"Talk openly and proactively about challenging topics to prepare your kids for the world." ~ Cindy West

Watch this full interview on our YouTube Channel.

Cindy West joins Yvette Hampton for a deep dive into middle school for our Homeschooling Through the Years Series. In this episode, Cindy and Yvette discuss these crucial and challenging times filled with hormones, growth spurts, and awkward moments. Cindy shares her experiences and insights from homeschooling her own kids and offers invaluable advice on how to navigate these years with grace and joy. We also touch on topics like game schooling, nature studies, and creating a joyful learning environment.

Come back Wednesday and Thursday for the rest of this conversation. 

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Recommended Resources:

Podcast Note-Taking Guide

Gameschooling! Cindy West on the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast

Nature Schooling - Cindy West on the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast

Cindy’s The Magical Marvelous Years of Middle School (Video Training Course)

Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids, by Kristen A. Jensen, MA

The Fallacy Detective, by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn

Facing the Facts: The Truth about Sex and You (God's Design for Sex), by Stan Jones and Brenna Jones

Sequence Board Game

 

Recommended Middle School Curriculum:

Apologia Science

BJU Press Homeschool

CTCMath

 

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Discussion Questions:

1. Cindy West mentions that she sees herself as an advocate for "creative, joyful homeschooling." What does joyful homeschooling mean to you, and how do you think it can be implemented during the middle school years?

2. Both Yvette and Cindy talk about their different experiences with middle schoolers. How do you think the dynamics of homeschooling change when you have a middle schooler as opposed to an elementary school student?

3. Cindy shares that she initially found middle schoolers challenging through her substitute teaching experiences but found homeschooling them to be "precious." What do you think are the key differences between homeschooling and traditional schooling that may account for this change in perspective?

4. Hormones and emotional upheavals are a recurring theme in the discussion. How do you handle or plan to handle conversations about puberty and the emotional changes that come with it?

5. Cindy and Yvette stress the importance of open communication with middle schoolers. What are some strategies you use or plan to use to create an open and honest communication channel with your child?

6. The episode touches on the influence of external factors like social media and YouTube on kids. How do you manage or plan to manage digital content and screen time for your middle schooler?

7. Cindy talks about teaching middle school co-op classes and how fulfilling that experience has been. What are the benefits and challenges you see in joining or forming a homeschool co-op, especially during the middle school years?

8. Yvette mentions the different ways her daughters have experienced the middle school years. How do you personalize homeschooling approaches based on each child's unique needs and developmental stages?

9. Discuss the importance of having both parents involved in the homeschooling journey, as highlighted by the interactions between Yvette and Garritt with their daughters. How can single parents