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 of touch, or have they found a method of creating solid marriages?

We discuss with our guest how the current courtship movement began during the early decades of homeschooling. Parents were compelled to try something other than the cultural dating norms, but this model has fallen short of its intended purpose. Whether you are in favor of courtship, dating, or a combination of the two, we think you’ll enjoy this episode and conversation and hope it spurs on good things in your own home.

EPISODE TIMELINE

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PREVIOUS PODCASTS:

BOOKS REFERENCED:

ADVERTISERS/SPONSORS:

Click the photo link below to get 25% off Carol Topp’s Microbusiness for Teens (September 2015) and don’t forget to listen to her 50th Anniversary Episode here.

The post Courtship In Crisis – HIRL Episode 69 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This is not the first time we have tackled the topic of girls on the podcast. On Episode 10, we talked about many of the common pitfalls we have observed in homeschool families raising daughters. From restrictive environments to preventing any access to higher education, we dove into tough topics.

On this episode, we are getting very practical, especially as it relates to raising daughters into the pre-teen years. Join us as we dive into the discussion on how to navigate the tricky years of hormones and body changes as we sit down to talk about girls, again.

EPISODE TIMELINE

SHOW NOTES:

PREVIOUS PODCASTS:

MUSIC USED:

ARTICLES REFERENCED:

ADVERTISERS/SPONSORS:

The post Girls, Again – HIRL Episode 68 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Back in Episode 9, we sat down with our friends and fellow podcasters, Hal and Melanie Young from Making Biblical Family Life Practical, to discuss the topic of boys. We talked about how these rambunctious little piles of energy can completely undo the unprepared homeschool mom. From peeing on the carpet to falling from the top of the trees, we discussed how the overload of testosterone is a God-given gift to young men who need discipling and direction from both parents, especially as you prepare boys for adolescence and young adulthood.

On this second episode, we dive back into the topic of raising boys. We begin by reminding our listeners that in the midst of basic school curriculum, we need to also address basic life lessons. We also answer a listener’s question about living in a small space with boys full of energy. We finish our by discussing how to raise boys with a sense of adventure and how sometimes we need to let life teach the hard lessons to stubborn boys.

Also in this show, Fletch and Kendra share a few more of their favorite items as they throw them into the HIRLer’s Treasure Chest.

EPISODE TIMELINE

Show Notes

HIRLer’s Treasure Chest

MUSIC USED:

ARTICLES REFERENCED:

HomeschoolingIRL Coffee Tumblers – Check out these cool tumblers from HIRLer Cyndi Newman

Please visit our sponsor: HEDUA, creators of The Well Planned Day Planner

Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline’s Coffee for 10% off any order.

The post Boys, Again – HIRL Episode 67 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Our discussion on this episode comes right out of the current headlines. Homeschool graduate and reality TV star, Josh Duggar, has fallen from the spotlight due to his confessions of struggling with adultery, pornography and a history of molestation.

We jump into to discuss the frequent failures we have seen by men in the homeschooling movement. We talk openly on this episode about what happens when we forget the one thing that tethers us to the truth. If you’ve been following the Josh Duggar story, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Join us for an open and honest discussion about living as loved in the light of the gospel.

Timeline

Show Notes

HomeschoolingIRL Coffee Tumblers – Check out these cool tumblers from HIRLer Cyndi Newman

Please visit our sponsor: HEDUA, creators of The Well Planned Day Planner

Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline’s Coffee for 10% off any order.

The post What Josh Duggar Forgot – HIRL Episode 66 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

On the last episode we sat down with our good friends Jeremy and Michele White to have a serious discussion about adoption. We discussed the beginning of their homeschool journey, why they chose to adopt and the changes that happened as a homeschool family.

On this podcast we dig just a little bit deeper. The White’s second adoption did not end as they had planned. They open up about their story and share their journey with our listeners. This couple is not afraid to get real and share how the gospel allowed them to push through the hardest times in their marriage and family life only to come out of a failed adoption with a heart and a passion for adoption just as strong.

Learn about Kendra’s latest addiction and Fletch’s current favorite podcast on a quick edition of everyone’s favorite quiz show: Q and A with K and A.

Lastly, Fletch and Kendra unveil their Fall lineup of topics. You won’t want to miss what is coming.

Timeline

Show Notes

HomeschoolingIRL Coffee Tumblers – Check out these cool tumblers from HIRLer Cyndi Newman

Please visit our sponsor: HEDUA, creators of The Well Planned Day Planner

Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline’s Coffee for 10% off any order.

The post Adoption and the Homeschool Family, Part 2 – HIRL Episode 65 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

We have had several listeners ask us to address the topic of adoption, and while it would be really easy for us to produce a podcast explaining how to adopt and the benefits involved when a family adopts, we wanted to tackle all of the issues a family might be experiencing when bringing a child into the home.

In this two-part series, we sit down with our good friends in real life, Jeremy and Michele White, for a serious discussion about adoption. In this first episode, we discuss the beginning of the Whites’ journey, what led them to adopt, and how adoption ultimately changed their family and their homeschooling. We hope this story is a blessing and an encouragement to everyone who listens.

Timeline

Show Notes

HomeschoolingIRL Coffee Tumblers – From HIRLer Cyndi Newman

Please visit our sponsor: HEDUA, creators of The Well Planned Day Planner

Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline’s Coffee for 10% off any order.

The post Adoption and the Homeschool Family, Part 1 – HIRL Episode 64 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

So, you’ve decided that homeschooling is the best option for your kids this year, but the response from your kids has been less than positive. You want to follow God’s calling, but your kids are threatening a mutiny. What do you do now?

Fletch and Kendra dive right into this discussion, because it is very close to home. They had a similar situation with a child in their home, and on this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life, they discuss how they navigated their relationship with that child and how God taught them all a meaningful life lesson in the process.

SHOW NOTES

Give a listen and let us know what works well as you budget for your homeschool year.

Timeline

Show Notes

HomeschoolingIRL Coffee Tumblers – From HIRLer Cyndi Newman

Please visit our sponsor: HEDUA, creators of The Well Planned Day Planner

Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline’s Coffee for 10% off any order.

The post I Love Homeschooling But My Kids Don’t – HIRL Episode 63 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Can you afford to homeschoool? What if your budget is already at its max, and you feel you’re barely scraping by just to provide the basics for your family?

Join Fletch and Kendra as we sit down with our Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network colleague and CPA Carol Topp for a lively and quick discussion of how to make homeschooling work on a small or non-existent budget, the realities and expenses of homeschooling older kids, and the need to examine our hearts when it comes to finances and what God is calling us to do.

SHOW NOTES

Give a listen and let us know what works well as you budget for your homeschool year.

Timeline

Show Notes

HomeschoolCPA

Dollars and Sense podcast, with Carol Topp

Microbusiness for Teens

Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace University

The post Can We Afford To Homeschool? – HIRL Episode 62 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

As we head into another homeschool year, it is so easy for many of us to get behind before we even get started. If we are not careful, we can get buried in the details and never get our heads above water.

On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, we dive into the discussion about organizing your homeschool. You know that we are not afraid to talk about potential pitfalls in both the uber-restricted and chaotic homeschool environments. Along the way, we share some of our favorite apps and technology that we have at our fingertips to help us organize our homeschool year.

Give a listen and let us know what works well as you organize your homeschool year.

Timeline

Show Notes

Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline’s Coffee for 10% off any order.

How to Organize Your New Year

Tell Your Time (affiliate link)

Evernote

Cozi

Squarespace Note

FTTT

The post Organizing Your Homeschool – HIRL Episode 61 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

As homeschooling moms, some subjects are very difficult to talk about, especially if we are feeling pressure to put on a facade that our lives are polished and life at home is picture-perfect. Struggling with depression in the homeschooling community can very quickly lead to shame and loneliness. Let’s face it folks, the pressure to have everything all together can make the struggle that much more difficult and the Christian homeschooling world does not always create a safe environment to be real and transparent.

On this episode of HomeschoolingIRL, we dive into another difficult discussion about depression among homeschooling moms. Joining us is Dr. Melanie Wilson, a Christian psychologist and homeschooling mom of 6. Together we discuss the signs of depression, how to find help for yourself and how you can minister to other struggling moms.

This is another tough topic and another chance for you as a listener to let us have the conversation first. But please, don’t let it stop there, if you are a mom (or dad) struggling with depression, please reach out and let us point you in the direction to find some help for you.

Timeline

Show Notes

Our Guest on this episode: Dr. Melanie Wilson, Christian Psychologist.

Please visit our coffee sponsor: Caroline’s Coffee for 10% off any order.

The Art of Manliness Blog – Leashing the Black Dog – A series about male depression

Music clips used on this show:

“Sound of Silence” Simon and Garfunkel (Buy It Here On iTunes)

The post Depression and the Homeschooling Mom – HIRL Episode 60 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.