Thank you for joining me for my 100th episode!

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

It's the "already, not yet" week. We have already experienced most of the year — we've made it through Christmas morning, decking the halls, singing carols, and slowly, slowly, we are emerging from our cocoa coma to realize a new year is upon us. This new year is a gift full of anticipation and though there are no guarantees, we make our plans, say our prayers, set our goals, and hope for a tomorrow better than yesterday, as good as yesterday may have been.

Yet those of us who have lived enough years know that there will be trouble; dashed dreams, broken hearts, sickness, mourning, and disrupted plans. Goals will be unmet. Plans will change. And oh, among this hurt and sadness, joyful surprises will nurse our hearts and encourage us to hope once more.

Already, not yet.

For believers, we know that means we live in a world where Jesus has already rescued us, and yet…He has not returned for good. We still live in a broken world. So we wait in joyful hope. And sometimes in trembling fear, humble remorse, patient (or impatient) longing. We wait, but we live in the meantime. We strive to thrive and not merely survive. We look with longing and the longing leads us upward toward ideals of living not necessarily a great life, but a good one.

This week captures that feeling better than any week of the year. It is full of reflection; it is full of expectation. Anything is possible…for better or for worse.

So we make our plans. We lay them out like an offering. We hope that He multiplies the good and tosses out the bad as far as the east is from the west.

We prepare to restart our homeschool year. We look upon it with fresh eyes after a long break. Things look clear — we wonder what in the world we were thinking adding that curriculum in the fall and we throw it out without looking back. We see with renewed confidence which books need to be read, which skills need to be honed, which habits need to be practice, which activities can get cut, which holes need to be filled, which branches need to be pruned.

We pray and consider what this season of our life looks like as the mother, the homeschooler, the wife, the friend, the ________. We feel confident we will be able to wear all the hats and look great in them.

The new year is a blank slate in some ways — a day (rather, a year) with "no mistakes in it yet," in the words of Anne. And yet, He has seen every day already. He knows our story; it's in the book. But we have the privilege of playing our part. It's a mystery in so many ways.

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Christmas is no ordinary time of year. It intoxicates our senses; the air smells of pine and sugar. The days are filled with music and stories. The soft, warm sleeves on our arms and thick mittens on our hands and hat on our head triggers our mind to think cozy thoughts despite the biting cold. Our taste buds crave cocoa and peppermint. Our children's eyes glow with the sparkle of twinkle lights reflecting in them. And our hearts yearn for something…something more…something transcendent…something that seems just beyond our reach yet simultaneously living inside us. The "Christmas spirit"…or rather, The Spirit of Christmas. Christ incarnate. Immanuel. God with us.

If you're just at the beginning of the high school years, it may feel like the end is still far off but I warn you, the ball sure does start rolling quickly once it starts.

The end is nigh, my friend. You've been working yourself out of a job and when you make it to the high school years, and you should begin to feel that change. It sounds somber to call it "the end," but remember it's just the end of a chapter and not the whole book. You're still your teen's parent, after all ;).

As I said in a past article, the high school years are a different animal in many ways, the lens often focused on the future. More complex subject matter, heavier work loads, afternoon jobs, driver's license, friends, formals, sports, hobbies, dual enrollment classes, prep for the ACT, and post-high school plans disrupt what was previously a lovely and semi-predictable homeschool routine. All of these things require the same thing: more time.

A wise woman once told me when our kids were young that you really only have until they are fifteen. To do what, I was never quite sure, but now that we're beyond that benchmark I know what she meant. Your role as a parent and educator changes. Your impact, though still felt, is felt in a different capacity. Your child's world broadens and though you are likely still the most prominent voice — and should be — you are not the only one. There is a definite shift around this age as teens grapple for autonomy and understanding of who they are and how they fit in this world. They begin to look for purpose outside of your home.

While it's a good, healthy, and necessary thing to grow, the bittersweet truth is your homeschool will begin to feel different as you have less control over everyone's schedule. The long, leisurely days of family read alouds and afternoons spent on nature walks may start to disappear from your schedule if you're not intentional. And let's be honest, even if you are intentional, there just won't be as much time for them as there used to be.

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I am not doing interviews right now, but I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Enjoy!

Stories have been a part of human history from the very beginning and have been used as a powerful teaching tool throughout the centuries. Teaching through stories is a wonderful way to approach lessons in your homeschool, as well.

Jim Weiss is a household name among many homeschoolers. He made his mark by doing this very thing – teaching through stories. His seamless delivery and enchanting ability to tell a great tale allows him to weave important character development and historical fact into wonderful stories that listeners are happy to enjoy. Jim and his wife, Randy, were pioneers in the field when they began the journey of bringing stories to children via audio. It's hard to remember, but there was a time before Audible ;).

Join us today as Jim talks about why oral stories matter so much and are worth including in our homeschool. Listening to stories is such a beautiful benefit for our outside-the-box kiddos. his storytelling, Jim makes these timeless tales accessible to kids who might not otherwise be able to enjoy them independently.

• why stories matter so much
• how you can include Jim's audios into your homeschool teaching
• why teaching through stories is so powerful
• how storytelling makes these great lessons and tales accessible to our outside-the-box kiddos
• an example of Jim's storytelling ability as he performs one of my family's favorite poems, "Jabberwocky" (You know how I love poetry)
• why these timeless tales are so important to us today

While I am not able to do interviews right now, I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons.

Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Bryn Hogan.

Are you ready to see autism in a new light?

So often the conversation about autism is surrounded by a list of limitations. And let's face it, living the daily grind as a parent of a child on the spectrum sometimes really highlights those limitations.

Join us today as Bryn Hogan, Executive Director of the Autism Treatment Center of America® talks about how the program came to be and what makes it is so radically different (in a fantastic way) and why that makes this therapy program so effective.

Bryn is a breath of fresh air in what can be a very overwhelming environment when you have a child with autism. She will free you of the pressure and guilt that often come hand-in-hand with being an autism mom and set you on a path to move forward in a positive and uplifting way to help your child.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• what autism really is and why it's not the enemy
• why your attitude is so critical to your child's growth
• why you can't train a child not to be autistic and what you can do instead
• how to have a beautiful relationship with your child no matter where they are on the spectrum
• what you can do immediately (as soon as you finish listening!) to help your child

• Autism Treatment Center of America®
• Finding Your New Normal
• What is the Son-Rise Program®?
• Autism Breakthrough: The Groundbreaking Method That Has Helped Families All Over the World  (affiliate link)
• Son-Rise Miracle of Love DVD
• The Son-Rise Program Social Curriculum (Developmental Model)
• How to Get Started 
• Autistic Logistics (affiliate link)
• The Son-Rise Program® Online

While I am not able to do interviews right now, I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. 

Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Melissa McMahan.

Homeschooling High School…what is it about this phrase that makes even the most confident homeschool mama shake in her boots a little? The expectations seem to go through the roof. The pressure from the elusive yet always present critics "out there" seems to double. And the group of moms who've gone ahead of you who have the credibility to cheer you on seems to thin out drastically the longer you homeschool.

Melissa McMahan – YouTube host and mother of five lovely daughters – has homeschooled from the beginning and is still going strong with high schoolers in the mix and she's here to tell you…don't give up. High school can be a really wonderful and rewarding time with your children despite the extra weight that it brings.

Join us today as Melissa encourages us to find the joy in homeschooling our children during high school and use it as a time of connection and preparation for their launch into the world.

• Why you should take the high school years seriously…but not in a fearful way
• How humility is the secret trick to homeschooling high school
• How mom's role shifts in the high school years
• How to have a "together time" in the high school years
• How the high school years look when you have younger ones
• The value of car time
• Why homeschooling high school is ideal for OTB kids
• Why you shouldn't quit before the harvest
• All about the coolest field trip Melissa ever took her girls on
• How to get prepared to launch your kids into the world

This is the crux of it all.

When you are homeschooling kids in the K-8 range, you are in the sweet spot, my friend. The pre-school years are largely spent cleaning up messes and putting out fires (hopefully only theoretically ones, but you never know), and trying to get a handle on how to run a home with littles running underfoot. You're building your philosophy(whether you realize it or not) and coming up with routines to create a (mostly) well run home. While I would argue that Kindergarten is really part of the early years and doesn't need to be lumped with the school years, I understand that's a pretty counter cultural opinion. For the sake of this article let's agree that we're talking about kids who have started formal schooling, around age 6 or 7, or Year 1 in Ambleside-speak.

The high school years are a different animal in many ways, the lens often focused on the future. More complex subject matter, heavier work loads, afternoon jobs, friends, formals, sports, hobbies, dual enrollment classes, prep for the ACT, and post-high school plans disrupt what was previously a lovely and semi-predictable homeschool routine. While it's a good, healthy, and necessary thing to grow, the bittersweet truth is your homeschool will begin to feel different as you have less control over everyone's schedule.

Don't get me wrong; I love both the precious moments of the pre-school years and the independent nature of the high school years but when most people think of homeschooling — at least the homeschool of Instagram reels — I'm sure images from the K-8 years are what come to mind. And not without good reason.

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While I am not able to do interviews right now, I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. 

Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Andrew Pudewa.

Are you raising effective communicators?

Andrew Pudewa is a well-known name in the homeschool world and for good reason. His ideas on effective communication and the arts of language - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - have helped to shape our homeschool over the years.

I'm excited to share with you today some practical and thought-provoking ideas on how to help your child - no matter what his challenges - to become a more effective communicator and to understand why it's so important.

In This Episode You'll Hear: 

• how you can help your children to grow in their thinking and communication skills
• how the Four Arts of Language will make you think differently about Language Arts
• why age and ability have little to do with each other
• why IEW's products work so well with all children, no matter what their challenges

• Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW)
• Suzuki Method
• Andrew's "Nurturing Competent Communicators" Talk
• Sarah Mackenzie and the Read-Aloud Revival
• "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
• "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer
• The Arts of Language Podcast

Isn't this the best month of the year to talk about this?

It seems like January is the time we all want to finally get our lives together and give a valiant effort to do so.

Despite our best efforts, though, somehow the new of the year wears off over the months and by the time the weather warms, life is in its lovely, unavoidable spiral once more.

So why bother?

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In case you missed it...

Join me for the replay of a fantastic interview with Ainsley Arment.

Childhood is a unique growing time for our children; educators, parents, and experts have known this for years and yet childhood often gets swept under the rug at the expense of rigorous academics and a schedule full of structured activities. Children are, for the first time in history, busy. Schedules have largely replaced curiosity. Organized programs have taken priority over free play. And if we're really honest, I think us mamas can admit...it's just too much. What would happen if we embraced a more "wild and free" approach to childhood in our homeschools? What type of atmosphere might we be able to create for our families?

The Wild + Free movement had its humble beginnings about six years ago when Ainsley Arment started an Instagram account to gather and inspire other moms in quest of this "wild and free" type of childhood for their children. What began as a few moms sharing experiences and tips on the internet has grown into an online and in-person community of over 177,000 mamas strong. Wild & Free is not a method; it transcends - and therefore welcomes - many homeschool philosophies and makes room for all mamas to educate their children in a way that works best for their family.

Join us today as Ainsley and I explore the benefits of living Wild + Free in your homeschool.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Ainsley's journey to becoming a Wild + Free homeschooler
• What a Wild + Free education looks like
• Why childhood matters & how we can preserve it
• Ainsley's favorite parts of homeschooling, as well as the most challenging
• What we're reading right now
• How to balance it all...or not ;)
• How to be a Wild + Free mama

Show Notes

• Wild + Free Website
• Wild + Free Holidays
• The Call of the Wild + Free Book

This is it, guys. The final episode of the series. We made it.

It's a big one, too — five principles jammed into one article but they all have to do with wonderful, wonderful curriculum.

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Ah, Christmas.

The lights. The music. The traditions.

The bustle. The gatherings. The Reason for the season.

Starting this month, I'll be gifting my paid subscribers with a bundle of rhythms to help celebrate the season from month to month. They're called "Everything" guides. If you've been around for a while, these are the classic everything guides reimagined and much improved ;).

In the spirit of Christmas, I'll be giving access to everyone this month only. I hope this resource blesses you and — if you're not already — that you'll consider coming along next month as a paid subscriber.

I hope you find some great ideas to help you savor December and celebrate this time of year in a way that is simple and special at the same time.

Click here to enjoy December Everything.

Merry Christmas to you and yours,

Cindy Rinna

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I am not doing interviews right now, but I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Enjoy!

Do you find it easy to embrace your child's differences?

As new parents – or even "not yet" parents – we can have many dreams and ideas about what our children are going to be like. Sometimes we are accurate about personality traits or hair color or interests but often God blesses us with children who have differences we really didn't expect. We then have the choice – do we push against these differences or press into them?

Join us today as actor, author & filmmaker, Nathan Clarkson talks about all the difference embracing your child's differences can make. As a man who struggles with his own unique challenges and a former child whose parents played a crucial role in his education, he should know.

Nathan is an encouragement to moms and kids alike, inspiring both to press on and embrace the unique challenges that can come with an outside-the-box child. His new picture book (co-authored with his mother, the wonderful, Sally Clarkson), Only You Can Be You, will give parents a practical and joyful way to discuss what a blessing being different can be.

We should teach children, also, not to lean (too confidently) unto their own understanding because the function of reason is to give logical demonstration of (a) mathematical truth and (b) of initial ideas accepted by the will. In the former case reason is, perhaps, an infallible guide but in the latter is not always a safe one, for whether the initial idea be right or wrong reason will confirm it by irrefragable proofs.

Therefore children should be taught as they become mature enough to understand such teaching that the chief responsibility; which rests upon them as persons is the acceptance or rejection of ideas presented to them. To help them in this choice we should afford them principles of conduct and a wide range of fitting knowledge.

If there is one principle that could have a ripple impact on our current culture, I think it's this one. Understanding the importance as well as the place of reason is crucial and I think it's a gift we can give our kids, especially in their teen years.

Read it on Substack and see all the links

We may offer to children two guides to moral and intellectual self-management which we may call 'the Way of the Will' and 'the Way of Reason.'

The Way of the Will: Children should be taught (a) to distinguish between 'I want' and 'I will.' (b) That the way to will effectively is to turn our thoughts away from that which we desire but do not will. (c) That the best way to turn our thoughts is to think of or do some quite different thing, entertaining or interesting. (d) That after a little rest in this way, the will returns to its work with new vigour. (This adjust of the will is familiar to us as diversion, whose office it is to ease us for a time from will effort that we may 'will' again with added power. The use of suggestion as an aid to the will is to be deprecated, as tending to stultify and stereotype character. It would seem that spontaneity is a condition of development., and that human nature needs the discipline of failure as well as of success.)

"The great things of life, life itself, are not easy of definition," Charlotte begins and true, we must ponder, 'what is the will?' As it concerns us here, her definition of its function is sufficient: "Its function is to choose, to decide, and there seems to be no doubt that the greater becomes the effort of decision the weaker grows the general will."

I'm supposed to be working on my next episode of the "Summer with Charlotte" series that I've been slogging through this summer these past few months but after wrestling through fits and starts in my head I realize the answer is, as usual, simple and honest, if not immediately obvious.

I can't.

Not, I can't ever. I just can't yet because something has happened and writing anything before you, dear listener, know about it feels incredibly dishonest. 

"We hold that the child's mind is no mere sac to hold ideas but is rather, if the figure may be allowed, a 'spiritual organism' with an appetite for all knowledge. This is its proper diet with which it is prepared to deal and what it is able to digest and assimilate as the body does food-stuffs.

"Such a doctrine as the Herbartian, that the mind is a receptacle, lays the stress of education, the preparation of food in enticing morsels, duly ordered, upon the teacher. Children taught on this principle are in danger of receiving much teaching but little knowledge; the teacher's axiom being 'what a child learns matters less than how he learns it.'"

Charlotte combines these two principles in one chapter and it's pretty impressive that she felt so strongly against his approach that she calls out one particular educational guru of her day in her actual principles. So who was this guy?

Cindy Rollins homeschooled her nine children for over thirty years. She is the host of The New Mason Jar podcast and a co-host with Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks of the popular Literary Life Podcast. She also curates the "Over the Back Fence Newsletter" at MorningTimeForMoms.com. She is the author of Mere Motherhood; Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love; Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel's Messiah; The Literary Life Commonplace books, and Mere Motherhood Newsletters.

I had the privilege of meeting Cindy at a conference here in north Alabama this past spring and I'm thrilled to share our conversation with you today. She has so much insight to offer to the homeschool community and loves to encourage moms so I know you're going to love this episode.

Join us today as Cindy and I discuss a variety of ideas near and dear to homeschoolers' hearts.

• Cindy's journey from her blog to Morning Time for Moms
• Why it's important to encourage the next generation of homeschoolers even when it's hard
• About the joy of learning alongside your child instead of giving in to insecurity
• Why you should give the humanities a chance even if they're not your preference
• The importance of poetry
• Tips for the high school years with teen guys
• Ideas for a Charlotte Mason Sunday School
• How to connect with Cindy

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If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, subscribe, or share :) When you do, it helps to spread the word and encourage other moms just like you.

Therefore, we are limited to three educational instruments - the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit, and the presentation of living ideas. The P.N.E.U. Motto is: "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline and a life."

We saw last time that there are quite a few wrong paths to take when approaching education that may be not only be our knee-jerk reaction but also taken with the best of intentions. These paths may even "work" but today Charlotte will show us a better approach. She says, "there are but three left for our use and to each of these we must give careful study or we shall not realize how great a scope is left to us."

These are not the three measly options left over but three perspectives that open a wide lens for us to see education through and gift our child with. These three ideas together are the legs of a stool that will stand strong when used together.

Listen in to hear the three instruments of education.

Join me next time as we cover principles 9 & 10. 

Be sure to subscribe to my Substack to see all the links and be notified of new articles.

You can also follow along right here on my podcast as well as on my Instagram.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review :).

This is the third article in my "Summer with Charlotte" series. If you missed the first two, you can read On Education and On Principles 1, 2 & 20.

Let's jump in.

The principles of Authority on the one hand and Docility on the other are natural, necessary, and fundamental.

These principles (i.e. authority and docility) are limited by the respect due to the personality of children which may not be encroached upon whether by the direct use of fear or love, suggestion or influence, or by undue play upon any one natural desire.

Join me next time as we cover principles 5 - 8. 

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You can also follow along on my podcast, Homeschooling Outside the Box, and my Instagram.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review :).

"No sooner doth the truth…. come into the soul's sight, but the soul knows her to be he, first and old acquaintance."

"The consequence of truth is great, therefore the judgment of it must not be negligent."

Here Charlotte quotes Benjamin Whichcote, who was the founding father of Cambridge and a puritan divine (an archaic word for theologian). I won't attempt to unpack his words but I will say that with these quotes she is setting the stage to highlight the importance of truth and its inseparable affiliation with the soul.

To understand Charlotte's first principle you have to know who she was talking to. The Victorian era may have been coming to a close by the time she published A Philosophy of Education, but she originally said this in her first Home Education volume and was very much talking to Victorian educators and parents.

To say a child was "born a person" carries a distinction that we take for granted today. Of course a child is born a person, we think. What else would he be born as? "But truths get flat and wonders stale upon us," Charlotte said and isn't that right? We read our bibles every day and skim the details, "yes, yes…the garden, the flood, the gospel, and so on…" but take the gravity of that truth lightly and while small children wonder at the world around them we stroll carelessly past a robin's nest. How quickly we breeze past what is too familiar.

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Where do I even begin? 

For the better part of twelve years I have been writing (and reading and podcasting and speaking) about Charlotte Mason. I'd like to think I've hit that 10,000 hours expert level of knowledge about her but truth be told there is still much to learn. I'm being totally serious when I say Charlotte is in my top five people who I want to meet in heaven. I intend to have many a tea time with her discussing great books.

It seems the more you know about something the harder it is to condense that information into something tangible and simple. Something about not seeing the forest for the trees comes to mind and her philosophies have become so beautifully interwoven with our life that it's hard to separate it out when someone asks about how we homeschool.

What is the Charlotte Mason method? Is it narration? Picture study? Music? Going outside? Good books? Yes, but…. 

Who was Charlotte Mason? A British educator who revolutionized the system in her time but has been all but lost to history and looked over by modern "progressive" educators? Yes, but…. 

Her legacy, or rather, the legacy of her educational philosophy, is so much more.

Her philosophy of education was so influential that it transcended the realms of the Victorian classroom and has been entrusted to homeschoolers and small private schools today. It traveled across the pond from lovely Ambleside in the Lake District to my beloved United States and all the way into my home in north Alabama. 

How?

Listen in to find out 

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"Never be within doors when you can rightly be without."

It's one of the first Charlotte Mason adages I learned by heart. I use it all the time to this day. I bet it'll be one of those sayings my kids will remember when they're fifty and say with a smile - albeit a slight roll of the eyes - "my mom was always saying…" and I'm so happy to think that.

When God made humans, He put them in a garden. Not a house, not a cubicle, but out of doors. We were not created to be inside as much as we are. You hear about "new" ways to be healthy like green therapy or beach yoga and it's important to remember that getting outside is not something we are adding to civilization; it's something we need to return to.

Read more on my Substack

SHOW NOTES:

My Nature Journal

On Starting Well: The Philosophy Issue

The Philosophy Episode

The phrase "memory work" is one that can carry baggage for people. The act of memorizing something may bring to mind a collection of facts you memorized as a child that you now deem useless such as the planets or the names of the bones in the body. You may think of learning scripture verses in exchange for candy or cramming gobs of information into your head the night before an exam. You may think of your phone number or address and yes, memory work can include these things, but the heart of memory work is a very different thing than mind-numbing memorization.

Read more and find links on my Substack

While becoming a parent is the true beginning of the journey, the preschool years bring a certain amount of well, uncertainty…for those of us who embark on the adventure of homeschooling. When is "the beginning" of their education? What should education look like in the early years? The culture tells us more is better, and the sooner the better.

But Charlotte Mason referred to these formative, early pre-school years as "a quiet growing time." Children learn through play and experience and these years are best spent growing up alongside the example of mom, dad, and older siblings in the most natural and nourishing enviornment – home.

SHOW NOTES

On Littles: The Early Years Issue

Pre-School…Not Preschool: How to Homeschool in the Early Years

Nurturing Your Pre-Schooler's Mind: How to Homeschool in the Early Years

Nurturing Your Pre-Schooler's Body: How to Homeschool in the Early Years

Nurturing Your Pre-Schooler's Soul: How to Homeschool in the Early Years

Nurturing Your Pre-Schooler's Schedule: How to Homeschool in the Early Years

A Case for the Early Years with Leah Martin from My Little Robins

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What is education? What are your family values? What type of family culture are you working to create? What type of people do you hope to help your kids become?

Mark Twain once famously said, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." Education means so much more than curriculum; it is the cultivation of a person and a philosophy of education needs to reflect the type of person you hope to help your child become (and the person you are working to become, for that matter).

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Winter has the propensity to bring burn-out for homeschoolers but it doesn't have to be that way. Today I'll talk about ways to avoid burn-out and how to enjoy the coziness of winter.

Sunlight before noon post

Until the Streetlights Come On by Ginny Yurich

Homeschool Rhythms: Rest Time

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli

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With the holidays around the corner, there are bound to be some busy days that will rock your normal homeschool routine. Those days are not lost, though. There's a simple way to stay productive and relaxed when a hectic schedule demands it. Tune in to see how we do it.

• Homeschool Rhythms: Get Ready
• Zone Work

If you've ever struggled to fit reading into your life as a busy homeschool mom, this is the episode for you! Join me as I tell you how to fit a true feast into the nooks and crannies of your day.

Show Notes

• Homeschool Rhythms: Morning Time
• Homeschool Rhythms: Rest Time
• Wild + Free Bundle Subscription
• Subscribe and get access to the booklists

Bring on the sweaters and boots and pumpkin spice lattes! Autumn is in full swing by now with falling leaves, crisp mornings, and night creeping in earlier and earlier. 

I like to take time to reflect as fall begins in earnest; what changes do we need to make in routines and atmosphere to get ready for a new season? Which traditions are we looking forward to the most and are there any we want to let go of? And how can I bottle everything that makes fall the loveliest time of the year?

The fragrance of spices, the glow of a candle, goldenrod swaying in a breeze that is still warm but warning of a coming chill.

It's the poem, "Something Told the Wild Geese" and the actual geese flying overhead in the morning.

It's the copper and crimson and buttery yellow leaves as the trees beginning to change, the sound of folksy coffee shop music as the sun sets earlier and earlier.

It's stacks of familiar books mingling with new reads brought by the school year.

It's being ready to say good-bye to one season and welcome another with a full heart.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL HEAR:

• What autumn looks like for us
• Rhythms we keep
• Books we're reading

SHOW NOTES

• Homeschool Rhythms
• Kid of the Week
• Julie Andrews' Poetry Collection
• Greenfield Village
• Morning Rhythms
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Nature Journal

If you've listened to Part I of this episode (How to Start a Homeschool Group and why you should), you'll be delighted to hear this continuation on what to do when the group starts to grow and take on a life of its own!

• How teens make a difference for the group
• How privacy plays into your group's growth
• Communicating with your growing group
• Membership fees and insurance
• All the legal mumbo-jumbo
• Icky issues like dress code and phone use
• Should you grow?
• Picking venues
• How to build sustainable leadership
• Working together as a group
• How events change as you grow
• Knowing when you're big enough

Doesn't summertime bring out the child in us all? Swimming in the scorching heat, drinking lemonade, inhaling the wafting scent of the grill, listening for cicadas, watching for fireflies…there is a sense of wonder that comes with summer.

Use this month to tap into your inner child:

Stop and smell the gardenias and jasmine.

Take time.

Slow down.

Play and explore the great outdoors.

Soak in summer and all of its splendor.  

• What summer looks like for us
• Rhythms we keep
• Books we're reading
• Why you don't have to do a summer camp
• Why being bored is a good thing

• Homeschool Rhythms
• Zone Work
• Swallows and Amazons
• Robinson Crusoe
• All the World
• The Raft
• Let them be Bored

It's been a while...but I'm back and I'm so excited to be with you again! Catch up on what's new and what to look forward to. Or, if you're brand new, get to know a little more about Homeschooling Outside the Box. You are very welcome here!

You can also check out the new Nature Journal and sign up for my free monthly "Everything" guides.

So far in this "Homeschool Rhythms" series we've talked about morning time, narration, getting ready, group work, individual work, and read alouds. We've moved our way through morning activities and lunch so today we're going to talk about rest time!

I know some of you might have the urge to check out right now thinking your children have aged out of this time of day but I assure you, it is for all ages…including you, mama. Rest time is a beautiful hour of the day when you can take a few deep breaths, make a fresh cup of coffee, and reset for your afternoon.

Our culture is obsessed with productivity; there seems to be an underlying pressure everywhere we turn to be active. What if rest is not something we do because we are finished with our work but rather something we do because God created us to need to do it?

Join me today as I show you how rest time can fit in your day.

• How to fit rest time in your busy day
• The benefits of having a family rest
• Why it's for everyone – including you!
• How to do rest time

• Original Silent Reading Blog Post
• Bad Kitty Books
• Anne's Kindred Spirits
• Mr. Putter and Tabby Books
• Water Wow
• Jim Weiss episode
• The Little House Book and CD
• How to Start a Homeschool Group episode

I am not doing interviews right now, but I want to bring you some great talks from past seasons. Enjoy!

Do you consider poetry to be a staple of your homeschool?

Oftentimes when the subject of poetry comes up with other parents, even the most enthusiastic homeschoolers will admit that they shy away from this subject. When I press to understand why that is, the answer is usually that they themselves are not excited about poetry – they consider it either intimidating or boring or have had such a bad experience with poetry that they loathe it entirely.

Join me today as I talk with Julie Bogart of Brave Writer, who is known for her love of poetry as well as her writing and language arts resources and her coaching and mentoring program for home educators, The Homeschool Alliance. Julie shares with us the enriching role poetry played as she homeschooled her five children over the course of 17 years and shares with us the secret to making the connection with your children (hint…it has something to do with teatime!).  

Julie gives persuasive encouragement to moms and who would much rather pass on reading poetry in their homeschool as well as inspires moms who already love poetry by giving some practical ideas for integrating it more successfully into the homeschool routine. 

• why poetry matters today 
• the benefits of reading poetry aloud
• why poetry is accessible to everyone
• how to love poetry if you don't right now
• how to entice your children to love poetry
• how poetry is especially nurturing to Outside-the-Box children

For decades homeschoolers have been plagued by the question, "what about socialization" from well-meaning (and let's be honest, sometimes not so well-meaning…) neighbors, family, and friends. The question chafes at us because it assumes that the minute we begin homeschooling, we hole up in our homes and avoid all contact with any other humans. That's just not the case though; community is an essential part of the homeschool experience and a great homeschool group can be the place for you to find lasting relationships.

Six years ago, I was struggling to find a community to fit my outside-the-box family and in a moment of courage (or perhaps desperation), I reached out to another homeschool mama and asked her to "go do stuff together." The result has been a deep friendship between our families and an accidentally thriving homeschool group.

Join us today as Danielle and I explore the benefits of how to start a homeschool group and why you should.

• Why community and relationships are non-negotiables for homeschoolers
• How it only takes one other family to get started
• Which events are good to start with
• How to grow your group slowly and organically
• How to make your group "outside-the-box" friendly
• How to structure your group
• How to grow your group into an outreach
• How to communicate with your group members
• How to handle challenges
• How to adapt when your group gets big
• How to structure leadership
• What to do about cost
• Our list of events

• Get Started Pack

So far in this "Homeschool Rhythms" series we've talked about morning time, narration, getting ready, group work, and individual work. We've moved our way through morning activities and today we're going to talk about reading aloud!

I want to talk to you today about making read-aloud time a family activity for all time – no matter what your child's age. This is a beautiful part of the day that can be a little more laid back and relaxing and there are a few different ways you can make it happen.

I don't think many people would argue about the value of reading great literature together but it can easily become something that slips from an overbusy schedule.

Reading aloud to your children helps them build vocabulary, creates a bridge for struggling readers, and most importantly creates a shared experience for your family making it a great tool for strengthening relationships. I encourage you to enjoy this nurturing time with your whole family and make it a priority in homeschool.

Join me today as I show you how read-aloud time can fit in your day.

• How to fit read-aloud time in your busy day
• The benefits of reading aloud as a family
• Why you should read aloud to kids of all ages
• How to choose great read alouds
• Why you shouldn't focus too much on the time

When you ask a seasoned homeschooler about structuring the day, you will often hear the same refrain: "combine as many subjects as you can." But what about the subjects that require a certain set of skills for children to master? 

You can generally look at academics in two categories: skill-based subjects and non-skill-based subjects. Skill-based subjects are really best taught 1-on-1 or in a very small group of kids at a similar level of skill. I like to chunk these into three categories: Language (learning to read, write, and speak other languages), STEM-L (science, tech, engineering, math, and logic), and Personal Development (spiritual growth, citizenship, arts, and therapy to name a few). In this episode, I'm going to focus on the best way to teach these three categories.

• Which subjects are best taught as individual work
• Why 1-on-1 time is worthwhile
• How to do 1-on-1 time with multiple kids

• What is the Son-Rise Program®?
• Brain Training
• Talkbox
• Zone Work
• Our Preschool Life
• Spiral Notebooks

What if I told you there was a skill that would help prepare your child for any job he might pursue in the future? And what if this skill was so attainable, that you wouldn't have to purchase a fancy curriculum or join an elite co-op to access it?

The pandemic that rocked 2020 has thrown us many curveballs but one positive consequence has been a rise in homeschooling. Parents all over the world are realizing that they can provide their children with opportunities and experiences that are not only extremely valuable but can also prepare them for the unique world they are launching into. Homeschool is the ideal environment for fostering creativity in children.

Chad Stewart has seen this change happening and is excited about the possibilities. Creativity is the top global skill and he sees homeschool as a fantastic way to equip our kids for the future. In addition to writing an award-winning and bestselling book, Britfield & the Lost Crown (the first in a series of seven), he's created an online platform, The Britfield Institue, to help kids harness their natural creativity and teach parents how to inspire it.

Join us today as Chad and I explore the importance of creativity.

• How Britfield (the Institute) was born
• What makes Britfield (the books) such a great series
• Why is harnessing our kids' creativity is so important
• Why the homeschool revolution is happening
• How you can work more creativity into your homeschool

• Britfield
• Britfield Institute

When you ask a seasoned homeschooler about structuring the day, you will often hear the same refrain: "combine as many subjects as you can."

Academics can generally be broken into two categories: skill-based subjects and non-skill-based subjects. Anything that is skill-based really is best taught 1-on-1 or in a very small group of kids at a similar level of skill. Some examples are math, reading, spelling, or writing.

A non-skill-based subject would be something everyone can learn together no matter how old or experienced they are. Some examples of these subjects would be bible, memory work, history, and geography. And those are the very subjects we're going to talk about teaching today.

I have no doubt that when my children are grown people, making their way in the world, they will hear the faint refrain of my voice when they roll out of bed and get ready for their day:

"Attitude-dressed-bed"

And again after they have breakfast: 

"Teeth-face-hair-deodorant-zone"

These have been the anthems of our mornings for years and my goal has been to create habits for them to help them (and myself) get the day off to a right start.

If the phrase "get ready" sounds reminiscent of "on your mark, get set, go!" that's not an accident. Starting the day with a proactive posture is important. The day before us is a gift and the duty and stewardship we are bound to as receivers of that gift demand that we face the day boldly. A vibe of adventure and purpose can carry us through even the most mundane tasks.

This applies to us as moms as well as our children. After all, if we are to train them in these ways, we should be modeling them ourselves. But if I sound overambitious and a touch unrealistic, just know that I don't usually wake up feeling this way and I know you probably don't either. That's why it all begins with attitude.

Show Notes

Original blog post with all the links

Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. It requires endurance and initiative. It requires sacrifice and diligence. But it also requires something you might not realize…a sense of humor. We homeschool moms can be so serious; the stakes are high! We're going against the grain! What if we mess up…this is our kids we're talking about, after all?! But, but, but…we were never meant to completely reinvent the wheel, and one of the best things we can do for ourselves, our families, and our homeschool is to take ourselves just a tad less seriously.

If you are on Instagram, you have no doubt seen memes of classic artwork splashed with humorous text. Betsy Jenkins is the woman behind the memes and it's her mission to make you laugh. She does an amazing job at this while simultaneously educating people on art and exposing them to a wide range of prints. Betsy's homeschool memes began as a family thing and she started her Instagram account, "Homeschooling With the Classics" as a simple way to share them with a few friends. These few friends have multiplied into thousands of followers who are thirsty for a refreshing laugh in the midst of their busy homeschool day. She struck a chord in the community and for good reason; laughter is a soothing balm on a hard day and the mental refreshment that we need to persevere towards excellence. 

Join us today as Betsy and I indulge the importance of laughter in our homeschools.

• Betsy's Instagram account, Homeschooling_with the Classics

If there is a quintessential practice in Charlotte Mason's approach to education, it is the act of narration. You can pick and choose which living books you want to read, you can use watercolors or not in your nature journaling, and you can dictate your own routine in a way that best fits your family, but you simply cannot reap the full benefits of Charlotte Mason's approach without narration.

Narration is the art of knowing. Simply stated, it's the act of telling back what you have heard in a way that is authentic to you. This isn't about parroting back the last sentence or idea of a paragraph; it's about processing the information you've received and delivering it back in a meaningful way. Charlotte Mason said, "if you cannot tell, you do not know."

Narration is a challenging demonstration of true knowing and makes multiple-choice, comprehension questions, and the like, unnecessary. 

There are two types of narration: oral and written.

Join me today as I talk about the benefits of narration.

Original post with all the links

"Morning time" is a phrase coined by the great Cindy Rollins. She may not be the first person to ever put those two words next to each other, but the idea that it represents, the "coming together"-ness of it, can largely be attributed by the homeschool community to her.

Pam Barnhill calls it "Morning Basket" and has an entire website dedicated to the practice. In episode 46 of this podcast, Melissa McMahan referred to it as their "together time." Others call it "symposium" or "daily basket" removing the time constraint of the morning. Whatever you call it, the idea is to gather together and learn together.

Join me today to find out how morning time can work in your homeschool and what subjects are a good fit for this chunk of your day.

Show Notes

Blog Post with all the links

If given the option, would you choose for your child to have dyslexia? Dyslexia is widely thought of as a challenge that gets in the way of learning but what if we've got it wrong? What if dyslexia is a gift? What if dyslexia helps your child to think in a way that many people cannot, therefore, providing an angle of creativity that this world really needs? What if dyslexia is actually….a strength?

Rich Sanchez grew up struggling with his dyslexia but as an adult, he has found a way to harness his unique talents. He's made it his mission to help others do the same thing.

Join us today as Rich and I explore dyslexia from a new perspective. In this episode you'll hear:

• Rich's dyslexia story
• Why dyslexia is really a strength…but not many see it that way
• Careers that work well for dyslexics
• Why failure is just part of the process
• Tools that have helped Rich overcome his challenges
• What we can teach our children to help them be prepared for life
• A word of encouragement from Rich just for you

• Dyslexic Sperm Bank Video
• Rich Sanchez on Linkedin
• Rich's company: A Product Fit

Do you consider poetry to be a staple of your homeschool? Of your life?

Oftentimes when the subject of poetry comes up with other parents, even the most enthusiastic homeschoolers will admit that they shy away from this subject. When I press to understand why that is, the answer is usually that they themselves are not excited about poetry. They consider it either intimidating or boring or they have had such a bad experience with poetry that they loathe it entirely.

But poetry matters.

READ MORE AND FIND LINKS ON MY SUBSTACK.

Christmas is no ordinary time of year. It intoxicates our senses; the air smells of pine and sugar. The days are filled with music and stories. The soft, warm sleeves on our arms and thick mittens on our hands, and hat on our head triggers our mind to think cozy thoughts despite the biting cold. Our taste buds crave cocoa and peppermint. Our children's eyes glow with the sparkle of twinkle lights reflecting in them. And our hearts yearn for something…something more…something transcendent…something that seems just beyond our reach yet simultaneously living inside us. The "Christmas spirit"…or rather, The Spirit of Christmas. Christ incarnate. Immanuel. God with us.

What is it about the season that ignites this joy in you? Is it the first time you hear a Christmas song on the radio? A special cookie recipe that's been passed down through the generations of your family? Is it a particular movie or book that just has to be read every year? A trip you take? Or a favorite party you host?

Traditions are the stitches that hold a family culture together. They are woven throughout our year, throughout generations, creating a masterpiece over time. They can be simple and they can change. New ones can be added and old ones fall away. Traditions of the Christmas season are unique to each of our families.

Today I'd like to share some of our favorite family Christmas traditions. This is not a checklist to accomplish in December or a formula to ensure a happy holiday; these are just a few ideas that may inspire you and yours to create your own memories.

Show Notes

The blog post with all the links

Over the years, "autism" has gone from being virtually unheard of to a buzz word to, nowadays, a word a part of the common vernacular. Most people have at least heard of autism or have a personal connection to the disorder. Many people tend to think of a younger child, perhaps preschool - elementary age when they think about a person with autism. But teenagers and adults experience the joys and challenges of autism, too, along with their families.

How does autism change in the teen years? What stays the same? How can we help our young adults thrive in the high school years without hitting the panic button and stressing over academics? Raun K. Kaufman is an author, international lecturer, and former CEO of the Autism Treatment Center of America who has worked with hundreds of families just like yours and mine. He's here to help us navigate these years with our wonderful children and encourage us to live beautifully in the tension between unconditional acceptance of our teen and helping him to grow.

Join us today as Raun and I explore autism in the teen years.

• Raun's autism story
• Why people don't talk much about autism in the teen years…and why we should
• How we as homeschoolers are uniquely positioned to help our kids
• How parents can handle the pressures of academics in the teen years
• Why your attitude has way more to do with your teen's behavior than you think
• A message for the mom who thinks it's too late to help her teen
• What next steps you can take to help your teen

• What is The Son-Rise Program®?
• Inspiring Speech with Kate Wilde, Director of The Son-Rise Program®
• Seeing Autism in a New Light with Bryn Hogan, Executive Director of the Autism Treatment Center of America®
• Autism Breakthrough: A Book Review
• Autism Breakthrough (Affiliate Link)
• C.S. Lewis friendship quote: "Friendship…is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself…"
• The Autism Treatment Center of America online program
• Raun's email for 1-on-1 sessions: raunraunraun@yahoo.com

Childhood is a unique growing time for our children; educators, parents, and experts have known this for years and yet childhood often gets swept under the rug at the expense of rigorous academics and a schedule full of structured activities. Children are, for the first time in history, busy. Schedules have largely replaced curiosity. Organized programs have taken priority over free play. And if we're really honest, I think us mamas can admit...it's just too much. What would happen if we embraced a more "wild and free" approach to childhood in our homeschools? What type of atmosphere might we be able to create for our families?

The Wild + Free movement had its humble beginnings about six years ago when Ainsley Arment started an Instagram account to gather and inspire other moms in quest of this "wild and free" type of childhood for their children. What began as a few moms sharing experiences and tips on the internet has grown into an online and in-person community of over 177,000 mamas strong. Wild & Free is not a method; it transcends - and therefore welcomes - many homeschool philosophies and makes room for all mamas to educate their children in a way that works best for their family.

Join us today as Ainsley and I explore the benefits of living Wild + Free in your homeschool.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Ainsley's journey to becoming a Wild + Free homeschooler
• What a Wild + Free education looks like
• Why childhood matters & how we can preserve it
• Ainsley's favorite parts of homeschooling, as well as the most challenging
• What we're reading right now
• How to balance it all...or not ;)
• How to be a Wild + Free mama

Show Notes

• Wild + Free Website
• Wild + Free Holidays
• The Call of the Wild + Free Book

To understand the importance of heritage, we must first make sure we're all working with the same definition. In regards to heritage, the Bible says, "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him" (Psalm 127:3, NIV). Dictonary.com defines it as "something that is handed down from the past, as a tradition;" "something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherited lot or portion;" or "something reserved for one." The tone is one of joy and sacredness; a passing of something treasured and valuable.

Amber O'Neal Johnston didn't always recognize the importance of heritage. In fact, it took a troubling experience with her daughter for Amber to open her eyes to the special heritage she could be passing down; it was an experience that made her pivot in her homeschool. This pivot has become a gift to all of us, merging the beloved Charlotte Mason philosophy with ideas, books, and resources that breathe life into our particular families by embracing each of our unique heritage while making room for and honoring the heritages of others.

Join us today as Amber and I explore the benefits of weaving heritage into our homeschool studies.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Amber's experience with her daughter concerning skin color
• How the Charlotte Mason philosophy allows you freedom for adaptation
• Why heritage matters in our homeschool
• How to help your child know where they fit in the tapestry of people
• The benefits of being intentional in our curriculum choices
• How to begin making small changes in your homeschool
• Why picture books are a great low-hanging fruit
• What embracing different heritages has to do with Outside-the-Box children
• Why life-giving books don't always have to be "living books"
• Why our kids need both mirrors and windows in their life
• How you can find Amber and her fantastic resources online

Show Notes

• Amber's website