Name of Episode: Homeschool Sanity: Discover How to Find It with Melanie Wilson

Episode Summary:

In this heartwarming episode of the Homeschool Curious podcast, host Morgan Bergstrom sits down with Dr. Melanie Wilson—a former clinical psychologist turned homeschooling veteran and curriculum creator. Melanie opens up about her unexpected leap from a thriving career in psychology, writing, and speaking to homeschooling her six children for over 20 years (all of whom graduated and pursued college).

She candidly shares how she initially resisted homeschooling but discovered profound fulfillment in it. The secret to her success? Structure and routines that kept chaos at bay while juggling family and her growing passions.

Melanie dives into the passion behind Grammar Galaxy, her story-based language arts curriculum designed to make learning fun and engaging for elementary kids. She also reflects on launching The Homeschool Sanity Show, her podcast packed with practical parenting and homeschooling tips.

The conversation tackles real homeschooling challenges—like discipline, teaching multiple ages, and overcomplicating things—while offering hope: kids are resilient, parenting mistakes don’t define outcomes, and reading aloud remains one of the most powerful tools in any homeschool.

Key Takeaways:

Melanie transitioned from clinical psychology to full-time homeschooling—and never looked back.

She was once homeschool curious herself.

Structure is non-negotiable, but homeschooling can (and should) be simpler than we make it.

Grammar Galaxy turns language arts into an adventure.

Discipline trips up most parents—Melanie shares how to stay consistent without losing joy.

The Homeschool Sanity Show is your go-to for sanity-saving advice.

"Kids are very resilient." (Yes, even after our parenting fumbles.)

"Reading to my kids is the best." — A daily habit that builds bonds and brains.

Enjoy the journey—homeschooling works best when it’s fun for everyone.

Whether you’re burned out, just starting, or simply curious—this episode is a masterclass in keeping homeschooling sane, simple, and joyful.

 

Resources and Links:

Get Grammar Galaxy and start training your aliens at Fun to Learn Books

For your weekly dose of sanity, listen to The Homeschool Sanity Show

Follow Melanie on Instagram

 

You can watch this podcast on Spotify or YouTube

Making History Fun for Kids: Zack Edwards on Games That Stick

What if history class felt more like an epic battle royale than a dusty monotonous textbook? In this episode, homeschooling game innovator Zack Edwards flips the script on boring education.

From his own school-day dread of dates and timelines to crafting Historical Conquest—a card game where historical heroes, villains, and disasters clash in custom societies—Zack's all about gamification that sticks. We dive into his college dorm brainstorm, the family-friendly multiplayer magic, and how it pairs with custom curricula to spark real excitement for history.

Then, enter Xogos, Zack's digital playground expanding the fun into interactive learning with safe, community-driven rewards (think: coins for real-world service gigs!). Safety first—no sketchy chats here—and it's built for homeschool crews craving engagement without the screen-time guilt. Whether you're battling mom-burnout or just want kids who love learning, Zack's got the playbook: fun > force, every time.

Key Takeaways (Steal These for Your Next Lesson Plan!)

Zack's Origin Story Fuels the Fire: His school-time disdain for history? Total inspiration. Now, he crafts tools that turn "boring" into "battle-ready" for kids everywhere.

Historical Conquest: Card Game Meets History Heroics: Born in his college dorm room, it's all about mixing real figures/events into wild strategies—perfect for 2-6 players and family game nights that teach without preaching.

Fun First, Facts Follow: Zack's mantra? Engage 'em with play, and history sticks. The companion curriculum's designed to thrill, not drill.

Xogos: Safe, Rewarding Digital Deep Dive: This platform amps up the game with interactive modules, strict chat controls, and incentives like earning for volunteer hours—blending education with real-life impact.

Gamification = Engagement Gold: From homeschool co-ops to solo quests, Zack proves fun learning connects families, builds skills, and makes history meaningful. No more myths about "screen time bad"—done right, it's revolutionary.

Resources & Links (Level Up Your Homeschool Game)

Grab Historical Conquest: Starter decks, expansions, and how-to vids at historicalconquest.com. QR code tutorials make setup a breeze!

Dive into Xogos: Explore the platform and snag free trials for educators at xogos.com (or check Zack's YouTube @myXogosGames for demos).

 

Watch this episode on Spotify or YouTube

The Unschooling Homeschooler: Raven Kramer’s Journey from Tough Childhood to Thriving Kids

Join Morgan Bergstrom as she chats with Raven Kramer, a fierce mom who's been homeschooling her four kids for 5 years—blending philosophies as an "unschooling homeschooler." From a tough childhood that fueled her fire to be a better parent, Raven reveals how outdoor play supercharges development, why kids need hours outside for real learning, and how socialization in homeschooling beats traditional schools with diverse, real-world connections.

Discover how the pandemic exposed schooling flaws, why building community is homeschooling's secret sauce, and pro tips for working parents eyeing the leap. Plus, the surprising truth: marriage gets stronger with effort, communication, and family-first vibes!

Key Takeaways:

Outdoor play = brain booster

Diverse socialization wins

Community support is everything

Pandemic wake-up call for education.

If you're into unschooling, homeschooling, parenting, family dynamics, outdoor adventures, marriage growth, or community building—this episode will ignite your rethink on raising resilient kids! 🌿👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

For inspiring motherhood and homeschooling content, follow Raven on Instagram

Watch this episode on Spotify or YouTube

🎙️ Episode Title: No Tech Degree Needed with Meryl van der Merwe

Podcast: The Homeschool Curious PodcastHost: Morgan BergstromGuest: Meryl van der Merwe, founder of Fundafunda Academy and host of Homeschooling with Technology podcast

💡 Episode Summary

Can you homeschool confidently in today’s tech-driven world—without a tech degree? Absolutely. In this energizing episode of The Homeschool Curious Podcast, host Morgan Bergstrom sits down with veteran homeschool mom and tech-savvy educator Meryl van der Merwe to explore how families can use everyday technology to make learning more engaging, flexible, and future-focused.

Meryl shares her journey from reluctant homeschooler to digital innovator, revealing how she turned free tools like Google Maps, Canva, live webcams, and even AI into powerful teaching allies. Her message to parents is simple but profound: you don’t need to be an expert to raise curious, capable, tech-ready kids—just willing to learn alongside them.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

Necessity sparked innovation: Meryl began homeschooling because of limited school options, but it became a passion for lifelong learning.

Homeschool success stories: Her kids earned college acceptances, proving that homeschoolers can thrive academically with creativity and consistency.

Tech as a co-teacher: Discover how tools like Google Earth and AI writing assistants make lessons interactive and real-world relevant.

Free tools, big impact: Turn everyday apps like Canva and Google Maps into virtual field trips and creative project studios.

Creativity over memorization: The future belongs to problem-solvers—so let your kids design, build, and explore their way to understanding.

Parent as learner: You don’t need to know it all—just model curiosity, flexibility, and a growth mindset.

🎧 Perfect For

Parents who feel “non-techy” but want to introduce digital tools with confidence

Families looking for creative, hands-on learning ideas

Anyone preparing their kids for a tech-driven future while keeping education personal and purposeful

🌐 Resources Mentioned

Fundafunda Academy – Online classes for homeschoolers in coding, science, graphic design, and more

Homeschooling with Technology Podcast – Meryl’s show offering 15-minute tech tips for homeschool parents

Tools: Google Maps, Google Earth, Canva, AI writing tools, and live webcams for real-time exploration

💬 Key Quote

“You don’t have to be a tech expert to help your kids thrive—you just need to be curious enough to explore the tools together.” – Meryl van der Merwe

📺 Watch or Listen

🎥 Watch on YouTube or 🎧 Listen on Spotify and your favorite podcast apps.Don’t forget to subscribe to The Homeschool Curious Podcast for more inspiring conversations that help you homeschool with confidence, creativity, and curiosity.

Show Notes: Melodies of Resilience: How Music Shapes a Child’s Mind with Adrian Edward

Podcast: Homeschool CuriousHost: Morgan BergstromGuest: Adrian Edward, Founder of Color Me Mozart

Topic:

Adrian Edward founder of Color Me Mozart smiling with colorful musical instruments, symbolizing early music education for children

Episode Summary

In this inspiring episode of the Homeschool Curious podcast, Morgan Bergstrom sits down with Adrian Edward, the founder of Color Me Mozart, to explore how music transforms a child’s brain and builds resilience.

Adrian shares his journey from discovering music as a teenager to creating an engaging, family-friendly curriculum that helps parents bring music into their homes—no prior experience required!

Through Color Me Mozart, Adrian has helped thousands of children—including those with autism, Down syndrome, and developmental delays—find a voice through melody and rhythm. The conversation highlights the connection between music education and brain development, emphasizing that learning music is like learning a new language, sparking creativity, communication, and joy.

What You’ll Learn

How Adrian Edward’s teenage passion for music grew into the Color Me Mozart movement.

Why early exposure to music has profound effects on cognitive development.

How music engages the brain like a second language, building adaptability and resilience.

The importance of diverse musical genres in shaping emotional and cultural intelligence.

Why parents don’t need to be musicians to teach their children music.

How Color Me Mozart began as a tool for special needs education and became a global resource.

Practical tips for creating a musical environment at home that’s about joy, not perfection.

Entrepreneurial lessons from Adrian’s journey—humility, persistence, and asking for help.

About Color Me Mozart

Color Me Mozart makes music accessible for every family through an innovative, color-coded system that turns learning into play. Originally developed for children with special needs, this program now helps thousands of families discover the joy of music together.

👉 Check out Color Me Mozart: https://colormemozart.com👉 Follow them on Instagram and Facebook👉 Find them in BaseCampEd! — Connect and learn inside the app.

Homeschooling, Hustle, and Heart: A Chat with Felice Gerwitz

In this episode of the Home School Curious podcast, Morgan interviews Felice Gerwitz, a seasoned homeschooling mother of five and a pioneer in the homeschooling podcasting space. Felice shares her journey of homeschooling, the challenges she faced, and the triumphs she experienced along the way. She discusses the importance of building a supportive community, the entrepreneurial spirit that led her to start various businesses, and the joy of creating lasting memories with her family. Felice also offers practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and couples navigating the decision to homeschool. This conversation is filled with insights, encouragement, and heartfelt stories that resonate with homeschooling families.

 

What to expect:

The decision to homeschool was influenced by her children's needs and her husband's support. If there is resistance in a marriage regarding whether or not to homeschool, Felice also offers great advice for these couples. They should communicate openly about homeschooling decisions and attend conferences together.

Building a community of like-minded friends is crucial for homeschooling success.

Entrepreneurship runs in Felice's family, influencing her journey into business. Felice started podcasting to address common questions in the homeschooling community, and this eventually was the inspiration behind her podcasting empire, The Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Felice offers great tips for parents who also want to homeschool and start a business. Starting small is key for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially with young children.

Family traditions and bonding activities are essential for a strong family unit. She offers tips and tricks for creating joyful experiences in homeschooling to help maintain enthusiasm and engagement.

One of the best quotes Felice says: “The worst day of homeschooling can still be better than the best day in traditional school.”

 

Watch this episode on Spotify or YouTube, or listen to the audio version anywhere you get your podcasts!

Keywords: homeschooling, family dynamics, podcasting, entrepreneurship, parenting, education, family traditions, homeschooling community, support, advice

Homeschool Without Quitting Your Job with Stephanie Cavin

🎙 Homeschool Curious Podcast | Hosted by Morgan from Basecamp Ed

What does it look like to homeschool your kids and work full-time? In this inspiring episode, Morgan sits down with Stephanie Cavin, better known as @ThatCalTeacherLife on Instagram — a second-generation homeschool mom, California-certified teacher, and thriving content creator with nearly 500,000 followers. Stephanie recently made the bold leap from public school teaching to full-time entrepreneurship as the founder of Homeschoolers Connect, a platform built to support working parents who want to homeschool without burning out.

💬 In This Episode:

Stephanie shares her story of growing up homeschooled before it was popular — and how that free-range, hands-on learning shaped her entrepreneurial spirit.

She opens up about what it was like to work as a public school teacher, witnessing the system’s limitations, and how that experience reaffirmed her choice to homeschool her own kids.

Discover how she and her husband creatively balanced work schedules to homeschool their children — and why “homeschooling in just two hours a day” actually works.

Stephanie reveals her two-hour school day model, helping parents ditch burnout and focus on what truly matters in education.

She also talks about the freedom of entrepreneurship, working with her husband full-time, and empowering other families to design a flexible lifestyle that works for them.

You can watch this episode on YouTube

About Stephanie:

Stephanie Cavin is passionate about helping working parents homeschool with confidence and balance. Through her Working Parent Homeschool Network, she offers coaching, community, and practical guidance on how to make homeschool fit real life — not the other way around.

🎁 Special Offer:

Listeners can DM @ThatCalTeacherLife on Instagram with the code Network25 for $25 off her Working Parent Homeschool Network lifetime membership!

💡 Episode Takeaway:

Homeschooling doesn’t have to mean giving up your career or spending six hours a day on worksheets. With the right mindset, creative scheduling, and supportive community — you can work, homeschool, and thrive.

🔗 Connect with Stephanie:Instagram: @ThatCalTeacherLifeWebsite: Homeschoolers Connect

🎧 Connect with Basecamp Ed:Find your homeschool community, local co-ops, tutors, and educators at basecamped.com.Follow @BasecampEdApp on Instagram and Facebook.

🧡 Sponsored by Basecamp Ed — Building your village for the homeschool journey. Download the free app today!

Sparking the Homeschool Curious Flame with Lisa Nehring

I’m thrilled to kick off our first interview in a lineup of incredible guests on The Homeschool Curious Podcast.

Through launching BaseCampEd and joining the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network, I’ve connected with some of the best minds in homeschooling—and today, we’re starting with a powerhouse: Lisa Nehring.

About Lisa Nehring

She homeschooled all five of her kids, built a thriving business, and now leads True North Academy while hosting the podcast, ‘It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool’. In this episode, we dive deep into what sparks that ‘homeschool curious’ flame. As a parent of young kids, I left this chat energetic with excitement about our future homeschool journey—and Lisa’s insights will inspire you too, especially if you’ve got middle or high schoolers. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this!

Resources from the interview:

Video version available on YouTube

This episode is sponsored by BaseCampEd-   BaseCampEd is intended to help parents build a community in their area, whether they homeschool their children, are curious about it or simply want to build extracurricular based groups. The app also features a way for teachers and coaches to create profiles and list their credentials for parents to use as a way to supplement their children’s education with other subjects and extracurricular activities. Even non-homeschool families could enjoy this feature of the app. If you are a parent (homeschooler or not!), BaseCampEd will be your new best friend to help create your community.

Check out True North Academy- At True North Academy, your family gets more than just online classes. You get real teachers who know their stuff, a support system that keeps you on track, and transcripts you don’t have to stress over.

Listen to Lisa’s Podcast It's Not That Hard to Homeschool - Give your teen the high school education you want for them — while maintaining your own sanity in the process! Confidiently. Competently. Contentedly.

It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool is very active on Facebook, join one of her groups!

For parents of youngers:  It's Not That Hard to Homeschool K-8 Practical advice and an online community for homeschool parents with kids in K-8.

It's Not That Hard to Homeschool High School An online community for parents who don't want to face the highschool scaries alone.

Blue Collar Homeschool An online group for parents looking for outside-the-box educational opportunities.

How Curiosity for Homeschooling Led to Entrepreneurship

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Homeschool Curious Podcast! I’m Morgan, your host, and I am so excited to kick off this journey with you. In today’s episode, I want to set the stage for what’s to come and introduce you to my family and a little bit more about me.

This podcast is all about real, unfiltered stories from parents and business owners navigating the wild, wonderful world of parenting and education. Whether you’re deep in the homeschooling world or just curious about new ways to nurture your kids’ learning, this is your space to find inspiration, practical tips, and a community that just gets it.

Each week, I will bring you authentic conversations, bold ideas, and stories that remind us we’re all in this together. Through this podcast and the BaseCampEd App, I am building a community where we can share stories and grow together. Let’s get curious together!

Key Takeaways:

I left my corporate job for a more fulfilling path.

I was tired of sending my kids to daycare.

Homeschooling doesn't have to be all or nothing.

Flexibility in education allows for personalized learning.

Homeschooling provides freedom to live life on our own terms.

Saying goodbye to one-size-fits-all education is crucial.

Fostering passions in children is a key goal.

Building a community is essential for support.

Each family's journey in education is unique.

 

Video version is on YouTube

Check out BaseCampEd and download the app today!

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for fun homeschool, app and podcast updates.

Are you homeschool curious? Thinking about making a big life change but not sure where to start?

Welcome to The Homeschool Curious Podcast, a podcast for moms exploring what homeschooling could look like for their families. I’m Morgan Bergstrom—wife, mom of four, and founder of BasecampEd, an app that connects homeschool families wherever they are.

In this short trailer, I’ll share why I left the corporate world to homeschool, what you can expect from this show, and how I hope to encourage you on your own journey. Each week, you’ll hear from parents, educators, and entrepreneurs who are living this homeschool life—no filters, just real stories and practical help.

Whether you’re researching, just getting started, or looking for community, you’re in the right place.

Hit subscribe and join me as we discover together what homeschooling can be.

✅ Join Me

👉 Subscribe today so you don’t miss the first full episode!👉 Learn more at basecamped.com and connect with fellow homeschool families.

Connect on Instagram at @BaseCampedApp and Facebook.