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In today’s episode, we interview Lauren Power.  She’s a mom and entrepreneur.  We’ve brought her on the show this week because we receive questions about working and homeschooling.  Her homeschooling days are done, as her kids are grown, but she worked all through those homeschool years.  But it’s her approach that really resonates with us - relationship first.  If you want or need to work, it’s going to be a lot harder in a state of angst in your relationships.  

1:34 - Lauren's philosophy
6:12 - Gordon Neufeld's influence 
8:20 - The homeschool experience 
13:49 - The hardest part of juggling work and homeschool 
16:17 - Life-coaching and self-management 
23:43 - Relationship with our kids needs to come first 
26:50 - Best tips for parents who want or need to work 
31:50  - How to avoid comparing homeschooling hours/experiences
36:12 - Overcoming the feeling that my kids are receiving less because I work
39:42 - What do you do when people don't agree with your choice?
40:49 - Outsourcing 
45:06 - How to connect with Lauren

Lauren offers a free workshop, check out her links here:

Learn more and sign up to join the Free Boss Mom Business Bootcamp: join.alignedbusinesslifestyle.com

FB page - Aligned Business Lifestyle (or friend Lauren Power)

IG page - @alignedbusinesslifestyle

https://neufeldinstitute.org

https://www.5lovelanguages.com

Give your input for a support community

Keep scrolling for some up and coming coolness:  

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/i-have-an-idea

Writing workshop

Contact

• On Instagram at @make.joy.normal
• By email at [email protected]
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This week, we talk about discerning our family’s activities and our involvement in parish and community life.  Including extra curricular activities, we delve into how to decide how much is too much and what our family needs most.  How do we fit it all in?  And more importantly, what SHOULD we be fitting in?

Over time, the structure of our family changes, and we need to discern and be aware of how we spend our time.  And how to get places on time….

We also discuss what the priorities in our family, and how to discern our spiritual gifts. 

2:03 - Parish life and finding community
6:10 - Extracurricular activities and planning our time
9:12 - Serving in our parish
21:58 - Understanding your gifts and charisms

CALLED AND GIFTED

Give your input for a support community

Writing workshop

www.bonnielandry.ca

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsfIDBvmmcjp3HWdLgAUrFw

Contact

• On Instagram at @make.joy.normal
• By email at [email protected]
• Search podcast episodes by topic
• www.bonnielandry.ca
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 If you would like to support this podcast, click HERE. 

Catch Janelle’s fire!  A natural cheerleader, Janelle will pick up your wellness game because she’s just so darn lovely…so grateful to have her on our show.  Where do we find the balance with faith, fitness, homeschool and family life?  Let’s see what Janelle has to say, in all her beautiful realness. 

4:00 - Janelle's background with fitness
14:28 - How to incorporate fitness as a busy mom
20:25 - What motivates us 
22:05 - Struggles with eating disorders
24:46 - Fasting and our relationship with food
28:08 - What is the biggest advantage to staying fit as a busy mom?
34:29 - How faith and fitness work together
38:51 - Favourite fitness workout
39:43 - Taking care of ourselves in respect to our dignity 
42:10 - What is the first step to take?

https://www.facebook.com/janellelevesque

https://www.facebook.com/janellefaithandfitness

https://www.instagram.com/janelleyasinski

Book: Searching for and maintaining peace

www.bonnielandry.ca

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsfIDBvmmcjp3HWdLgAUrFw

Contact

• On Instagram at @make.joy.normal
• By email at [email protected]
• Search podcast episodes by topic
• www.bonnielandry.ca
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 Interview with Matthew and Esther of Veritas Current Events

This episode we interview Matthew and Esther, a young couple who have started a Christian world view current events curriculum Veritas Current Events that homeschoolers should absolutely be dialled into, particularly for middle school and high school.  

Current events is often overlooked by busy homeschool moms, as we are so fully engaged in the rearing of children.  But current events as a subject area itself is vital, as our kids are challenged by world events, cultural thought and media biases.

The opportunity for this resource as social studies independently, or used as a resource to support other social study resources is shared and broadened through our conversation.  

Some of the areas that can be covered through current events are history, geography, civics, political science, economics and culture.  Language arts can become a strong component to current events, too.  It’s a great program for parents to teach themselves how to talk about current events and hot button issues with their kids. 

4:36 - Matthew and Esther's backgrounds
6:35 - Why are current events so important?
8:33 - World events as a family study
10:33 - Topics recently covered by Veritas Current Events
17:17 - How the lessons are structured and for what age
23:23 - Linking current events to broader historical issues
29:46 - Discerning facts, truth and opinion
36:48 - The biggest challenge facing young people today

Here’s where you can find Matthew and Esther at these places, please peruse what they have to offer!  

Main site: www.veritascurrentevents.com 

Sample lesson plans: https://veritascurrentevents.com/sample-lesson

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VeritasCurrentEvents

Twitter account: https://twitter.com/VeritasCE

Contact

• On Instagram at @make.joy.normal
• By email at [email protected]
• Search podcast episodes by topic
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Today we discuss a beautiful book by Sally Clarkson about kids who don't fit into our expectations.  Kids who think differently, learn differently, respond differently in life.   In the context maintain our relationships, we also discuss kids who lie...the different types of lying and the different reasons kids might lie...and, most importantly  - what we can do about it!  Lying is tricky because while we want our kids to be honest, we don't want to get angry when they aren't, so we don't perpetuate the problem.

2:17 - Struggling with one child and guilt attached to that
6:09 - HIghlights from the book "Different" by Sally Clarkson
8:16 - Figuring out what works for that child
10:00 - Importance of tactile play during read alouds
12:09 - Seeing our children as blessings
19:52 - Our kids are watching and observing us
26:55 - What about lying?
34:10 - Our reaction to lying

If you would like to support this podcast, click HERE.

Different by Sally Clarkson

Getting better at life

What to do when your child lies

Responding to lying positively 

Just cooperate, kid

DANDY BLEND herbal beverage 

Contact

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This week we delve into how to keep homeschooling efficient!  Homeschooling is a magical environment for combining subjects and interdisciplinary studies.   We can learn how to make the most of the natural learning present in our family lives. 

We also address head butting, or, more to the point, avoiding head butting.  This national pastime does not have to take up so much of our day.  It's a big question, and we give it an overview in this episode.  More questions might spin off of it, don't forget to submit them here:  email me!

1:13 - Homeschool road trips
6:14 - How do you homeschool on a limited schedule?
8:45 - Dictation as a tool for teaching the Language Arts
10:30 - Guided Math
11:33 - Snapshot of morning routine
18:19 - Time constraints and learning challenges
24:10 - Being sensitive to a child's readiness
26:04 - Short novels that are easy to read
31:34 - How do you avoid headbutting?

If you would like to support this podcast, click HERE. 

Pear cranberry jam for Thanksgiving 

Dictation posts

A day in the life

Discussion based learning

Ruth Beechik The Three R’s

Building resilience, cultivating joy

Making sense of discipline

Contact

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This week we tackle some questions on pregnancy, post partum and the various times in our life when we’re on the low and trying to homeschool, too.   It’s a guarantee that we’re all going to have low periods in our life, whether through pregnancy, physical or mental illness, loss or sometimes for no apparent reason.  We look at ways we can cope in crisis times, and a bigger, overarching look at how we can set our lives up to prepare when faced with these times.

We also spend some time talking about some good family reading that might when we have to cut back so much that reading may be the only thing we can manage.  And even when we can’t manage that….

3:33 - Taking time off 
6:35 - Simplifying our lives in the short term
18:38 - Homeschooling through a crisis 
29:39 - Impactful read-alouds / audiobooks 

Posts on low days:

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/low-days

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/low-days-recognition

Simplifying our lives:

https://www.eastcoastkelly.com

https://theartofsimple.net

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/it-all-started-with-the-laundry?rq=household

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/resources-that-fell-into-my-lap-and-altered-my-universe?rq=declutter

Being kind:

Youtube video, kindness

Just an amazing book by an amazing author who has really helped me step up my kindness game, when the going gets tough

Searching For and Maintaining Peace by Father Jacques Phillipe 

Homeschooling with Netflix FB group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeschoolingwithnetflix

Audiobook lists:

https://www.thispilgrimlife.com/favorite-audiobooks-for-the-whole-family/

A few articles on audio books at Read Aloud Revival!
https://readaloudrevival.com/category/audio-books/

https://makejoynormal.buzzsprout.com/1052191/4172231-our-favourite-story-books

Contact

• On Instagram at @make.joy.normal
• By email at [email protected]
• Search podcast episodes by topic
• www.bonnielandry.ca
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This week we talk about spouses who are opposing each other in the discussion about whether to homeschool or not.  How to foster discussion about this big life decision.  We also talk about our husband’s role in homeschooling our kids…expectations, involvement and how dads can have a huge impact on our homeschooling lives.  

1:15 - When one wants to homeschool but doesn't have support 
12:02 - How do you go about including your husband in your homeschool? 
23:29 - Importance of a homeschool community
25:21 - Sharing responsibilities 
27:45 - Creating a family routine, school work and house work 

The Ignatian Spiritual framework for decision making

Bedtime Routine

Simplifying our lives

Our routine

Contact

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This week, we introduce you to Teresa Wiedrick "helping to turn homeschool mama’s challenges into their charms."  She's a homeschool mom, coach, lovely individual who wants to see moms succeed.  She talks about what she offers, and what coaching looks like. 

5:47 - How does homeschooling look like for you?
8:20 - What is coaching and what is your main goal as a homeschool coach?
15:53 - What process do you go through to determine what a mom needs?
18:06 - Learning challenges/ADHD
20:11 - One on one coaching sessions
28:32 - Observing your child
32:11 - Creating a family vision
34:45 - Self-care strategies
37:50 - How to connect with Teresa

Here are some links to Teresa's resources for your perusal!

https://youtu.be/6NUoi1gfktw

 https://youtu.be/EEJtaqzdZ9w

 https://youtu.be/tf3ABMwSmr0

Author of Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Thrive, Not Just Survive

Homeschool Coach

Podcaster

www.capturingthecharmedlife.com

www.facebook.com/homeschoolmamaselfcare

www.instagram.com/homeschool_mama_self_care_

Book, the homeschooling option by Lisa Rivero

Contact

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In this episode, we talk about motivating reluctant kids.   Kids with learning challenges, or laid back kids who just don't like to be challenged; sometimes kids just going through a phase!  How can we avoid yanking them along, undermining the relationship and frustrating ourselves and the reluctant learner?  How to capitalize on their interests and what motivates them.  Creating routine is a lifesaver in many families and on SO many levels.  Join us for some thoughts on all of the above....

6:39 - Taking time to assess what you're dealing with
9:09 - How to handle kids who struggle focusing
16:09 - Clear structure benefits everyone
22:52 - Outdoor play
30:34 - How can we help encourage a child who hates being challenged?
36:45 - Teaching by modelling new concepts

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/five-minute-education?rq=focu

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/shut-your-phone-off-you-wont-die?rq=attend

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/things-that-bring-you-joy-part-two?rq=attend

https://www.bonnielandry.ca/blog-1/decluttering-a-journey-of-self-over-25-years?rq=routine

Contact

• On Instagram at @make.joy.normal
• By email at [email protected]
• Search podcast episodes by topic
• www.bonnielandry.ca
• Shop my recommended resources
  
  

Thanks for listening to Make Joy Normal Podcast!