the purpose for today's podcast. Christie will share her own experience trying to juggle home, work and homeschooling, while trying to keep her marriage healthy. It doesn't have to be hard - it just has to do with willingness to be creative and intentional effort. She will be discussing:The natural ebbs and flows of marriageQuestions to ask yourself periodicallyEvaluating your timeWorking small times for each other naturally into your dayWe hope you enjoy this podcast and find new and creative opportunities for enjoying your spouse.

Homeschooling boys. Somedays there's nothing  better - other days it's like pulling your teeth out. A million times a day do you find yourself asking:Why can't he just sit still and pay attention?Why does he zone out and act like he's not even there?Why are there rocks, sticks and unrecognizable things in his pockets all the time?How do I get my son excited about his school day?Why does it seem so much harder to teach him than my daughter?What do I do with all that energy?How is he ever going to be able to manage a desk job/college when he gets older?If you find yourself asking these questions, then you are in the right place. As a adult who was once a homeschooled boy himself, Chaz has insight into what it means to be a boy in the educational environment. Despite all his energy growing up, which hasn't really gone away, Chaz has learned to manage college and a desk job career by embracing his need to move, with his responsibilities in the workplace. Your son can do the same.In this podcast Chaz, and his mom, Christie, will use research to describe to you what is going on inside your son's brain, and share some of their methods for waking up boys minds. Using their personal experience homeschooling three boys, Chaz and Christie will teach you the best method of homeschooling boys: Time and Training. They will be discussing:Causes of misbehavior in boysHow to add movements and physical activity into your dayHow to train your son to find ways to add small movements into his day, even when he must sit quietly How to teach your boy how to read a situation and know how to respond in a way that keeps his mind engage We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions for educating boys. 

In this episode, Chaz and Christie discuss the many benefits and family memories gained through reading aloud as a family.  Christie and her husband, Jamie, began reading together early in their marriage. When their three boys came along, it was only natural that couples reading would turn into reading as a family.Chaz and Christie will share many of their experiences as a reading family and give you tips for your own family reading time. Their suggestions include:Being intentional in finding time to read as a family.Stopping a reading section at the right point. Recapping at the beginning of each reading session.Suggestions for making reading easier on the reader.Taking the time for children to read aloud.Understanding the importance of homeschool parents reading to themselves and their spouse.We look forward to sharing this podcast with you, and look forward to reading your comments.