The OnlySchoolers Podcast: Helping You Homeschool

Here are the famous quotations the OnlySchoolers are talking about in this episode.

• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
  ― Winston S. Churchill
• “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
  ― Leonardo da Vinci
• “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” – Theodore Roosevelt
• “Fortune befriends the bold.” — Emily Dickinson
• “Success isn’t about the end result, it’s about what you learn along the way.” — Vera Wang
• “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” — Henry Ford
• “There is little success where there is little laughter.” — Andrew Carnegie

Here are the famous quotations the OnlySchoolers are talking about in this episode.

“If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw. When he's finished, he'll ask you for a napkin. Then he'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache.” --Laura Numeroff

"'Curiouser and curiouser,' cried Alice." -- Lewis Carroll

"What other function do books have, the great ones, but to change the reader? Books to comfort. But most of all, books to disturb you forward." --Jon Cohen

"Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another." — G. K. Chesterton

"Dwell in possibility."— Emily Dickinson

“No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.” — Amelia Earhart

“One cat just leads to another.” —  Hemingway

Here are the famous quotations the OnlySchoolers are talking about in this episode.

• “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir
• “The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” —Henri Matisse
• “We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” – Albert Einstein
• “Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.” – Sir Isaac Newton
• “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu

Here are the famous quotations the OnlySchoolers are talking about in this episode.

• “Education is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Einstein
• “Learning does not make one learned: there are those who have knowledge and those who have understanding. The first requires memory and the second philosophy.” – Alexandre Dumas
• “A man’s mind, stretched by new ideas, may never return to its original dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
• “Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.” – Chinese Proverb
• “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” – Margaret Mead
• “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” - Aristotle

Here are the famous quotations the OnlySchoolers are talking about in this episode.

• “An army marches on its stomach.” – Napoleon
• “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world..” – J.R.R. Tolkien
• “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf
• “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.” – Jonathan Swift
• “Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.” – Shakespeare

Here are the famous quotations the OnlySchoolers are talking about in this episode.

• “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” - Shakespeare
• “Awake, chaos; we have napped.” - e.e. cummings
• “In all chaos, there is a cosmos, in all disorder, a secret order.” - Carl Jung
• “Without order, nothing can exist—without chaos, nothing can evolve.” - Oscar Wilde
• “Chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge—even wisdom.” - Toni Morrison

Here's the list of the #QUOTES we're talking about during this episode devoted to Teens.

• “Small children disturb your sleep; big children, your life.” - Yiddish proverb
• “Little children, headache; big children, heartache.” - Italian proverb.
• “The average teenager still has all the faults his parents outgrew.” - Unknown
• “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” - e.e. cummings
• “That’s what it is to care for a person…if you’re not afraid, you’re not doing it right.” - Jonathan Auxier
• “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” - Ghandi

Here are the quotes we'll be talking about during this episode of the podcast.

• “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” - Socrates
• “Every man is worth just so much as the things about which he busies himself.” - Marcus Aurelius
• "It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. What are we busy about?” - Henry David Thoreau
• “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” - Ghandi

Here are the quotes we're looking at during this episode:

• “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” -- Frederick Buechner
• “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.” -- Benjamin Franklin
• “Beware for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” -- Mary Shelley
• “The question isn’t about who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” -- Ayn Rand

Quirky and Unusual: the OnlySchoolers Take on Excerpts and Sayings or #QUOTES

• "Life is a journey, not a destination." --Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "Throughout the centuries, there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision." -- Ayn Rand
• "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." St. Francis of Assisi
• "Not all those who wander are lost." J.R.R. Tolkien

The OnlySchoolers are talking tests & transcripts today.

Helpful Links*:

As parents, we're often telling our kids to "Use your words." The words we use and the way we use them are incredibly important for successful communication. 

Join Gina and Christyn as they share their experiences with confusing homeschool jargon, and discuss ways to make sure we're using words that invite and reassure, rather than confuse and overwhelm.

And here's your link to the homeschool terminology web site we mentioned during the show :

The OnlySchoolers are kicking off Season 3 with a look at their chosen words for 2022, and then we're moving on to talking about Failing to Succeed....but this episode may not be about what you think it's going to be about :-)

As homeschoolers, we are used to going our own way and are generally unafraid to do what we know is best for our children — it's the nature of homeschooling! Sometimes, though, these choices leave us vulnerable to criticism from outsiders and surprisingly, vulnerable to our own critical inner voices, as well. Join Gina and Christyn as they talk about the ways in which they've fearlessly homeschooled, and the vulnerabilities they experienced along the way.

As homeschoolers, we are all blazing a trail with our children...but we are all also creating new traditions as we go. Join Gina and Christyn as they talk about the new paths they've taken, the traditions that have emerged, and the balance they find in between new and old ideas as they homeschool.

Can something that's "just" satisfying be truly substantial when it comes to homeschooling? Absolutely! Something that is satisfying can be gratifying and exactly right for your kids — and that can lead to substantial learning. Gina and Christyn share how you can have an absolutely satisfactory learning experience and relationship that meets your needs AND is meaningful and significant. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Regrets. Just like Frank says in the song, we've all had a few in life and in our homeschools and we can use those regrets to spur change and growth.  And even though it's not part of the song, we've all experienced a bit of rebellion in our homeschools, too. Join Gina and Christyn as they talk about how ownership of education goes a long way toward keeping pushback to a minimum, and a few tips they've picked up over the years to defuse challenging attitudes. 

Back in July, Gina and Christyn shared their favorite things about homeschooling an only child. Today, as they flip the script and give you a "Five Minutes on the Fifth Thursday" (but on a First Thursday!), they take a look at the hardest things they've experienced in onlyschooling. From only using a curriculum once to listening to *all* the questions, they share a few of the challenges they've encountered on their homeschool journeys...it's not always easy, but it's always worth it!

You know about narration as an educational tool, but have you ever thought about applying the tenets of narration to your homeschool story? How would paying attention to the details of your day help you create a more truthful narrative of how your homeschool goals are playing out? Would you see the successes that are sometimes overshadowed by the more difficult moments? Gina and Christyn tackle this theme, as well as discuss how physical and mental/emotional noise can interfere with our days and affect our homeschool narratives.

We've all been there: a moody day can be a challenge as we homeschool. Listen along as Gina and Christyn share their best tips for getting through the broody-moody times and salvage the day — they're here to tell you it's possible! They also chat about the mysteries of homeschool and how following the clues is the best path to solving them.

Homeschooling an only child is the only "normal" Gina and Christyn have ever known. Listen in as they discuss their favorite things about onlyschooling.

1:50   Allowing child-led experience and ownership of education can be simpler: it's the ultimate private school
3:45   Flexibility with curriculum; and if you hit a roadblock in learning, you can just stop for a while
5:23   The logistics of extracurricular activities and learning opportunities are easier

You've probably heard Theodore Roosevelt's saying that "Comparison is the thief of joy." Join Gina and Christyn as they discuss the challenge of overcoming the green-eyed monster when it shows up in their homeschools. The good news is that just looking for the little joys that come with this lifestyle is enough to overcome the jealousy and keep the focus on the wonder that comes with lifelong learning!

2:12    The focus of the OnlySchoolers is to provide a joyful, uplifting show, but we're also honest enough to admit there are hard things about homeschooling: one of those hard things is jealousy

3:02   The 11th Commandment in Homeschooling is "Do not covet thy neighbor's homeschool" — and that's a hard one!

4:02   When it comes to homeschooling,  there's a tendency to compare ourselves and our kids and our homeschool situation to other families...and come up short

5:12   There are three distinct categories when we discuss jealousy in homeschool
1) Comparison of homeschool parents/teachers
2) Comparison of our children to friends, siblings, cousins
3) Comparison of homeschool situation

5:47  Gina discusses parent envy of a friend who creates festive occasions  in her homeschool

8:14  Christyn discusses parent envy of the "perfect homeschool days" posts on Facebook and envy of homeschool moms who manage get-togethers without their kids

10:19  Gina and Christyn discuss jealousies that revolve around having an only child

13:00  Homeschool graduation season brings up jealousies about where our kids are relative to other kids. Seeing others' accomplishments can be difficult

13:51   In those situations, Christyn gives herself a gentle, mental shake and reminds herself why she's homeschooling

14:15  Gina admits jealousy of those who have a dedicated homeschool space

16:05  Christyn has a dedicated space, but admits jealousy of those that are perfectly organized (hers is not!!)

16:38  Tips and tricks to deal with jealousy when it crops up

19:20  Drop the jealousy and find the joy in your homeschool! Take the joy wherever you find it!

19:52   Gina discusses her books about actively seeking joy and how it is best cultivated by thinking small

20:46   Christyn and Gina talk about some of the little joys they find during the day

23:45   Joy not only comes from what happens, but sometimes from what doesn't happen

24:48   There's also long-term joy that goes beyond anything we feel any single day: "the slices add up"

When we homeschool, we're given creative license to design the education that best suits our children. And that's where Imagination and Individuality come into play! Listen along as we talk about how we've turned expectations upside down and found learning in unexpected places...which perfectly fit our unique kids!

We're back...with lots of laughs! Join us as we talk about how accepting our human nature and injecting humor into our days is vital to a happy and productive homeschool!

2:22   Gina discusses human nature with a reference to Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Q continuum

3:36   Human nature includes eating, drinking, resting, as well as play, curiosity, and communication

4:32  When it comes to homeschooling, ignore these things at your own peril! But acknowledging and incorporating them into your day creates wonder and acceptance

4:45   We discuss how food, drink, and rest work in our homeschool days

7:15   Be sure to include play and curiosity in your day; so much learning revolves around these two simple things

10:10  Play can be a curiosity-seeking launchpad! Use it!

10:35   Communication is key to human nature...and it includes a lot more than you think!

12:41  Remember: communication is a two-way street; as parents and homeschool teachers, a lot of the heavy-lifting of communication falls on us

13:48   Keep up with the new jargon, new slang, emojiis, acronyms, whatever — it will help you communicate better with your kids!

14:55   Rules of behavior can be complicated and have to be adjusted accordingly

18:16  The single most important thing for a homeschool parent to possess is a sense of humor

19:02  Gina talks Shakespeare and how his comedies can apply to homeschool: They move from chaos to order, with laughs in between

21:08  The best-laid plans are not immune to chaos. Roll with it. Laughter is almost always better than crying

21:48   Mark Twain: The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter

22:00  We talk about the times that laughter has saved the day in our homeschools

25:29   To keep the humor rolling, we incorporate lots of catchphrases in our family interactions, shorthand to diffuse situations or make a personal connection. Shared laughter is a bond that holds us together

28:22   Homeschool is about far more than reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic. The fourth "R" — relationship — is far more important

It's springtime and the Easter season -- which means it's the perfect time to talk about Growth and Grace. In this episode Gina and Christyn talk about the different types of growth -- delayed growth, unexpected growth, and slow and steady growth -- affect homeschooling. And, when all else fails, they encourage you to give yourself (and your kids) a little grace on your homeschooling adventure.

Gina and Christyn tackle two common themes for anyone who's homeschooled more than thirty minutes: disappointment and doubt. Every homeschooling family has experienced moments, seasons, or even full school years of doubt or disappointment -- or sometimes both at once! Most often the culprit is unmet expectations -- so listen along to see how they address these issues in their homeschools and strengthen their emotional weightlifting capabilities at the same time.