Is indoctrination through education true? As homeschoolers we realize the importance of educating our children, but do you realize what is happening all around you? Our children, whether we are aware of it or not are affected by indoctrination through education!

We homeschool for many different reasons. I began homeschooling because my son was having difficulty learning and I happened to be an educator with a certification in specific learning disabilities and early childhood education. However, my reasons for homeschooling my subsequent children all had to do with religious reasons. I wanted to teach my children to think for themselves, be grounded in Scripture and allow them access to books that would stretch them academically and the ability to have time to think. If you have listened to my podcasts this is one thing I talk about often, the ability for children to think!

Thinking is an art as well as reason. Our children need to learn how to discern what they hear and how to make decisions for themselves. Does this mean we abdicate our role as parents? Absolutely not!

Indoctrination through education is happening in the local public schools, private schools, universities and colleges as well as the charter schools or online schools that are government-funded. What is indoctrination? I believe the terminology of the past has changed, indoctrination on the left or the right is often bantered around, but indoctrination is the repetition of philosophy or ideology that if repeated enough is believed as truth. Indoctrination happens when kids don’t think for themselves. Indoctrination happens when there is an absence of thought!

Even Hitler realized this when he was quoted as saying, “Slogans should be persistently repeated until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea.” (He wrote in Mein Kampf.)

We hear it all the time, slogans and sound bites. We believe things that are not true. Need an example? “We only use 10% of our brains,” is an untruth that many people believe.

David Coleman, who graduated from Yale graduate and was a Rhodes Scholar is the architect of Common Core. While this podcast is not addressing Common Core in detail, know that he has set out along with a group of “education reformers” to change the landscape of American Education, which most of us believe is for the worse. In a nutshell, Common Core teaches kids to think about thinking (and causes confusion) while it pushes kids to learn — or the “process of learning” it is all meaningless. The result is kids who don’t care. For example, look at common core math problems that have made their rounds on social media. The false news surrounding this graphic I am using as an example is that it says it will teach the kids crucial problem-solving skills. All it does is confuse kids. Here is a sample graphic. 

Keys To Indoctrination In Education:

Absolutes are given a backstage in the classroom, movies, and in social media, it is frowned upon! There are no absolutes only relativism. There is no independent thought only skills without content-driven outcomes. Kids are trained in the process of doing math, not on the math facts themselves. After all, we have smartphones and Google to help with our answers. Right?

Help! How Do We Combat Indoctrination In Education?

A person who thinks will realize when they are being taught propaganda. (Creationism vs. Evolution.) If kids receive information passively it doesn’t matter what you teach them, they will not be in a position to learn. For example fiction, and the humanities has been removed from most curriculums and the richness of language is all but forgotten. (Truth Seekers Mystery Series – fiction with fact.)

Until we teach our children to question, to think for themselves and to ground their beliefs in truth (God), we will have a fallen generation that is indoctrinated by the things they hear in the media (soundbites over and over again) without caring to learn what really matters.

As part of our commitment to personalized homeschooling, we are proud to offer both secular and Christian options for homeschool families, charter schools, state organizations, co-ops, athletic organizations, arts schools, and others who seek flexible education options for their families.

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An honest portrayal of one mom’s journey to a military mom to be. Most of us can agree that the military is much needed for the safety of any nation and those who serve are serving our country have chosen a noble cause. In this podcast, Felice shares her experiences with her child, the recruiter and perhaps sheds some light on the process which is a journey for military mom or dad to be.

Thanks to our sponsor – Bridgeway Academy! Check out more info at HomeschoolAcademy.com

About six or so months ago my son told us (my husband and I) that he had signed up for the military – ROTC Army that is in college. To say I was blindsided is putting it mildly. When I asked him why he gave us no indication of his interest to join the military previously, he said that it was because he was unsure and until he had prayed and researched, he didn’t want to cause us undue concern.

While that is a good reason, I was still surprised. My husband, on the other hand, was very encouraging and kept telling him to “look into it further,” while I knew that this was more than just research in my son’s mind.

I think the men and women who serve in the military are noble and they all have my respect. But, as a military mom to be I was… frightened. What did this mean? How many years? When do you go? Etc.

And eight years! Four years were active duty and four years could be in the reserves, except for a time of war and then the military had the option of calling you in for active duty. One of my concerns was that an eighteen-year-old could be making plans three years in advance for another eight years of his life. How would you know if you felt the same way in three years?

So, my mind started swirling and the research began in earnest.

I knew about ROTC – we had it in high school, even back in the dark ages when I attended school. I didn’t know the difference between enlisted (someone who goes to a military office and “sign’s up) and College ROTC – graduating with your college degree and entering the military as a 2nd lieutenant. (1st lieutenant is a higher rank).

Military Primer 101 – there are five branches of the military in the USA. They are Army, Navy, Airforce Marines and Coast Guard. All of the branches have a different focus while the goal remains to keep America safe from the enemy. A very noble cause. I have linked to each of the branches of the military where you can learn more about each branch, for my purposes the only one that I was interested in researching was the Army, my son’s choice.

So, the questions began.

My son explained and answered additional questions but the only ones I was interested in was the exit plan. And, those questions were not any that he was interested in and so while he answered the questions I felt that the answers did not satisfy my concerns. So, I asked how he felt about me talking to his recruiter. He was fine with it and so, I got together a list of questions to ask.

When I spoke to the woman at the school recruiting office she was wonderful, kind and understanding. She had served in the Army right out of high school. She said if she had to do it again she would have gone to college first, yet here experiences were very positive. She has a child who is joining the Army as well. As a mom, she had to leave children behind when she was deployed and she shared some of her story with me. She was very open to my questions.

And my questions were different than my son’s basically exit strategy questions.

I’m a little more at peace with the entire situation now that I have more information. While my son’s idea is to graduate and join the Army, as a military mom to be he has to forgive me if my goals are not the same as his. He is eighteen and my husband and I raised an amazing young man. He loves the Lord, he is personable and kind, smart, competitive, a great athlete, strong-willed and outspoken and rarely does not have an opinion about something. As the youngest he is tough and his siblings give him a hard time every chance they get.

Parents we each have our own goals and ideas about what our kids should do, what they should achieve and how they should live their lives but I’ve never been one of those parents that insist that “my will be done!” Yet, I found myself leaning toward that parent I did not want to be!

I’m sharing my journey with you and I ask that you keep us in prayer, that you share your stories – positive ones are very much appreciated!

As part of our commitment to personalized homeschooling, we are proud to offer both secular and Christian options for homeschool families, charter schools, state organizations, co-ops, athletic organizations, arts schools, and others who seek flexible education options for their families.

The post Military Mom To Be appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Staycations are so much fun and this podcast focus is 101 Staycation Ideas that won’t break the bank! In this episode, I’ll share some of the best ideas to enjoy around your own town and state.

Thanks to our sponsor Media Angels, Inc. Learn more at MediaAngels.com

There are many staycation ideas that will save you money. Why a staycation instead of a vacation? Listen here to learn more of the pros and cons of staycations. Staycations are a way to save money as well as have a summer (or fall, winter, and spring) vacation! It is a wonderful way to reconnect and spend time with the people you love, namely your family and friends. Here are a few quick tips for planning your staycation (and be sure to check out the previous podcasts on this topic here and here).

Arts & Drama

Classes

Outdoors

Events

Activities

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If you are not sure how to plan a staycation, stay tuned – this episode is just for you! We will learn how to plan your staycation and enjoy the time with family and friends.

Begin by brainstorming. What are some of the things in your area that you could do with the kids, and maybe even with just your husband? In our area these things revolve around water sports. There is boating, Skiing, Jet skiing, parasailing, fishing, SCUBA diving, and more. We have a shell museum, actually two – we have a hands-on museum for kids, and a small zoo nearby.

There are sporting events such as baseball. We have two indoor ice-skating rings and an island nearby. There are also many outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, outdoor concerts at the local mall and more. There are art events, theatre and music festivals. Once you have a list of ideas, narrow it down to the top ten.

Which of these top ten ideas are feasible? Now it is time to make a plan.

Budget

Activity or Event or Both

Planning – Schedule

Eating:

Rules:

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Sometimes the best vacations are staycations! These fun times are so close to you that you never see them or make the time to enjoy these places. In this episode, we will discuss why staycations can be the best vacation your family ever takes.

Thanks to our sponsor

So, what is a staycation? It is a vacation at home.

Let’s look at why people take vacations.

Often we overlook the wonderful things happening right in our own town in order to travel to another destination, live out of a suitcase and spend lots of money. Don’t get me wrong, vacations are wonderful and sometimes just getting away can bring so much enjoyment it makes it worth the time to plan and the money spent. But what if you decide to do something different this year?

If you are like me, you might live in a city that is a vacation destination. There are so many things to do, however, most would be considered off the beaten path. We don’t have a theme park in my town, but we do have gorgeous beaches, two baseball stadiums, a hockey stadium and not one but two indoor skating rinks. People fly to southwest Florida from all over the world to enjoy our white sand beaches, local seafood, and glorious and endless sunshine. Even the days it rains you can count on the fact that the showers are typically localized and short, with the sun peeking out of the clouds soon afterward.

Truthfully my area is a tourist hub anytime from October to the week or so before Easter. The traffic becomes congested with tourism and all those who come to see the two major league baseball teams that play in my area. And, the locals pay money to leave.

How do you make a staycation a vacation? In the next episode of Vintage Homeschool Moms I’ll go into details on how to plan one to make the most of your time, but just let me explain the basics here.

Ultimately the choice is yours – but recently when I was looking at a vacation in nearby Georgia for my family I found the average house that would fit my size family, close to nature walks, the rapids, and other local events would cost six thousand dollars for one week. That is not including food, although since it was a house we could save money and cook. However, we decided that while it would be fun to see the mountain views the cost was more than we wanted to spend.

So, instead we plan on visiting the local beaches, trying local cuisine on nearby Sanibel/ Captiva Island, and take nature walks along our beaches. The kids will fish, again locally and perhaps take SCUBA diving lessons. This is a fraction of the cost of going away for one week.

And, there is more! I have some fun podcasts upcoming. Stay tuned for more ideas and a way to plan out your staycation so that you’ll wonder why you ever vacation!

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Many people can’t sleep because they can’t still their minds. Mommy night time routines can help you wind down. These tips will help you to get a restful nights sleep.

In this episode, we will discuss why night time routines are good for you and ways to help you relax. This month is all about you moms – and I hope you’ve enjoyed this series.

Catch the other shows if you’ve missed them here:

Things that interfere with a good nights sleep.

Mommy Night Times Routine — Things that help you to relax.

Exercise and eating well — drinking plenty of water during the day. This will help with your mommy night time routines.

Routines can look like this – after the kids are in bed, you can kick off your shoes, take a bath. Afterward, your nightly routine can include brushing your teeth, facial routine, and then reading a book. Write in your Praise Journal and end the evening routine with prayer.

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Feeling tired results in mental fatigue, causing you to feel anxious, forgetful and emotional. In this episode, we will discuss ways to overcome mental fatigue. And don’t miss the episode on Mommy Night Time Routines – listen here.

Thanks to our sponsor – MediaAngels.com and the book One More Child.

Mental fatigue comes when we are overworked physically and mentally. Typical life for a homeschool mom involves so much! We clean, we cook, we work with the kids. We are overjoyed on the success of our children and follow them to lessons, and events. We even plan events and host endless get-togethers for birthday celebrations and the like.

Even with all the technology we have today instead of making our lives easier it becomes more complicated in some ways because it brings information into our homes (think Facebook here) that might cause us to worry or stress. And the pressure we put on ourselves! To succeed, to achieve, for our kids to succeed and achieve! Our schedules are busy, busy, busy. Sometimes it is difficult to think!

This becomes a vicious cycle and it can become a way of life if we are not careful. Many times we resort to coffee or caffeine to combat our tiredness which just continues the cycle. Having mental fatigue causes our thinking to be impulsive and we don’t really think things through!

Here is what causes the problem:

Here is how to break the cycle.

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Join Lucia as she shares how taking charge of your life and overcoming procrastination will help you live your best life on purpose. Today’s the day to open the door to the cage of self-imposed limitations so you can step into a bright future that includes freedom, success, and victory!

Jeremiah 33:3 tells us, “To call unto God and He will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you don’t know.”  Lucia explains that it’s necessary to make time in your daily schedule to clear your mind and imagine what your life can be like.

Success and procrastination are totally incompatible so if you plan to change your habits, you must discipline yourself to take responsibility for your life and stop putting things off.  Today’s the day to seize the moment – seize the day, because, at the end of the year, you don’t want to look back and say, I wish I would have done so and so.

We can’t deny change when it comes to our lives, and we can’t stop making choices to change and grow or we become stagnant in life.  We need to embrace change because it helps us grow. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

Lucia will encourage you to change your habits this year, because if you don’t, this year will be like last year, and next year will be like this year.  Before you know it, you will be at the end of your life with a bag full of wishes and I should haves!

LuciaClaborn.com

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Let’s regroup and recharge! It is time for encouragement for moms – yes, you! This episode if just for you mom, I’ll share some of the ways I’ve been able to take some time and refill, gain more energy and then charge back into life. Some of these things are easy and you can do in a few minutes, others take a bit more planning. Either way, this will be a blessing for you Mom, as we celebrate moms in the month of May!

This episode is brought to you by Media Angels, please check out the latest book, One More Child – available with a special offer during a very short time. Visit the website Media Angels.com and look for the author page here.

Moms, let’s face it we often put ourselves last and that means we are overworked, have mental fatigue and just want to go to bed, most days. When we are overwhelmed we feel defeated like we can’t continue on like this and remain healthy. Stress eats away at our health in ways that are detrimental! We want to be healthy, energetic and joyful! Does this sound far fetched or beyond your reach? Does this sound like I’m talking about someone else, but not you?

Friends, we have to take care of ourselves. It wasn’t until I got sick from stress and overwork that I realized I needed to change. I don’t smoke, drink or eat excessively. I don’t crave sweets – but I do like an occasional piece of chocolate. Feeling like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, I realized I had to slow down and take charge of my health. With good food, supplements, and essential oils, I regained my health.

Now I’m not saying it was just what I fed my body – but I also fed my soul. I take time each and every day, to begin with prayer. An hour or more of prayer. Not just a “help me, Lord” like I use to shout out as a busy and frazzled homeschool mom – although I do some of that as well. More along the lines of reading the Bible, listening to the Word speak to me and praying all day. I recently did an episode of taking Jesus with You – on A Few Minutes with God Podcast. It has been such a blessing for me!

Look at why you feel the way you do and make a change. No one can do it – but you can!

The things that take longer than five minutes that you have to plan for are a long luxurious bath, listening to podcasts – for help and encouragement, hiring or trading with a friend to babysit the kids while you take a much needed break (this doesn’t mean you go grocery shopping! Although going alone does sound like a good idea!

Learn to say no – I didn’t include it in the list above because I wanted to focus on things you could do now, not preventative for the future. Get rid of the things that cause stress in your life – now! Your health and the wellbeing of your family is counting on it!

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With the advance in technology many major, must-know life skills are forgotten. In this episode, we roll up our sleeves and discuss the important life skills you kids must learn.

With smartphones, there is ready to access information on any imaginable topic – yet our children are at a disadvantage without this handy tool. By life skills, I don’t mean foraging in the forest to hunt and gather, better known as survival skills.

Faith

Communication – Verbal and Non-Verbal

Critical thinking

Control of Self and Opinion

Coping with Stress

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