Google’s Gemini platform now includes a powerful feature called Gems. In this episode, we explore how Gems allow you to create customized AI assistants that can help with homeschooling tasks again and again without rewriting prompts each time.

Meryl explains what Gems are, how they compare to custom GPTs in ChatGPT, and how homeschool parents can use them to create interactive lessons, quizzes, games, and study guides.

She also shares an example she created — an interactive Oregon Trail adventure built using primary sources. In this activity, students pack their wagon, make decisions along the trail, and encounter historically accurate situations while learning key vocabulary and concepts.

Another helpful feature of Gems is the ability to upload documents and resources. This means you can add textbook pages, standards, or other materials and have the AI generate review questions, activities, or learning games based directly on those resources.

The episode also introduces Gem Labs, an experimental feature from Google Labs that allows you to create multi-step workflows.

AI tools are changing rapidly, and Gems provide another way for homeschool parents to turn AI into a creative co-teacher that enhances learning rather than replacing it.

What Gemini Gems are and why they’re useful

How Gems compare to custom GPTs in ChatGPT

Examples of built-in Gems provided by Google

How to create your own Gem

Using uploaded documents to guide AI responses

An example Oregon Trail interactive history game  (you need to be logged in to Google/Gemini to try it)

A brief introduction to Gem Labs experimental workflows

If you use any of these resources, join the conversation in the Homeschooling with Technology Community on Facebook and let us know which ones your family enjoyed most!

Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes!

Your child wants to keep every rock, every toy, every piece of packaging. And saying “this is trash” just creates power struggles.

Dana K. White (decluttering expert and author of “Winnie’s Pillows”) shares a better way.

Learn: • The biggest mistake parents make when decluttering with kids • Two powerful questions that help kids make their own decisions • How the Container Concept works even with strong-willed kids • Why the “five-minute pickup” is your secret weapon • How “Winnie’s Pillows” gets kids to voluntarily declutter

**Key insight:** You don’t have to convince kids something is “bad” to let it go. Just help them face the reality of space.

Parents report: After reading “Winnie’s Pillows,” their kids asked to declutter their own rooms!

Book: Available anywhere books are sold Connect: @DanaKWhite or @ASlobComesClean

Training Aliens: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-2-kit/

Thank you to our sponsor, CTCMath.com

This week on Homeschool High School Podcast: First Resume for Your Teen’s First Job.

Many teens look for a first job sometime during their homeschool high school years. I have found that a good way to get the job-hunt process started is to help them develop their first resume.

When I tell teens that we are starting with developing their first resume, they sometimes reply, “How can I have a resume? I’ve never had a job?”

It is hard to have a resume showing your jobs if you have never had a job, and that is very true. However, our teens, by and large, have lots of resume-worthy experiences. Our high schoolers generally have:

All of those things are experiences that demonstrate that they can do things that are attractive to an employer, such as:

We can help our teens capture these activities on an experiential resume. This is not a job resume because they have not had a job. However, an experiential resume us useful and valid to show what kind of person your teen is.

Let’s take a look at an experiential resume sample. (BTW- You can download a guide to help your teen develop their own experiential resume at 7SistersHomeschool.com)

The experiential resume captures your teen’s experiences rather than jobs. Remember, these experiences tell potential employers about your teen’s work ethic and character.

The resume includes:

Click image for full description.

For more help with the job hunt, check out this episode of Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Job Hunting Skills for Homeschool High Schoolers.

Your teen’s experiential resume is good for more than just a job application!

Keep a copy for their portfolio (count it as a writing assignment).

Include it as part of your teen’s Career Exploration course (In fact, the Experiential Resume Guide is included in 7Sisters Career Exploration download. For those in states that reimburse for curriculum, 7Sisters has a version of Career Exploration that meets the requirements for reimbursement.)

Get your teen busy working on an experiential resume as their first resume for their first job!

Note: We could sure use some new reviews on your podcast platform. Please leave stars and a review to help others find us!

Also, thanks to Seth Tillman for editing, and thanks to everybody for being here with us!

What are the time savers that can help you each day? How do you implement them in a life that is already overflowing with things to do, and people to see? Every mom has her best-kept secrets on productivity and getting things done, and in this podcast, Felice Gerwitz shares her top ten with you.

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

We all need to save time each day, and I have learned the hard way that making the time to get organized needs to become a priority and not an afterthought. This actually came to me at homeschool conferences. And, it was thanks to people like you, who share your hearts with conference speakers, that I was able to reflect on my own life. One of the most enjoyable parts of speaking over the years at the conference was the people I met and how much I learned from all of you. Your insights and experiences have been invaluable in shaping my understanding of productivity. Oftentimes it was to take a closer look at my life and actually get it as together as people seemed to think that I had my life! I mean, to get to speak at a conference, you have to know what you are talking about, right?

Sure. On topics of teaching science, implementing hands-on teaching methods in your homeschool, creating winning science fair projects, writing and publishing books, and wait for it…”Getting Things Done” in your homeschool!

“How did you have time to write books and homeschool?” My answer? I made the time.

Another asked, “How do you do so much?” My answer? “I do many things, but not all of them well.”

or my favorite, “When I grow up I want to be like you.” (I smiled and thought — is she saying I’m old?)

Okay, all kidding aside, what are some time savers that help? I have a list that I will share and then explain. The list contains things to help you now with time saving, but really, it goes deeper. It is a matter of training yourself to compete in this world of disorder and distraction and come out on top (or at least in the top ten)!

Number One: Saying No! 

Moms, quit volunteering. I know it is fun, it makes us feel productive, but it is a time suck. Maybe do it for one year, but not consistently. People will take advantage of you, and I learned that it was better to pour the time and effort into my own family rather than work myself to the bone and ignore my husband and kids because I had to prepare 42 cupcakes for co-op and plan a lesson because otherwise it would not get done. There is a season for volunteering, it is not when you have little ones and no energy or time. Harsh? Maybe, but true.

Number Two: Putting Things In Their Place 

How many hours have you spent searching for things? Lost keys, books, toys, papers? Am I right? If you have a place to hang your keys (or leave them in a special pocket in your purse, a file for papers, a notebook for homeschool papers, a homeschool shelf, or a bin for books, it will save you a lifetime of searching.

Number Three: Do It Now

Do you know it takes brain power to put things off for later, especially if you forget, or it weighs upon your mind? I try to do things as soon as possible that need to be completed whenever I can. I have found in over thirty years of being in business that the busiest people I know are the ones who get back to me the fastest. When I asked for recommendations for books I was writing, those who I thought would never do it got back to me within the hour in some cases and one day in another. They’ve taught themselves how to be productive.

Number Four: Mega List

I have mega lists for various things, groceries are one. I take off the things I don’t need and I’m off to the store. My latest is sticky notes near the refrigerator, and I write down what we need to replace when we need it. It saves so much time. I keep lists of my kid’s sizes and now grandkids’ sizes so that when I shop, I have these handy. It is a good practice and one that is helpful. But, where is your list? Some people use Evernote. I like to use the notepad on PCs –they even have tabs (but be sure to save it –two places! or Notes on the Mac.

Number Five: Discipline

How much time do you waste on misbehaving kids? Hours. Kids, many of them, have a hard time understanding cause and effect. Implementing this simple process will help you tremendously and free up time but it takes follow through on your part. Are you ready? Set parameters and keep to it. For example, sit your children down (three and older) and explain to them the consequences of misbehavior. The younger the child the teaching moments will come as the child is misbehaving. For example, leaving the remote control alone. If you do not have it out of reach but do not want children touching it, explain the consequences if they break the rules. It is simple but effective only if you follow through. With teens, my philosophy was to say there was going to be a punishment; however, I had to pray about it and would let them know. It only took one time for them to understand that mom having a bit of time to think about a punishment rather than react was allot worse than reaction. We have many podcasts on the topic of the discipline on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Number Six: Avoid Distractions

What is your number one distractor? For me, it is many things. Often, when I sit down to work, the thoughts of twelve other things I need to do jump into my mind. I either write down the important ones or ignore them and yes, it takes mega discipline to do that. However, avoiding distractions is important to getting things done. I’m not talking about your kids or husband here, but I do know it is those little things that get us sidetracked.

Number Seven: Phone/Texts

When I first started homeschooling, we all purchased answering machines (yes, it was a thing) so that we could avoid picking up the phone in order to focus on our homeschooling. Phone calls were distracting. Now we have texts and while I agree it is way shorter to text than talk, it is still distracting. Put your phone in another room, and if you must, set up a ringer for special people that call so you will know if it is a parent or your spouse.

Number Eight: Errands

I group errands and appointments, if possible, close together and on one day so only a portion of my time is disrupted rather than two or three days a week. I also do some of my errands in geographical locations. Save so much time.

Number Nine: Shop Online

Don’t judge, but I started even doing my grocery shopping on occasion online. One of us picks it up or I have it delivered. When I am in a bind, it is so helpful and saves me money and time.

Number Ten: Refreshed

I realized some years back, after I was physically sick, that I had to take control of my health; otherwise, there might be dire consequences. So many of you have your hands full, and my daughter, with nine children, four teens, and the rest under the age of twelve, is an example of this! If you can ask your relatives for help, or partner with a friend. One of my friends had several she traded off with for babysitting services. She’d watch their kids when needed as well. It was so helpful. Sometimes she’d go to a park to pray and felt she was refreshed after this time alone with the Lord.

If even one of these things is helpful, I’m glad! There are many printable planners on the MediaAngels.com/store website you can download that may help! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and please share this episode or podcast with a friend if it has been helpful.

“Mom, I think I’m an atheist.” That was the chilling announcement from the back of the van, from our nine-year-old child. Spiritual doubts may arise at any time, especially with young teens, and this episode we’re talking about some practical things you can do to help shepherd your young person through this stormy time.

sponsored by CTCMath.com

These are remarkable places to visit, but even if you can’t travel there, they have great websites with lots of information and more resources to offer.

Ark Encounter – Williamstown, Ky. could find practical solutions with the existing technology of his time. It answers boatloads of objections with reasonable explanations – questions like how to house so many animals, how to handle feeding, watering, and waste removal, what to do about lighting and ventilation, and much more. Really impressive and thought-provoking. Said to be the largest freestanding wooden structure in the world!

Creation Museum – Petersburg, Ky.

We first visited the Creation Museum only a few weeks after a family trip to Washington, D.C. We were totally amazed at the professional quality of the exhibits and facility, which were much better maintained than the famous museums of the Smithsonian. Every subsequent visit we’ve found new exhibits and presentations. This is a first class museum, in addition to presenting an evidence-rich argument for creation of the world by an intelligent Craftsman. Ken Ham is the public spokesman, but the museum itself is the work of a huge team of geologists, biologists, archaeologists, historians, theologians, and more. Well worth a journey!

Museum of the Bible – Washington, D.C.

This collection traces the development of the written Bible from the earliest records through the ongoing translation missions of modern times. There are truly remarkable items on display – a Latin Bible signed as a gift by Martin Luther, a beautiful illuminated prayer book made for the Emperor Charles V, pages from the Gutenberg Bible, and a copy of the first Bible printed in America – in the language of the Wampanoag Indians! Exhibits talk of the influence of the Bible on civil rights and social justice, the impact on language and fine art, and more.

More Than A Carpenter – Josh McDowell

A classic look at who Jesus was, and is, and why that matters.

Evidence That Demands a Verdict – Josh McDowell

A fantastic work that looks at hundreds of questions about Biblical reliability, with tons of references and yes, evidence. A good one to have on hand for those “Wait, what about …” discussions.

The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel

An investigative journalist recounts his search into the Bible’s claims about Jesus’ life, work, and person. A dramatic and personal story of a skeptic’s journey into faith.

Mere Christianity – C. S.Lewis

A conversational but philosophical look at the nature of God, man, sin, and other fundamentals of Christian faith.

Episode #11- Rachel Hirt: Homeschool Art in the Early Years

 On this episode, meet Rachel Hirt, co-owner of Colorfull, an online art community for kids. She believes that every kiddo is an artist filled with tons of creativity! Rachel wants to help kids develop their artistic talents and discover all the fun possibilities that art offers.

Rachel, who was also homeschooled, shares the benefits of including art during the early years of homeschooling. “We want to make sure [our kids] know that 2 + 2 = 4, but we forget that creativity is a part of who we are,” explains Rachel. She then gives practical tips, adding, “We all have creativity in some form or fashion. As a parent, find what sparks creativity in your child.” Rachel then explains that creativity comes in many forms that may spark creativity in your child, suggesting that “maybe it’s cooking. Then create something in the kitchen together with your child.”

Listen in to learn more from Rachel Hirt, a wife, small business owner, and mother to three little ones living in central Kansas. She’s also a homeschool graduate who studied art at Butler Community College before meeting and marrying her husband, Aaron. Aaron and Rachel have been married for nearly eight years and have been serving as children’s pastors for nearly that entire time.

Resources:

Join Crystal and her guests each week as they bring relevant information to equip you, stories to encourage you, and content to inspire you. You don’t have to go it alone, tune in to the Military Homeschool Podcast, and be energized in your military homeschooling journey!

How to listen:

Got questions, comments, or have show topic ideas? Contact Crystal via email at [email protected] or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Please subscribe, follow, and share with all of your military homeschooling friends!

In this episode, originally aired on Homeschooling IRL, we tackle some of the most common questions parents ask when they begin considering homeschooling.

You may have wondered things like:

Will my kids have to raise their hands to go to the bathroom?

What about prom?

Who gets to be the lunch lady?

Okay… maybe not exactly like that.

But the truth is, many parents do have real concerns when they first think about homeschooling.

Parents shared fears about:

Burnout

Academic gaps

Whether their kids will turn out “weird”

Their own ability to teach difficult subjects

We respond with honesty, transparency, and a little humor—because homeschooling in real life isn’t perfect, but it can be incredibly rewarding.

If you’re wondering whether homeschooling might be right for your family, this conversation will encourage you and help answer some of your biggest questions.

This episode is part of the Homeschool Foundations Series on the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Show.

0:00 – Sponsor Message: CTC Math

1:19 – Introduction to Homeschooling in Real Life

6:25 – The Time and Commitment Required for Homeschooling

11:50 – The Reality of Homeschooling in Everyday Life

21:06 – “I Don’t Know If I Can Do This Right”

23:30 – Why Science Can Feel Difficult to Homeschool

29:27 – Q&A with Candy

34:00 – What Do We Really Mean by Socialization?

39:52 – Bringing Faith into Your Homeschool

Are you looking for a math curriculum that makes learning easier for your homeschool student?

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Lessons are short, clear, and easy to follow—helping students break down math concepts step by step.

Each lesson is taught by internationally acclaimed teacher Pat Murray, who explains math concepts in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

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Homeschool families can try CTC Math for free, and listeners receive half-price after the free trial.

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https://ultimateradioshow.com/best-of-hirl-how-do-i-make-homeschooling-fun/

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In this episode, Meryl is joined by Melissa Muir from Think Curio to discuss an important topic for homeschool families: avoiding tech burnout.

While both Meryl and Melissa love educational technology and use it extensively in their teaching, they recognize the need for balance. With recent studies showing that adults, teens, and even younger children are spending significant hours each day on screens, it is crucial to be intentional about how technology fits into homeschool life.

1. Modeling Healthy Tech Habits

Taking intentional breaks from screens (such as a weekly tech Sabbath)

Using app timers and boundaries

Recognizing signs of burnout in ourselves as parents

2. Scheduling with Intention

Designing a homeschool week that includes both online and offline learning

Avoiding back-to-back screen-based classes

Building in screen-free days or partial screen-free times

Being cautious about fully online homeschool models

3. Creating Non-Tech Extensions

Keeping accessible hands-on materials (Legos, puzzles, art supplies)

Using board games to build strategic and social skills

Encouraging real-world interviews and community connections

Taking advantage of local library programs and resources

4. The Power of Storytelling (Off-Screen Learning)

Using storytelling cards and story dice

Incorporating persuasive speaking games like Snake Oil

Leveraging graphic novels for deeper engagement

Connecting storytelling to other subjects (science, history, financial literacy)

Creative language-learning strategies like storyboarding from screenshots

Melissa shares practical examples from her own homeschool routine and emphasizes that the goal is not to eliminate technology, but to use it thoughtfully and avoid burnout.

If you use any of these resources, join the conversation in the Homeschooling with Technology Community on Facebook and let us know which ones your family enjoyed most!

Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes!

Are you homeschooling a struggling learner? Fletch and Kendra share three practical ideas for you as you consider homeschooling a child who struggles.

Join us for this week’s episode as we answer a listener’s question about how to give struggling learners the time and attention they need.

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“I came home and my 11-year-old daughter opened the door. And I thought: I wouldn’t send her to the college where I’m working.”

That moment changed everything for Jonathan Brush—and led him to create a completely different approach to post-high school education.

Jonathan is a homeschool graduate who became the youngest director of admissions in Virginia. He spent 11 years on the inside of traditional higher education. Now, as CEO of Unbound and father of eight homeschooled kids, he’s challenging everything we think we know about preparing young adults for life after high school.

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER:

RESOURCES

Unbound: http://beunbound.us

Call and ask for Jonathan directly (yes, really!)

Today’s episode sponsor: CTCMath.com