Called To Homeschool

A few weeks ago I was upset that my favorite music app has sexual content. I was angry and mad that the world seems to feel like it continues to get dark and evil seems to be everywhere. I want to end this year's podcast with challenging you to be the light. Light always chases away the darkness.  I would love to hear from you how you plan on being a light in 2023.

How does one become a great homeschool mom? Do some people just have it, and others don't? I don't think so. I think anyone can become a great homeschool mom, and I'd love to show you how in this episode. Also, here is the link to join my annual membership and receive your Family Planner as a thank you gift!

I know that there are days that you are wondering if it is worth it. Days where kids are crying and screaming, and you feel like school was chaotic and no one learned anything. I now have three adult children, and recently one of them sent me a letter telling me what they thought about my parenting them. Listen to today's episode to hear what the letter said and if working on connection is really worth it.

I watched The Hunger Games recently with my daughter and I couldn't help but think that the whole rebellion could have been avoided if the president would just stop trying to use force and fear to control them. It made me wonder how many parents are using fear and force with their kids and then wondering why their kid is rebelling? If you want to put the odds in your favor to not have a kid rebel, or if you currently have a kid who is rebelling, and you're not sure what to do, you need to check out this episode.

I had a few interesting conversations over the last few weeks with two different women who each had two children. One woman told me why she thought having more kids made it easier to not yell at your kids, and the other women told me why it was easier to have independent kids when you have more kids. The truth is that it doesn't matter how many kids you have. Whether or not something is easy or hard, is all in the way you think about it. Tune in to today's episode, to hear what are some of my thoughts about having seven kids.

Do you want to know how I make sure I enjoy the holidays? I do what I want. Maybe that sounds selfish, but doing what I really don't like doing doesn't sound very kind to me. I want to empower you to do the holidays the way you want to do them. Not the way you think you should do them.

I am always on the hunt for ways to make my life and homeschool easier, and one of the ways to do that is to create a rhythm for your home. A rhythm helps build connection and cooperation, it helps children to know what is expected, and it helps to simplify your family. Listen to today's episode to hear more about why you need a rhythm in your home and how to create one.

Mike Tyson once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." Months ago I created my dreamy homeschool plan. I had visions of what it would look like, and I couldn't wait to do school with my kids. Life has a funny way of punching you in the face sometimes and forces you to adapt. In this episode, I talk about some of the ways I have had to adapt my schedule, and I want to challenge you to look at your own schedule and see if there is something you could adapt.

I am so excited about this episode.  I had the opportunity to interview Daniel Harmon.  You may know him from the Harmon Brothers and his viral videos from Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Purple just to name a few.   He has taken his passion and talent for creating and has joined forces with Connor Boyack, the creator of the Tuttle Twins, and has made the Tuttle Twins TV show.   I do not promote TV shows lightly, so that is saying something about how much I have enjoyed this. Also, as an added bonus, they are completely free to watch!!   If you don't want to watch the show, they do have graphic novels instead. They are a cartoon style book that goes right along with the show. Check out the show here. Check out the graphic novels here.

Want to know a really quick way to shut someone down? Criticize what they are doing. So many of you have experienced being criticized whether about your homeschool or other choices you have made, and so far, I haven't heard that anyone likes it. Then why do so many people criticize their children? I want to dive into that in today's episode, and give you some help of what to do instead. Want help to stop the criticism for good? Click here to join Mama's Members and get access to the No Yelling Bootcamp.

This week I have a confession to make. I did a full episode of how to create an amazing birthday and/or holiday, and then guess what? I ended up getting upset over my husband's actions about my birthday. I am trying to embrace my humanness, and I want you to do the same. So today, I want to share with you what you can do when you show up in a way that you wish you wouldn't have. Here are the journal questions from today's episode: After you have written your thought download, circle what are the facts. What is your thought about the facts? How did you feel when you thought that? What actions or in-actions did you take when felt that way? How do you wish you would have shown up instead? What would you need to be feeling in order to do that? What thought would create that feeling?

I hear a lot of parents concerns about their teens. One of the concerns I hear is the worry that their teen isn't planning for their future. That their teen won't be able to provide for a family, or do anything with their life. But what if you're wrong? What if your teen is going to make some awesome choices and some dumb choices, and they will learn a lot from all of them? In today's episode, I want to give you some journal questions to ask yourself if you are struggling with your teen and choices they are making in their life.  Why am I afraid of my teen’s plans? What would happen if I trusted in them to make the best choice for them? How do I keep a connection with them no matter what they decided? How could their plan be amazing?

Guess what, it's my birthday today!! So I wanted to talk about what you can do to enjoy your birthday, anniversary, or any other special day.

This is the final tip I'll be giving in this series. This one is a skill. I wanted to leave you with something you can do when your child isn't listening. If you struggle with your kid not listening to you, then you need to check out this episode. Also, the last day to sign up for the No Yelling Boot Camp is September 30th, so don't miss out!  https://www.coachmegthomas.com/no-yell-november-bootcamp

This week I am focusing on what to do instead of yelling. Did you know that about 85% of the energy in the home is used to correct weakness? What if you used that energy differently? What if you used that same amount of energy and put it into pointing out what your kids are doing right? Can you imagine what a difference that would make? Check out today's episode to hear more about how to point out what your kids are doing right. Click here to learn more about the No Yelling Bootcamp

Welcome to tip #3!! In this episode, I talk about how to feel your feelings without reacting to them. I give you the tool to stop and take a BREATH, so that you can give yourself more time between the stimulus and the response. If you are wanting more help to stop yelling, you have to come and check out the No Yelling Bootcamp.

Welcome to tip #2!! This week I'm talking about quick fixes and why they don't work.  If you are ready to stop yelling for good, then you need to check out my No Yelling Bootcamp.

Welcome to part one of tips to stop yelling.  In this episode, I share with you why having the skills to yell isn't enough. Yes, skills are awesome, but you your mindset is what helps you to actually make the change.

When you start to homeschool, it's like having a new baby. It may take more of your time and some things may fall the side as you are adapting to your new lifestyle. But eventually your homeschool baby grows, and homeschool doesn't feel as challenging anymore. Your homeschool will go through different phases, just like children do. I want to give you one simple thing you can do when your homeschool starts feeling hard and challenging. Join me for the free no yelling class.

Did you know that over 15 years ago I gave up eating desserts and treats?  In the beginning, it was super hard. I didn't know what to do when I was upset because treats were my go to. What do I do at a party that has treats there? It was really hard for me. Now here we are 15 years later and I don't want treats anymore.  Yelling can become the same for you. It may be hard in the beginning, but eventually you will not desire to yell anymore. Check out today's episode to hear more!