Homeschooling Families by Teach Them Diligently

We’re going to be exploring an after-high school option that you may have heard about but have not been really sure what it is. Gap Year programs may be a great fit for your teenager, and I’m excited to have an expert on the subject here with us today as we explore what Gap Year Programs are and how they can benefit your students.   MEET THE GUEST: Brian Tanedo has worked for more than 10 years in college admissions and recruitment, both at Word of Life Bible Institute and Cedarville University. He is currently serving as the Dean of Enrollment for Word of Life for their New York and Florida campuses.  PODCAST SPONSOR: Word of Life Bible Institute is a fully accredited, collegiate-level program for high school graduates offering intensive Bible study and ministry training designed to help students deepen their faith and discover God’s plan for their lives. With campuses in the mountains of New York, the beaches of west coast Florida, and eight international sites, there’s a campus for everyone. Visit teachthemdiligently.net/wol to learn more and schedule a personal visit.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: What is a gap year program  What does the research show about young people leaving the faith or their faith become inconsequential to them and how can parents combat that?  What will your child gain from participating in a Gap Year program?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer time is upon us, and with it comes some great opportunities for building on what our kiddos have learned and the things they have enjoyed during the school year—but with a much more relaxed and natural approach.   Rachel Figg is joining us today to talk all about Cultivating Curiosity In The Summer by exposing our children to music, art, stem, and pe, which are often things we can fail to get to in our regular homeschool days. We’ll discuss the importance of these enrichment activities for our children’s growth, as well as give insight into how incorporating these in the summer can enhance your next school year as well.   PODCAST SPONSOR: Another great opportunity we can give our children is the chance to attend a camp, and  I’m excited to share with you how your kiddos can Launch their Faith at Word of Life Camps. With nonstop, high energy activities, engaging speakers, and dynamic worship, you’ll experience a connection with God like never before. Word of Life has Family Camps, Youth Camps, and retreats in both Upstate New York and the West Coast of Central Florida. Visit camps.wol.org for more information and register for the best summer ever.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: How to see learning as much more of an interconnected web rather than stand alone lanes.  How to use our summer to introduce our children to new concepts and opportunities that may ignite passions we never knew existed. How can we get more wonder and curiosity in our homeschools? How can including subjects like Art, Music, PE & STEM open the doors to wonder and curiosity for kids? How can we help our kids develop new passions? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of you listening in share the belief that the discipleship of our children is a really important part of our job description. For many, though, how that looks practically seems like a mystery. Today’s podcast will go a long way towards shattering that mystery as Leslie talks to Katie J. Trent all about some really practical ways to make family discipleship fun—and the best part is that we’ll talk about how you can do that through many of your favorite activities, whatever they may be.   Katie J Trent puts the FUN back into the FUNdamentals of Family Discipleship! She’s the bestselling author of “Dishing Up Devotions: 36 Faith-Building Activities for Homeschooling Families” and “Recipes for a Sweet Child: Creative, Bible-based Activities to Help Your Family Thrive.” She’s also the founder of Family Faith-Building Academy, an 8-week digital family discipleship course for Christian parents, as well as a popular blogger and speaker who infuses faith and fun to build strong families.  You’re going to enjoy hearing from Katie today as she brings her counseling background into the forefront and gives us great ideas for discipleship in the every day activities of our families.  Before we dive in, since I haven’t mentioned it for a while, I wanted to make sure you knew about my newest book, Heart School. Heart School addresses how amazing parents use homeschooling to build strong families where children can excel academically, and it encourages parents to focus on what truly matters- our children’s hearts. Inside, you’ll learn practical strategies that are easy to implement and will bring immense changes to your family. This method of homeschooling will help you teach more while reducing stress and overwhelm and strengthen all the relationships within your home. If you’re a Christian parent desiring to raise children who love God and are prepared to walk through whatever door He opens for them in the days ahead, Heart School is for you. You can get your own copy of Heart School for only $5 when you visit TeachThemDiligently.net/book.   PODCAST SPONSOR: The Voice of the Martyrs is a nonprofit missions organization that serves persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ. In partnership with Teach Them Diligently, VOM is offering listeners a free Global Prayer Guide! This full-color prayer guide, with summaries of the restricted nations and hostile areas where VOM works, will help you pray more specifically for persecuted Christians. Visit teachthemdiligently.net/vom to request your FREE copy of VOM’s Global Prayer Guide today!  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Taste and See—how you can use our geography resource to engage your family in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world. The importance of discipleship within our families at every stage of life. How to engage your children in discipleship activities. How every day activities can not only strengthen relationships, but can also give wonderful opportunities for convers

On today's podcast, Leslie Nunnery is joined by Abbie Halberstadt of M is for Mama. Leslie and Abbie will be talking about how God grows us, even in the midst of hard situations and a very dark, combative culture, and how that can impact our families.  ABOUT THE GUEST: Abbie is a happy wife, homeschooling mama to 10, bestselling author of M is for Mama and the upcoming Hard is not the same thing as bad. She’s fitness instructor and reigning family Nertz champion. She loves encouraging fellow moms to dig deep into the daily struggles of motherhood to discover that "hard is not the same thing as bad." She, her husband, Shaun, and their kids live in the Piney Woods of East Texas.  PODCAST SPONSOR: If you are nearing graduation and wondering what the next step for your teen may be, be sure to check out Word of Life. While there, your child can earn college credit while also building on the spiritual foundation you've given them for life. With a focus on discipleship and preparation, Word of Life is a great next step for homeschooled young adults. Request more information at https://teachthemdiligently.net/wol See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kirk Martin is joining us again today, as we look specifically at how to stop defiance, disrespect and meltdowns without yelling or ruining your relationship with your child. This is a really practical discussion that you don’t want to miss.  Kirk is the founder of Celebrate CALM and the host of the Calm Parenting Podcast. Through the years, he has shown almost 1,000,000 parents how to stop the yelling, defiance, and power struggles with the most strong-willed children. He’s known for very practical strategies and scripts delivered with humor and compassion and helping parents learn how to get your kids to listen the first time while building a close, trusting relationship.  Kirk will be joining us at our homeschool conference in Pigeon Forge, TN May 4-6, and I hope you’re making your plans to join us there as well. If you do, you’ll find not only incredibly helpful homeschool helps and information, but even more importantly, you’ll be able to take advantage of a lot of teaching about parenting, marriage, discipleship, and more—because we know that homeschooling is a LOT more than just an academic pursuit!  Learn more about our upcoming event, including pre-conference opportunities specifically for those who are new to homeschooling or homeschooling high school at teachthemdiligently.net/events.    Today’s episode is brought to you by Samaritan Ministries. Samaritan Ministries connects hundreds of thousands of Christians across the nation who care for one another spiritually and financially when a medical need arises. As a member, you choose the doctors, treatments, and hospitals that are right for your family. Afterwards, your medical bills are sent to Samaritan Ministries, and they notify members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. It’s Biblical, affordable, and you can join today. When the Body of Christ comes together to pray, encourage, and provide for one another, burdens are lifted, and God is glorified. This applies to all areas of life, including health care. Learn more at teachthemdiligently.net/samaritanministries.  Topics Included In Today’s Podcast:  1) What is the root of much of the defiance parents experience with more strong-willed children (i.e. anxiety, frustration, broken relationships, attachment issues)?  2) How can you turn defiance into a bonding opportunity with your child?  3) Can you give examples of how "motion changes emotion" can be used to help calm a child when melting down?  4) Why does using intensity often calm an upset child who is already intense?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we are joined by Chelsea Cameron. Leslie and Chelsea are going to be talking about the home part of homeschooling, because that’s where the stakes are high and the rewards are even higher. You’re going to love to hear her heart and practical advice, and I believe you’re going to get even more excited to hear her in just a couple of weeks at our Teach Them Diligently homeschool conference in Pigeon Forge, TN May 4-6.  Chelsea and her husband, Kirk Cameron played love interests Mike and Kate Seaver in the 1980's hit sitcom "Growing Pains". They've been married for over 25 years, and have six children. Together, they continue to produce faith-based entertainment for the entire family. Chelsea's unique faith-based marriage and family class, 24/7 Family, continues to teach, inspire, and encourage women of many backgrounds to discover the secret of a healthy, happy, brave and fruitful home.  If you’ve never been to a Teach Them Diligently event, this would be a great one to start with. Once  you’re there, you’ll find that you'll get access to world-class speakers, practical workshops, and a huge exhibit hall filled with the latest homeschooling curriculum and resources. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded families and recharge your homeschooling batteries. BUT, what really sets Teach Them Diligently apart is the mission. What you’ll find when you join us in Pigeon Forge is a homeschool conference that is focused on strengthening families, refocusing us all on our mission as parents and home educators, and preparing us to accomplish that mission with excellence. It has a distinctly Christian focus, and those who attend tell us that they came away with not only great information and encouragement, but also with relationships with others that will help sustain and support them all year long. We spend a lot of time talking about parenting, marriage, and other relationships as well as covering the nuts and bolts of homeschooling, because we know that home education is only a small part of your family life, though it impacts much of it.  We would love to see you there!  Learn more and get your ticket now at TeachThemDiligently.net/events    TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: How the Lord led Kirk and Chelsea to decide to homeschool. How God used the act of homeschooling as a tool for building rock-solid relationships within their family. How your mission will direct your interactions with your children. The amazing benefits of godly, healthy discipline. Chelsea’s heart for homeschooling families.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is a BIG day for David and Leslie. It’s their 25th anniversary! Since this episode falls directly on their big silver anniversary, they thought it would be fun to chat about some things we’ve discovered since we got married and to share some practical takeaways that we hope will be insightful and helpful for you no matter what year of marriage you’re on.   This episode is heavy on practical insight from two imperfect people who’ve grown to love each other more with each passing year by the grace of God.  Before we dive into our discussion about our marriage takeaways, we wanted to personally invite you to join us in Pigeon Forge in a couple of weeks. We’ll be there May 3-6 at the LeConte Center with thousands of other homeschoolers, speakers, authors, and curriculum providers. There really is no better place to get equipped and encouraged in your homeschool journey than at Teach Them Diligently, but TTD events are so much more than just homeschool conferences. Since we know that homeschooling overflows into every other area of your life, so do our conferences. With an unapologetically Christian approach to family life, Teach Them Diligently events are full of workshops and resources about marriage, parenting, discipleship, and more. We hope you’ll make your plans to join us there. If you register before the end of this week using discount code ANNIVERSARY25, you can save 25% off your family or individual day ticket. That’s a MASSIVE savings! We promise that if you’ll join us at Teach Them Diligently, you’ll leave encouraged and excited to put into practice all that you’ve learned—and you’ll probably have a better vision for why you’re doing what you’re doing, too! Go to TeachThemDiligently.net/events to learn more and get your ticket today using discount code ANNIVERSARY25.    Topics Covered in this Episode:  The power of prioritizing your marriage. How living in understanding way with someone very different from you can change your perspective and improve your relationship. True forgiveness is an integral part of a healthy life and a healthy relationship. The importance of avoiding power struggles. And, the unexpected glue that holds all these things together.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's topic is an important one as we'll be looking at homeschool co-op security and safety.  While we all wish this was a topic that didn't require serious consideration, in the day and age we live in we must have a solid plan to protect our kiddos when they're Co-op, church, etcetera.   Leslie is joined by Michael Mann today. Michael is a Marine Corps and law enforcement veteran currently serving as an expert in physical protection for both the corporate sector and faith-based organizations he has some incredible insights to offer us all.   This is an episode that we hope you'll share with your Co-op and tutorial leaders to make sure they have this information as well.   Michael will be joining us at Teach Them Diligently Pigeon Forge, TN May 4-6, 2023 where he’ll be speaking on security issues. Make your plans to join us there. Get more details here.  You’ve probably heard Leslie refer to “Heart Schooling or Heart Schoolers” quite a bit on the show already, but we wanted to make sure you understood where it came from. Leslie wrote Heart School to help parents like you get more clarity about what God has CALLED you to do and then to see how you can find a lot of peace for your own heart and your family by allowing the vision God’s given you to guide your day-to-day decisions.   The clarity Heart School will provide will help you remove friction in your relationships, it’ll give you confidence that you’re doing what is best-- and that you can do it well, bring clarity, peace, and structure to your days, and guide your everyday decisions with your vision in mind. I sincerely believe that EVERY Homeschool family, whether you’re just starting out or whether you’ve been homeschooling for a long time, will benefit from Heart School. The class is digital, so you can watch it at your own pace, and many couples have benefitted from walking through it together. It contains several worksheets designed to make you think about and come up with strategies about things you may not have considered before. Go to Teach Them Diligently.net/heartschool to learn more and enroll today.  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:  What are some of the threats facing homeschool co-ops?  How do we protect our children while they attend school away from the home?  What's law enforcement's role in protecting citizens (in general)?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Leslie is going to share with you in a little more detail about a project that she started years ago by journaling in a Bible for each of her children. She’ll be discussing the whys and the hows of what she deems to be the most impactful discipleship project she has ever undertaken. This is an incredibly practical episode that you don’t want to miss.  If you’ve never been to a Teach Them Diligently event, this would be a great one to start with. Once  you’re there, you’ll find that you'll get access to world-class speakers, practical workshops, and a huge exhibit hall filled with the latest homeschooling curriculum and resources. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded families and recharge your homeschooling batteries.  BUT, what really sets Teach Them Diligently apart is the mission. What you’ll find when you join us in Pigeon Forge is a homeschool conference that is focused on strengthening families, refocusing us all on our mission as parents and home educators, and preparing us to accomplish that mission with excellence. It has a distinctly Christian focus, and those who attend tell us that they came away with not only great information and encouragement, but also with relationships with others that will help sustain and support them all year long. We spend a lot of time talking about parenting, marriage, and other relationships as well as covering the nuts and bolts of homeschooling, because we know that home education is only a small part of your family life, though it impacts much of it.  We would love to see you there!  Learn more and get your ticket now at TTD Events. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:  Why Leslie started her journaling Bible project  What her expectation was and how the reality was very different.  What she gained through the process.  The reactions by her children and their friends to the project.  Finally, she’ll spend most of the time telling you how to do it from where to start, how to plan, and how to complete this amazing gift for your children.  LINKS IN THIS EPISODE:  Journaling Bibles TTD Events Pigeon Forge This project was mentioned in Leslie’s Book, Teach Them Diligently Raising Children of Promise. See omnys

On today’s podcast, Leslie will be chatting with Kate Batistelli all about life after our children launch and leave the home.  Kate has a fascinating testimony that we’re excited for you to hear, but she’s also further along in her parenting journey than most of us are, so she’s going to be giving us some insight about empty nests and how to prepare yourself and your kiddos for the next stage of life. You don’t want to miss a moment, so stay tuned!  We’re excited to have Kate Batistelli and her friends, September McCarthy and Jamie Erickson from the Mom-To-Mom podcast joining us this year in Pigeon Forge, TN on May 4-6. Be sure to get your tickets and make your plans to join them there! Click here for more details.  We also want to make sure you're not missing out on a really cool element in our weekly Sunday night Homeschool Subjects e-mail. Every week we bring you the Taste and See geography and prayer curriculum right there. This is a project that we are coordinating with our friends at the Voice of the Martyrs who are providing you a free prayer guide for believers all around the world.  Then, in Homeschool Subjects each Sunday night, we're giving you really cool cultural and activity information to help you and your family understand where they live and what they're going through even more as you pray for them. You can request your free prayer guide at teachthemdiligently.net/VOM . Then, make sure that you are reading Homeschool Subjects every Sunday night to get that week's prayer prompt and geography information and activities. Families are loving this, and we don't want you to miss it. So go to teach them dilligently.net/vom to get your free prayer guide then tune in each week to see where we're headed.   TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:  How God uses each person’s story for His glory.  How to discern when to lay something down that you’ve been clinging to.  How God can use our ceiling as our children’s floor.  How to figure out what your role is after the kids grow up and leave the home.  Positive steps to help you during that transition.  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],