Raising Lifelong Learners

Our neurodivergent kids may require extra help finding a peer group where they feel comfortable being themselves and sharing their thoughts and interests. It's essential for us to be in tune with our children so that we can find places for them to connect with others. That may be connecting them with people of all ages who share hobbies, sports, or academic interests.

Today Colleen will discusses ways you can help your gifted, 2e, and neurodivergent kids find belonging in ways that validate who they are. It may not look the same as you thought, but meaningful relationships are possible.

Our sponsors for today's episode are CTC Math and Reading Eggs

Links and Resources Raising Lifelong Learners Community - The Learners Lab Masterclass| Masterclass | Cultivating a Healthy Mindset - Raising Lifelong Learners Raising Resilient Sons by Collleen Kessler, M.Ed. Building Self-Esteem in Kids The Powerful Relationship Between Confidence And Learning In Our Homeschools 5 Tips for Helping Gifted Children Make Friends Why Community Is So Important For Gifted And Twice Exceptional Kids - Raising Lifelong Learners The Best Advice I Can Give You: Become A Student Of Your Child Finding Homeschool Community (for our children and ourselves)

Connect with Colleen

You can find Colleen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

How does your child learn best? Take the Quiz!

Katie Keene is the host of the top 1% globally rated podcast Her Home and Heart, and host to a membership community of beautiful Christian homeschooling families on the journey to peace at home and generational family success despite the challenges of raising a special needs child.

Her mission is simple: to ensure that no family breaks apart simply due to lack of tools to create a SOLID, peaceful, and joyful family foundation at home.

Katie is most passionate about helping special needs families create strong bonds and deep roots, so they don't wake up one day to regret.

Learn more about how she teaches moms to build a successful and joyful home, and to grab coupons, freebies, and links to Katie's best kept secrets go to linktr.ee/FamilySuccess

Our sponsors for today's episode are CTC Math and Reading Eggs

You can find Katie at: The Greater Honor Special Needs Community: https://herhomeandheart.net/tgh Facebook: https://urlgeni.us/facebook/HHAHGroup Her Home and Heart Podcast with Katie Keene

Additional Links and Resources

Raising Lifelong Learners Community - The Learners Lab

Masterclass| Homeschooling Your Gifted and Special Needs Child | Get Started

Raising Resilient Sons by Collleen Kessler, M.Ed.

RLL #45: Homeschooling Special Needs Kiddos with Faith Berens

My Neurodivergent Kiddo Needs So Much Help…

Forget the Box | Embracing Your Child's Otherness

Safe Place Fatigue | The Wear and Tear of Being Your Child's Person

RLL #64: What to Do When School Doesn't Work RLL #60: Raising Differently-Wired Kids with Debbie Reber Homeschooling During Overwhelming Times - Raising Lifelong Learners

Connect with Colleen

You can find Colleen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

How does your child learn best? Take the Quiz!

Today Colleen is talking about helping our children draw healthy boundaries, with the example of family members wanting a hug when our child is not comfortable giving one. This question was submitted during one of the group coaching events in The Learners Lab, a Raising Lifelong Learners online community for neurodiverse homeschooling families. Each month in the Lab Colleen hosts a group coaching night. Parents can submit their questions ahead of time and Colleen will take the time to answer each one.

One goal we have for our neurodiverse kids is the ability to advocate for themselves as they grow older. One of the best ways to do this is by honoring their needs. Perhaps you have a child with a sensory struggle, anxiety around others, or becomes easily overwhelmed in new environments. When we acknowledge their limits and draw healthy boundaries we teach our kids that it is healthy to know what they need and express it kindly to others.

Our sponsors for today's episode are CTC Math and Reading Eggs

Additional Links and Resources

Raising Lifelong Learners Community - The Learners Lab

Masterclass| Building Family Connections

Raising Resilient Sons by Collleen Kessler, M.Ed.

Respecting Your Child's Sensory Needs: When You Have to Say "No"

I Hate My Son's Headphones

Am I Spoiling My Child or Accommodating His Special Needs?

A Unique Place For Gifted And Twice Exceptional Kids To Thrive

My Child Won't Wear Socks: Dressing A Child With Sensory Processing Disorder

Calm the Chaos with Dayna Abraham

The Social Emotional Needs Of Gifted And Neurodiverse Children

If He's REALLY So Smart… When Gifted Kids Struggle

Connect with Colleen

You can find Colleen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

How does your child learn best? Take the Quiz!

Welcome to Raising Lifelong Learners, the podcast that delves into the challenges and triumphs of parenting exceptional children while fostering a lifelong love for learning.

Today's guest is Dayna Abraham, author of the newly released book, Calm the Chaos. Dayna is the founder of Calm the Chaos Parenting and the popular parenting blog, Lemon Lime Adventures. She's worked with hundreds of thousands of parents around the world struggling with some of the most challenging behaviors to go from barely surviving to creating families that work together, advocate for each other and empower each other. She's the best-selling author of Sensory Processing 101 and Superkids Activity Guide.

In today's episode, we tackle an important issue: helping children articulate their discomfort and advocate for themselves. Dayna shares personal anecdotes and strategies for empowering children to express their feelings and communicate their needs effectively. Join us as we explore the stages of self-advocacy, discuss homeschooling pressures, and delve into the power of modeling behavior and open communication.

Get ready to feel supported, understood, and inspired by our incredible community of parents raising exceptional children. Let's dive in!

Find Calm the Chaos here: http://calmthechaosbook.com

Connect with Dayna on social here: https://www.facebook.com/calmthechaosparenting

Calm the Chaos workshop: https://calmthechaosworkshop.com/

Additional Links and Resources

Sponsor: CTC Math

Sponsor: Reading Eggs

Raising Lifelong Learners Community - The Learners Lab

Masterclass| Finding Peace in a Life Filled With Intensity

Homeschooling Gifted Kids | Meeting Asynchronous Abilities

Giving Your Child Life Skills | Metacognition

Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Kids with Jim Delisle

When the World Overwhelms Your Anxious Child | How You Can Help

The Social Emotional Needs of Gifted and Neurodiverse Children

Anxiety vs. Stress vs. Perfectionism: Helping Our Children Cope

If He's REALLY So Smart….When Gifted Kids Struggle

Getting Back to Homeschool After a Mental Health Crisis

Connect with Colleen

You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

How does your child learn best? Take the Quiz!

Today, we dive into the topic of helping our children embrace their authenticity and discover who they truly are. This discussion is prompted by the upcoming focus on this subject in the Learners Lab community.

We emphasize the importance of nurturing an environment where our kids feel comfortable being themselves and exploring their interests and passions. By fostering open communication, acceptance, and understanding, we can empower our children to develop a strong sense of self-esteem, emotional well-being, and resilience. Join us as we explore practical ways to create a nurturing environment and encourage our kids to embrace their unique identities.

Raising Lifelong Learners is brought to you by CTCMath. CTC Math is an online math curriculum that is perfect for homeschoolers with children of different ability levels. It provides teaching and access to all grade levels, allowing children to progress at their own pace. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Today we're diving into a favorite topic - connecting with your kids. We talk about the vital role that building a strong relationship with your child plays in creating a successful homeschooling experience.

Remember that academics can always be remediated, but damaged relationships and self-esteem can have long-lasting effects on our children's learning. We explore why many of us chose to homeschool in the first place - the desire to provide a safe and supportive environment for our children, and discuss the importance of being our children's person, their safe place to land, and how connecting with them on a deep level lays the foundation for trust and open communication. In this episode, we highlights the significance of identifying triggers and helping our children navigate anxiety and stress.

Raising Lifelong Learners is brought to you by CTCMath. CTC Math is an online math curriculum that is perfect for homeschoolers with children of different ability levels. It provides teaching and access to all grade levels, allowing children to progress at their own pace. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Today, we're chatting with Sarah Collins of HomeschoolOT.com, delving into the topic of parenting with sensory needs and challenges while homeschooling, and discussing how the challenges we face as parents can trigger similar challenges in our children, creating a cycle that we need to proactively address.

Sarah shares valuable tips on how to take care of ourselves as parents and effectively homeschool our children. Stay tuned to discover how to effectively communicate with our children, model healthy adulthood, and navigate the unique sensory quirks that come with homeschooling neurodivergent children.

Raising Lifelong Learners is brought to you by CTCMath. CTC Math is an online math curriculum that is perfect for homeschoolers with children of different ability levels. It provides teaching and access to all grade levels, allowing children to progress at their own pace. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Our family unit is the backbone of our homeschool. There are many habits and activities that can nurture a team mentality. It is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your kids to be successful in anything you do and build a strong, resilient, emotionally intelligent family.

The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

One of the most beautiful things about homeschooling is how we can adjust kid-to-kid, and year-to-year. It's also one of the things that messes with us as parents. It's inevitable when everything is functioning well, there's another change: developmentally, emotionally, physically and we find ourselves reevaluating again. It can be hard, tiring, and wear us out.

That is why self-care is essential for those of us homeschooling differently-wired kids.

The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Today we're doing something different -- we're sharing a talk that Colleen gave at the Great Homeschool Convention with Sarah Mackenzie of Read Aloud Revival. They address both sides of the reading spectrum, with Sarah discussing struggling readers and then Colleen shifting the conversation to advanced readers.

You will leave with ideas and strategies that will help your kids wherever they are.

The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.