Simple Homeschool

I can hardly believe it, but this is the FINAL episode of the Simple Homeschool podcast with me, Jamie C. Martin...and my son Jonathan joins me to wrap it up! Don't worry, though, I'm not leaving you Jamie-less :) You can still find me over at Simple Homeschool as well as sharing my quotes and poetry on both Facebook and Instagram! This episode is sponsored by FORM Fitness PE/Health curriculum and All About Reading/Spelling! Take Jamie's quiz, What's Your Homeschool Mom Personality? In our final episode, Jonathan (homeschooled K-12) gives those of you feeling worried about your kids' future an encouraging pep talk from his perspective, having spent two years in the real world thus far. He also gives a shout out to TJEd High, an online mentoring program he was a part of during high school. And I surprise him (& almost make him cry) with a poem I wrote inspired by a scary homeschool moment, as well as my view on it from now, so many years later! We also recap the most popular episodes he and I have recorded, including: 5th most popular - Ep 110: When Your Homeschooler Refuses to Do Something 4th most popular - Ep 104: Did you "miss out" because of homeschooling? 3rd most popular - Ep 106: The "S" Word, Socialization 2nd most popular - Ep 105: What Is Relationship-Centered Homeschooling? 1st place - Ep 109: Reasons to Homeschool (There are a lot of them!) Come listen in and be encouraged, and remember that all of my episodes will remain up for you to revisit whenever you need them!

This year I'm doing monthly Then and Now Reflections on the podcast - looking back over my 15 year homeschooling career and sharing what I've learned along the way AND what I'd do differently if I could go back. Welcome! . This episode is sponsored by Sonlight K-12 Curriculum and Dyslexia Connect Take Jamie's quiz, What's Your Homeschool Mom Personality? In Episode 126, you'll hear me and my daughter Trishna (20-yrs-old, homeschool graduate, special needs) discuss: I introduce the special guest who's new to the podcast, my daughter Trishna! What I feel I would change about our homeschool routine if I could go back to this point in our family's journey We go down the rabbit trail of remembering Trishna's favorite TV shows from this time Who used to do all the cooking, compared to who does it these days Activities that were NOT Trishna's favorite from our daily routine The bedtime routine that the kids loved and I found exhausting (& soon stopped!) My advice when it comes to using screen time for moms of littles To read the original article I wrote in 2013 and/or check out links & photos mentioned in this episode, head here. Listen in for a dose of homeschooling inspiration!

How often do you wish you could have a homeschool do-over? Well, now you can, and in the best way possible - without having to make mistakes of your own! This episode is sponsored by FORM Fitness! Take my quiz, What's Your Homeschool Mom Personality? This year I'm doing monthly Then and Now Reflections on the podcast - looking back over my 15 year homeschooling career and sharing what I've learned along the way. In Episode 124, listen in with me and my son Jonathan (currently 19) as we chat about the past, specifically re: 2011 in our homeschool (when he was six-years-old)! What we remember fondly, what we'd rather not remember (LOL), and what we might do differently if we could have a do-over. To read the original post I wrote in 2011 and/or check out links mentioned in this episode (including that circle time video, which is a doozy!), head here. In this episode, you'll hear: I welcome Jonathan back to the podcast after he's been away touring with the Jonas Brothers my initial homeschooling philosophy of focusing on relationships rather than academics as top priority, and what I think about that now looking back our daily homeschool rhythm from 2011 including morning routines, books, a few structured activities, "sections" time, and what Jonathan remembers fondly (or not!) we reminisce about highlights of their 2011 days: walks, circle time, and the library how we used screens, quiet time, and outings to make it through the days what Jonathan thinks now about how our homeschool style has influenced him as a young adult Listen in and be encouraged!

This December Jamie is taking a break from podcasting, so we are revisiting top episodes from the podcast's history - enjoy your winter break! This episode was written by Kari Patterson, and if you'd prefer to read instead of listen, head here. Check out Kari's personal site, podcast, and book - Sacred Mundane! * Today's episode is sponsored by Dyslexia Connect and Sonlight's K-12 Curriculum. * What's Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie's quiz and get your free personality report at simplehomeschool.net/quiz/ "I can feel my body tense up as I say the words with forced enthusiasm: "Ok, time for school!" They say what I know they'll say: "Do we have to?!" And if I'm honest, that's exactly what I'm saying in my own mind: "Do we have to?!"

This episode was written by Kari Patterson, and if you'd prefer to read instead of listen, head here. Check out Kari's personal site, podcast, and book - Sacred Mundane! Today's episode is sponsored by Buddy Books and Write the World's College Essay Course! ***** What's Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie's quiz and get your free personality report at simplehomeschool.net/quiz/ This year I ditched most of what we'd done before, and decided to take a Homeschool Experiment Year. That is, a year to try new things, refuse to stress, return to JOY, and recover our lost love of learning. Listen in to find out what happened next!

Welcome back to a new episode of the podcast - I'm flying solo on this one, since Jonathan is currently on tour as Lighting Director for the Jonas Brothers! If anyone is going to one of their concerts this fall or winter, please head over to the lighting booth if you can and tell him, "Your mom sent me over to remind you that she's proud of you and she loves you." * This episode is sponsored by Night Zookeeper and FORM Fitness! In Episode 118 I chat about: The wonder of seeing Jonathan in action on the Jonas Brothers Tour The Weirdness of Not Having to Get Up Early for the Homeschool Day Our Love for CNN10 back when it was with Carl Azuz - thrilled to find out Carl just began his own news show: The World from A to Z! The stereotype that homeschoolers can't survive in the "real world" as my son travels to a different city each night! My 25th Anniversary Dance with Steve Navigating Seasons of Change and the Unknown Take my quiz, What's Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Would you like to submit a homeschooling question for Jamie to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, email it to jamie@simplehomeschool.net with "Podcast Question" as the subject line. To download an auto-generated transcript of this episode, click here.

It's hard to believe it, but after 15 official years, Jamie has reached the end of her homeschooling journey! Join me and my 18-year-old son Jonathan as we chat about how surreal this moment is and what we did to commemorate it as a family. * This episode is sponsored by Learn Math Fast and Dyslexia Connect! In Episode 116 we discuss: Jamie's Homeschool Retirement Party and all it included (pop quiz, toast, poetry reading, prayer time) Jonathan reads the letter he wrote to me when he graduated in 2022 Jamie reads aloud the poem she wrote and read at her homeschool retirement (have tissues nearby!) Find pics/video of my retirement party pinned on my Instagram profile Would you like to submit a homeschooling question for Jamie to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, email it to jamie@simplehomeschool.net with "Podcast Question" as the subject line. To download an auto-generated transcript of this episode, click here.

This summer Jamie is on sabbatical for a few weeks, so we are revisiting a couple of the top episodes from the podcast's history! This one originally published in August 2021. Today's episode is sponsored by Ratio 21 and Sonlight! ***** This episode was written by Kari Patterson, and if you'd prefer to read instead of listen, head here. Check out Kari's personal site, podcast, and book - Sacred Mundane! What's Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie's quiz and get your free personality report at simplehomeschool.net/quiz/ Dinner's made, but it's chicken and rice again. Laundry's done, because I no longer fold. Kids finished school because I told them to skip the math problems (again). Eventually I remind myself of Chesterton's wisdom and the power of intentional mediocrity. Truth: We can't be awesome everywhere.

Welcome back to a new episode of the Simple Homeschool podcast, continuing this year's series with my 18-year-old son Jonathan! * This episode is sponsored by My Fun Science and The Animation Course! Jonathan was homeschooled from K-12th grade/graduation and today we are answering a common question: How did you navigate technology and screentime in your homeschool? In Episode 112 we discuss: Using Screen Time intentionally so that you can maximize its education potential Stumbling upon pornography even with excessive parental controls in place Whether or not Jonathan hates us for not letting him have social media earlier What he would do differently when it comes to his own kids one day Would you like to submit a homeschooling question for Jamie and Jonathan to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, email it to jamie@simplehomeschool.net with "Podcast Question" as the subject line. To download an auto-generated transcript of this episode, click here.

Welcome to a new episode of the Simple Homeschool podcast, continuing this year's series with my 18-year-old son Jonathan! * This episode is sponsored by Outschool and Ivy Kids! Jonathan was homeschooled from K-12th grade, and in this episode we are answering a question we get a LOT: What do you do when your homeschooled child doesn't want to do an assignment, chore, etc? In Episode 110, you'll hear us discuss: How to handle pushback depending on the age of your child (littles, tweens, teens) Thoughts on separating academics from household duties Why you should go to Thailand and not Bogota (listen in for more context, LOL, it's a helpful analogy!) How Jamie forced Jonathan to take the SAT twice (and what he thinks about that now looking back #meanmom) Would you like to submit a homeschooling question for Jamie and Jonathan to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, email it to jamie@simplehomeschool.net with "Podcast Question" as the subject line. Find the rest of the show notes and links/transcript for this episode by clicking here.

Welcome to the Simple Homeschool podcast with Jamie C. Martin and my 18-year-old son, Jonathan! * This episode is sponsored by Story Masters and Jamie's four books! Jonathan was homeschooled from K-12th grade, and in this episode we answer a question sent in from Gillian: "Do you feel like homeschooling gave you extra opportunities that you wouldn't have had in traditional school?" In Episode 108, you'll hear us discuss: Trips we took during the school year Conferences we attended in a variety of fields Volunteering that led to paid employment Amazing opportunities that have come Jonathan's way since graduation Would you like to submit a homeschooling question for Jamie and Jonathan to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, email it to jamie@simplehomeschool.net with "Podcast Question" as the subject line. Find the rest of the show notes and links/transcript for this episode by clicking here.

Welcome to the Simple Homeschool podcast with Jamie C. Martin and my 18-year-old son, Jonathan! We're currently in the middle of a podcast series: "Reflections from a Homeschool Graduate." * This episode is NOT sponsored by Stew Leonards (listen in for more context LOL), but IS sponsored by My Fun Science and Sonlight! Jonathan was homeschooled from K-12th grade so he has a unique perspective, and guess what one of the most-submitted questions for him to answer has been? That's right - in this episode we're talking THE "S" word: Socialization! In Episode 106, you'll hear us answer these questions: Where do you make friends? Did you ever feel like it was difficult to find common ground to connect with peers? Do you feel like you get along well with other homeschoolers? Do you feel you get along with your peers in general? Would you like to submit a homeschooling question for Jamie and Jonathan to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, email it to jamie@simplehomeschool.net with "Podcast Question" as the subject line. Find the rest of the show notes and links for this episode by clicking here.

Welcome to the Simple Homeschool podcast - with my new co-host, my 18-year-old son, Jonathan! This year we're doing a new podcast series: "Reflections from a Homeschool Graduate." * Today's episode is sponsored by Spark Learning Pals and Dyslexia Connect Jonathan was homeschooled from K-12th grade, so he has a unique perspective to share that's going to be so helpful for you as homeschool parents currently in the trenches, wrestling with questions and doubts on your journey. And by far, when I asked for your questions, the top one submitted had to do with concerns over "missing out" on traditional school experiences. In Episode 104, you'll hear Jonathan answer these questions: Do you feel like you missed out because you were homeschooled the whole way through? What about traditional coming of age experiences like prom and graduation? If you did miss out, do you see that as a negative thing? Would you like to submit a homeschooling question for Jamie and Jonathan to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, email it to jamie@simplehomeschool.net with "Podcast Question" as the subject line. Find the rest of the show notes and links for this episode by clicking here.