1 00:00:20,196 --> 00:00:23,236 Speaker 1: Hi friend, I'm so glad you're here today. Let's learn 2 00:00:23,276 --> 00:00:26,916 Speaker 1: how to raise our kids to love God, respect authority, 3 00:00:27,196 --> 00:00:31,036 Speaker 1: and do what's right. Let's scroll less and live more. 4 00:00:31,356 --> 00:00:38,356 Speaker 1: I'm Arlene Pelicane and this is the Happy Home. I'm 5 00:00:38,396 --> 00:00:41,636 Speaker 1: so happy to have Jennifer Pepito here. She is the 6 00:00:41,635 --> 00:00:46,116 Speaker 1: podcast host of Restoration Home, an author, a mom of seven, 7 00:00:46,275 --> 00:00:50,276 Speaker 1: and she has a new book, The Inspired Homeschool, how 8 00:00:50,436 --> 00:00:54,956 Speaker 1: histories heroes light a path toward joyful, confident learning. You 9 00:00:54,996 --> 00:00:57,156 Speaker 1: mean we can be joyful and confident in our learning. 10 00:00:57,156 --> 00:00:59,516 Speaker 1: That would be lovely, Jennifer. It's nice to have you. 11 00:01:00,116 --> 00:01:02,476 Speaker 2: So nice to be here, Arlene, Thanks for having me 12 00:01:02,556 --> 00:01:03,276 Speaker 2: on the show. 13 00:01:03,916 --> 00:01:06,436 Speaker 1: Your message is so important because I think we're kind 14 00:01:06,436 --> 00:01:10,396 Speaker 1: of an inflection point in our education where we say 15 00:01:10,476 --> 00:01:13,796 Speaker 1: our kids are not really receiving the kind of quality 16 00:01:13,916 --> 00:01:18,076 Speaker 1: education perhaps that they once were. So this conversation, I'm 17 00:01:18,116 --> 00:01:21,715 Speaker 1: hoping will serve those who homeschool, those who are thinking 18 00:01:21,796 --> 00:01:25,076 Speaker 1: about homeschooling, and those who do not homeschool, but they 19 00:01:25,075 --> 00:01:29,795 Speaker 1: are interested in having their children be more engaged learners. 20 00:01:30,356 --> 00:01:32,956 Speaker 1: So I want to kind of start backwards. Your book 21 00:01:32,996 --> 00:01:37,276 Speaker 1: is called The Inspired Homeschool. I want to talk about 22 00:01:37,316 --> 00:01:41,235 Speaker 1: the uninspired homeschool. I just what would some of the 23 00:01:41,276 --> 00:01:43,795 Speaker 1: warning signs be to those who are homeschooling, Like, oh 24 00:01:43,795 --> 00:01:46,196 Speaker 1: my word, I am losing it and I need some 25 00:01:46,235 --> 00:01:46,836 Speaker 1: fresh fire. 26 00:01:47,436 --> 00:01:51,156 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think tears is definitely a you know, 27 00:01:51,236 --> 00:01:54,596 Speaker 2: tears and anger are probably signs that your homeschool needs 28 00:01:54,596 --> 00:01:59,596 Speaker 2: some fresh fire, because when children are afraid it, you know, 29 00:01:59,636 --> 00:02:03,876 Speaker 2: when the atmosphere is stifling like that, it does inhibit 30 00:02:03,956 --> 00:02:07,596 Speaker 2: learning because it activates fight flight, faun or freeze, and 31 00:02:07,636 --> 00:02:11,036 Speaker 2: a kid who's in that state can't learn. So if 32 00:02:11,076 --> 00:02:13,316 Speaker 2: the learning in your home with the you know, the 33 00:02:13,396 --> 00:02:15,996 Speaker 2: routine is so intense, it's gonna be hard for your 34 00:02:16,036 --> 00:02:18,555 Speaker 2: children to learn. And that applies as well to the 35 00:02:18,596 --> 00:02:21,116 Speaker 2: school atmosphere, like if they're getting bullied at school, if 36 00:02:21,116 --> 00:02:25,956 Speaker 2: they're terrified at school, if the teachers are terrible, they're 37 00:02:25,956 --> 00:02:28,916 Speaker 2: not going to learn there either. And you know, in 38 00:02:28,956 --> 00:02:32,076 Speaker 2: the inspired homeschool, there's ten different people from history who 39 00:02:32,076 --> 00:02:34,676 Speaker 2: are homeschooled for at least part of their education, but 40 00:02:34,796 --> 00:02:37,236 Speaker 2: they weren't all one hundred percent at homeschool. And so 41 00:02:37,596 --> 00:02:40,636 Speaker 2: I think it's encouraging too to just think that it's 42 00:02:40,716 --> 00:02:42,876 Speaker 2: okay to try different things with your kids. Like you 43 00:02:42,876 --> 00:02:46,476 Speaker 2: don't have to be a homeschooler. You don't have to 44 00:02:46,476 --> 00:02:49,636 Speaker 2: be a die hard private or public schooler. You could 45 00:02:49,636 --> 00:02:52,995 Speaker 2: try different things depending on the season in your family's 46 00:02:53,076 --> 00:02:56,516 Speaker 2: life for the best for your children. Like you have 47 00:02:56,596 --> 00:03:00,196 Speaker 2: to know your kids and know like, Okay, this isn't 48 00:03:00,196 --> 00:03:02,476 Speaker 2: working right now, We're going to try something else for 49 00:03:02,516 --> 00:03:06,076 Speaker 2: a season, and trust that God is leading you instead 50 00:03:06,076 --> 00:03:08,796 Speaker 2: of feeling like, oh, we have to have them in 51 00:03:08,835 --> 00:03:10,995 Speaker 2: this private school because that's what our church sponsors, or 52 00:03:11,036 --> 00:03:12,956 Speaker 2: we have to have them in this public school that's 53 00:03:12,996 --> 00:03:15,315 Speaker 2: what our friends do. You need to know your child 54 00:03:15,356 --> 00:03:16,556 Speaker 2: and do what's best for your child. 55 00:03:16,835 --> 00:03:19,796 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's really good. That freedom to pivot, to pivot 56 00:03:19,916 --> 00:03:22,196 Speaker 1: if something is not working, that hey we're going to 57 00:03:22,196 --> 00:03:26,076 Speaker 1: try something new. That's that's a good freedom. Your home, 58 00:03:26,555 --> 00:03:28,395 Speaker 1: you know, I love how you write about your home 59 00:03:28,675 --> 00:03:31,956 Speaker 1: in the Inspired Homeschool and you talk about your motto 60 00:03:31,996 --> 00:03:35,876 Speaker 1: from Elizabeth Barrett Browning Earth's crammed. I'm sure you you 61 00:03:35,916 --> 00:03:37,676 Speaker 1: totally know this, but I'm just gonna read it. Or 62 00:03:37,716 --> 00:03:41,236 Speaker 1: Earth's crammed with heaven and every common bush of fire 63 00:03:41,276 --> 00:03:45,756 Speaker 1: with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes. 64 00:03:46,356 --> 00:03:49,196 Speaker 1: Why did you choose this as your motto? And how 65 00:03:49,236 --> 00:03:52,636 Speaker 1: does this help your home? You know, shape the environment 66 00:03:52,636 --> 00:03:53,196 Speaker 1: of your home. 67 00:03:53,556 --> 00:03:59,796 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I love Jesus. I love being a child 68 00:03:59,956 --> 00:04:04,036 Speaker 2: of the Kingdom. I love being the beloved and being 69 00:04:04,076 --> 00:04:09,676 Speaker 2: aware of His ever presence is omni presence. And I 70 00:04:09,796 --> 00:04:13,916 Speaker 2: wanted that to be a marker of my home, that 71 00:04:14,036 --> 00:04:17,315 Speaker 2: my children would be aware of God, that He wouldn't 72 00:04:17,316 --> 00:04:19,676 Speaker 2: be just shoved into Sunday morning, that it wouldn't be 73 00:04:19,716 --> 00:04:23,436 Speaker 2: just dinner time prayers, but that everything we did would 74 00:04:23,516 --> 00:04:28,676 Speaker 2: be sort of saturated with God. So the poetry we read, 75 00:04:28,756 --> 00:04:31,956 Speaker 2: the books we read, that art we look at like 76 00:04:32,036 --> 00:04:33,916 Speaker 2: I'm looking for God and all of it. I actually 77 00:04:33,996 --> 00:04:36,476 Speaker 2: have sitting beside my desk, Like I have a little 78 00:04:36,755 --> 00:04:38,835 Speaker 2: ploque that says, we still know that I'm God. I 79 00:04:38,836 --> 00:04:41,796 Speaker 2: have a painting of the ocean by my son. I 80 00:04:41,796 --> 00:04:44,236 Speaker 2: have a picture of Saint Francis of ASISI like I 81 00:04:44,276 --> 00:04:47,556 Speaker 2: have a woman praying in a chair like every you know, 82 00:04:47,596 --> 00:04:50,635 Speaker 2: there's so many ways that we can reveal God to 83 00:04:50,676 --> 00:04:54,676 Speaker 2: our children in our lives, and this is part of 84 00:04:55,676 --> 00:04:58,036 Speaker 2: what we're called to you, Like the Bible says, teach 85 00:04:58,076 --> 00:04:59,836 Speaker 2: these things when you rise up, when you lie down, 86 00:04:59,916 --> 00:05:02,836 Speaker 2: when you walk by the way, like we should be 87 00:05:03,116 --> 00:05:06,515 Speaker 2: conveying to our children the beauty and presence of God 88 00:05:06,516 --> 00:05:09,956 Speaker 2: and everything we do. And so it was it was 89 00:05:09,996 --> 00:05:12,756 Speaker 2: an easy motto when I came to that. You know 90 00:05:12,836 --> 00:05:15,716 Speaker 2: that our children when they experience the presence of God, 91 00:05:15,796 --> 00:05:19,116 Speaker 2: when they know that he's real, because they have of 92 00:05:19,596 --> 00:05:23,236 Speaker 2: seeing Him in every facet of life. In the discovery 93 00:05:23,276 --> 00:05:26,876 Speaker 2: of scientists, in the poetry like Gerard Manley Hopkins, Earth 94 00:05:26,916 --> 00:05:31,436 Speaker 2: is crammed with the glory Melissa Barrett Browning. Yeah, but 95 00:05:31,516 --> 00:05:37,515 Speaker 2: it's you know, uh, like it talks about how the 96 00:05:37,796 --> 00:05:40,076 Speaker 2: you know, it spreads out like the ooze of oil. 97 00:05:40,236 --> 00:05:42,876 Speaker 2: Just that the ever the pervasive presence of God and 98 00:05:42,956 --> 00:05:46,276 Speaker 2: that Gerard Manley Hopkins poems and so there's so many 99 00:05:46,315 --> 00:05:54,036 Speaker 2: ways that our children can see God in culture, in 100 00:05:54,036 --> 00:05:58,436 Speaker 2: in the in what we're learning from. And so yeah, 101 00:05:58,476 --> 00:05:59,796 Speaker 2: that was what inspired. 102 00:06:00,116 --> 00:06:03,275 Speaker 1: Yeah, those purposeful things that you can and any of 103 00:06:03,356 --> 00:06:05,916 Speaker 1: us can do that, like take a piece of poetry 104 00:06:05,996 --> 00:06:08,195 Speaker 1: or take a piece of prose that really means something 105 00:06:08,236 --> 00:06:11,395 Speaker 1: to us and and and talk about that with our kids, 106 00:06:11,556 --> 00:06:14,635 Speaker 1: even show it visually, tell us about your personal journey 107 00:06:14,716 --> 00:06:16,556 Speaker 1: of why you decided to homeschool? 108 00:06:17,396 --> 00:06:20,156 Speaker 2: Oh, I I mean I think partly it was the 109 00:06:20,236 --> 00:06:26,116 Speaker 2: same thing, Like I I wanted my children to you know, okay, 110 00:06:26,195 --> 00:06:29,876 Speaker 2: And I found the poem so it's Earth's charged with 111 00:06:29,996 --> 00:06:32,716 Speaker 2: the goodness of God. So yeah, there's these, you know, 112 00:06:32,755 --> 00:06:35,036 Speaker 2: different ways of saying the same thing. But yeah, I 113 00:06:35,396 --> 00:06:37,676 Speaker 2: thought I could do a better job than the public schools. Honestly, 114 00:06:37,716 --> 00:06:43,276 Speaker 2: like I had. I loved I loved education and parenting. 115 00:06:43,315 --> 00:06:45,476 Speaker 2: So I was reading all these books, all this research, 116 00:06:45,516 --> 00:06:47,996 Speaker 2: and in my research, I could see that the way 117 00:06:48,036 --> 00:06:51,196 Speaker 2: that public schools do things is very antithetical to child development. 118 00:06:51,556 --> 00:06:56,475 Speaker 2: It's very unhealthy. I could see very few reasons why 119 00:06:56,755 --> 00:06:59,556 Speaker 2: in early childhood you would put your child under florestant 120 00:06:59,596 --> 00:07:02,075 Speaker 2: lights with a bunch of strangers with it, with a 121 00:07:02,076 --> 00:07:05,036 Speaker 2: godless teacher. And so not to like, I'm not shaming 122 00:07:05,036 --> 00:07:07,236 Speaker 2: anybody who feels differently, but for me, it was like, 123 00:07:07,716 --> 00:07:10,596 Speaker 2: why wouldn't I, you know, teach my own children like 124 00:07:10,636 --> 00:07:13,996 Speaker 2: I love them. I taught them to speak, I taught 125 00:07:13,996 --> 00:07:18,116 Speaker 2: them to eat like nicely, you know, And I just 126 00:07:18,156 --> 00:07:21,476 Speaker 2: had so much now curiosity myself and as well. I 127 00:07:21,596 --> 00:07:24,636 Speaker 2: was homeschooled for a couple of years. My parents had 128 00:07:24,676 --> 00:07:28,996 Speaker 2: listened to the James Dobson interview with Raymond Moore, which happened. 129 00:07:29,036 --> 00:07:31,356 Speaker 2: I mean, it had to be like in the eighties, 130 00:07:32,236 --> 00:07:33,756 Speaker 2: and so they'd pulled us out of school, but they 131 00:07:33,796 --> 00:07:37,156 Speaker 2: didn't really have the resources to actually homeschool as But 132 00:07:37,236 --> 00:07:40,836 Speaker 2: I just had that contrast of Okay, here's time to 133 00:07:40,876 --> 00:07:43,396 Speaker 2: explore some of my own interests. And I, you know, 134 00:07:43,476 --> 00:07:45,516 Speaker 2: I would go to school in the years that we 135 00:07:45,516 --> 00:07:47,956 Speaker 2: were in an institutional school, and I'd go to school 136 00:07:47,956 --> 00:07:50,556 Speaker 2: and I'd be hiding a book under my desk so 137 00:07:50,596 --> 00:07:52,836 Speaker 2: I could read it while the teacher was drowning on 138 00:07:52,916 --> 00:07:56,676 Speaker 2: about whatever. You know. I had had this experience myself 139 00:07:56,836 --> 00:07:59,676 Speaker 2: of how there's learning and there's school. They're not always 140 00:07:59,716 --> 00:08:02,436 Speaker 2: the same thing. And so I really wanted my children 141 00:08:02,476 --> 00:08:06,436 Speaker 2: to have that freedom to learn, to follow their own curiosity, 142 00:08:06,996 --> 00:08:11,076 Speaker 2: to be excited about learning, to you know, have their 143 00:08:11,116 --> 00:08:14,396 Speaker 2: interests be honored, because in my school experience, like if 144 00:08:14,436 --> 00:08:17,436 Speaker 2: you're excited about something, you're often kind of pushed down, 145 00:08:17,516 --> 00:08:19,236 Speaker 2: like if you raise your hand to off and in 146 00:08:19,236 --> 00:08:22,196 Speaker 2: school you're like annoying. And so I didn't want that 147 00:08:22,236 --> 00:08:25,636 Speaker 2: for my kids. I wanted their their curiosity to be honored. 148 00:08:25,676 --> 00:08:28,996 Speaker 2: I wanted to create this like school for the service 149 00:08:29,036 --> 00:08:31,516 Speaker 2: of the Lord, referring back to my book Habits for 150 00:08:31,516 --> 00:08:35,516 Speaker 2: a Sacred Home, where every every part of our home 151 00:08:35,876 --> 00:08:41,276 Speaker 2: is a teacher, and it's highlighting God. So that because 152 00:08:41,276 --> 00:08:45,356 Speaker 2: our children are going to enter this secular world sooner 153 00:08:45,396 --> 00:08:48,596 Speaker 2: than like, sooner than we want them to, it's just 154 00:08:48,916 --> 00:08:53,796 Speaker 2: so discouraging how easily all that garbage comes in. As 155 00:08:53,796 --> 00:08:55,356 Speaker 2: soon as they you know, as soon as they are 156 00:08:55,356 --> 00:08:57,196 Speaker 2: adults and they get a phone, they're gonna have these choices. 157 00:08:57,236 --> 00:08:59,836 Speaker 2: But as much as possible, for as long as possible, 158 00:09:00,116 --> 00:09:03,036 Speaker 2: I wanted to curate their interests. And I love that, 159 00:09:03,156 --> 00:09:06,956 Speaker 2: you know, Injia adulthood, my children love having plants in 160 00:09:06,996 --> 00:09:10,076 Speaker 2: their home and books and going on hikes and spending 161 00:09:10,116 --> 00:09:12,556 Speaker 2: time with the Lord. Like the things that we sew 162 00:09:12,596 --> 00:09:15,956 Speaker 2: into them in early childhood will be a bulwark against that. 163 00:09:16,556 --> 00:09:18,716 Speaker 2: It might not be perfect, but it will be a bulwark, 164 00:09:19,116 --> 00:09:22,476 Speaker 2: especially in comparison to what the world is experience, where 165 00:09:22,876 --> 00:09:26,636 Speaker 2: the curriculum of the public schools is nihilistic and hopeless. 166 00:09:27,236 --> 00:09:30,196 Speaker 2: And that's facts. I mean, I don't know who came 167 00:09:30,276 --> 00:09:34,316 Speaker 2: up with that, but it is definitely not contributing to 168 00:09:34,356 --> 00:09:37,996 Speaker 2: a hopeful worldview for these young people coming out of it. 169 00:09:38,596 --> 00:09:41,316 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, and I'm going to offer a counterpoint 170 00:09:41,356 --> 00:09:46,036 Speaker 1: that is actually compliments what you are saying. So we've 171 00:09:46,076 --> 00:09:48,716 Speaker 1: had a very different experience where our kids did go 172 00:09:48,756 --> 00:09:51,476 Speaker 1: to public school and it was a dual immersion program 173 00:09:51,556 --> 00:09:53,836 Speaker 1: where they learned Spanish. So when I walked in that 174 00:09:53,876 --> 00:09:57,076 Speaker 1: classroom and it was all in Spanish in kindergarten, I 175 00:09:57,196 --> 00:10:01,316 Speaker 1: was like, this is magical, this is amazing. So we 176 00:10:01,396 --> 00:10:04,396 Speaker 1: had a very positive experience. And then it was our 177 00:10:04,476 --> 00:10:07,356 Speaker 1: neighborhood school, and then we started a Bible club and 178 00:10:07,476 --> 00:10:09,676 Speaker 1: did that for ten years at the school after school. 179 00:10:10,116 --> 00:10:12,636 Speaker 1: So there are you know, I just as people are listening, 180 00:10:12,636 --> 00:10:15,636 Speaker 1: there are different things. But what you're saying is true, 181 00:10:15,836 --> 00:10:18,676 Speaker 1: and you need to be aware of what's happening in 182 00:10:18,716 --> 00:10:21,716 Speaker 1: your school with your kids. I want to go with 183 00:10:21,916 --> 00:10:24,716 Speaker 1: the person who is listening is like, well, that's nice, Jennifer. 184 00:10:24,876 --> 00:10:27,716 Speaker 1: You obviously are made to do school, like you have 185 00:10:27,796 --> 00:10:30,676 Speaker 1: these interests you are, You're able to do this. But 186 00:10:30,796 --> 00:10:33,236 Speaker 1: what about the person that is doubting, you know, which 187 00:10:33,276 --> 00:10:36,196 Speaker 1: I think is kind of the average. You know, I 188 00:10:36,476 --> 00:10:41,916 Speaker 1: think maybe there's a percentage of homeschool teachers, probably moms 189 00:10:41,996 --> 00:10:44,956 Speaker 1: who who do have education in their background, who are 190 00:10:45,116 --> 00:10:48,796 Speaker 1: naturally gifted to administer a school, to to do reading, 191 00:10:48,836 --> 00:10:50,636 Speaker 1: to do math, to do science, et cetera. But I 192 00:10:50,676 --> 00:10:53,836 Speaker 1: think a fair amount would say, like, I'm just willing, 193 00:10:53,876 --> 00:10:55,836 Speaker 1: but I don't know how to do this. Talk to 194 00:10:55,876 --> 00:10:57,876 Speaker 1: that person who might feel ill equipped. 195 00:10:58,156 --> 00:11:01,236 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I love that you did have a better experience, 196 00:11:01,316 --> 00:11:04,396 Speaker 2: Like I know there are you know, charter schools and 197 00:11:04,436 --> 00:11:07,476 Speaker 2: alternative schools and small private schools that are doing better. 198 00:11:07,916 --> 00:11:11,276 Speaker 2: And I love that that was your experience, you know, 199 00:11:11,396 --> 00:11:13,716 Speaker 2: for and I do I do hear what you're saying too, 200 00:11:13,796 --> 00:11:17,356 Speaker 2: that there are moms who is you know, maybe they're depressed, 201 00:11:17,356 --> 00:11:19,916 Speaker 2: like maybe they don't have any natural curiosity of their own. 202 00:11:20,276 --> 00:11:23,316 Speaker 2: And I would probably say, like, start working on that, 203 00:11:23,756 --> 00:11:26,476 Speaker 2: because it's not good for you as a human to 204 00:11:26,516 --> 00:11:29,156 Speaker 2: have no curiosity. Like it's not good for you as 205 00:11:29,196 --> 00:11:33,236 Speaker 2: a human, as a believer in Jesus to feel hopeless 206 00:11:33,236 --> 00:11:36,356 Speaker 2: about life or not have any spark or or feel 207 00:11:36,356 --> 00:11:39,676 Speaker 2: like you're inadequate and I'm incapable. You know, that's not 208 00:11:39,756 --> 00:11:43,356 Speaker 2: a good. That's not really a redeemed worldview because like 209 00:11:43,356 --> 00:11:45,876 Speaker 2: the Bible says we are new creations, and old things 210 00:11:45,916 --> 00:11:48,236 Speaker 2: have passed away. All things have become new. And what 211 00:11:48,636 --> 00:11:50,836 Speaker 2: we can do. You know, we have everything we need 212 00:11:50,876 --> 00:11:53,556 Speaker 2: for life and godliness, and he who began a good 213 00:11:53,556 --> 00:11:55,396 Speaker 2: work in us is faithful to complete it. So there's 214 00:11:55,716 --> 00:11:58,796 Speaker 2: scripture that promises that the tasks that we're culture will 215 00:11:58,836 --> 00:12:01,156 Speaker 2: be equipped for. And I know that there's you know, 216 00:12:01,196 --> 00:12:04,276 Speaker 2: there's some moms who would rather like organize every clause 217 00:12:04,276 --> 00:12:06,276 Speaker 2: in the house than teach their children. And I get that, 218 00:12:06,356 --> 00:12:10,236 Speaker 2: like I have had my moments too business where there 219 00:12:10,236 --> 00:12:13,476 Speaker 2: are other things I'd rather do. But you know, the 220 00:12:13,556 --> 00:12:16,996 Speaker 2: years of direct teaching are actually pretty short, especially if 221 00:12:16,996 --> 00:12:19,076 Speaker 2: you're someone who you know, your kids were our be 222 00:12:19,116 --> 00:12:21,236 Speaker 2: in school for a little while and so they already read, 223 00:12:21,716 --> 00:12:23,916 Speaker 2: They can already read the information on a paper. They 224 00:12:23,916 --> 00:12:26,956 Speaker 2: could probably to some degree school themselves. You just have 225 00:12:27,036 --> 00:12:29,276 Speaker 2: to be there as a coach, like if you if 226 00:12:29,316 --> 00:12:31,996 Speaker 2: you are someone who's feeling like I really should do 227 00:12:32,036 --> 00:12:35,716 Speaker 2: this because I can see that my kids' values are 228 00:12:35,756 --> 00:12:39,356 Speaker 2: not aligned with our family values, and I really should 229 00:12:39,356 --> 00:12:41,356 Speaker 2: do this, but I just don't want to give up 230 00:12:41,356 --> 00:12:43,396 Speaker 2: my freedom to organize or go to the gym or 231 00:12:43,396 --> 00:12:46,036 Speaker 2: whatever it is. You know, maybe it would just be 232 00:12:46,076 --> 00:12:48,596 Speaker 2: a season if you're that person who you think you 233 00:12:48,636 --> 00:12:51,036 Speaker 2: should do it, but you're just scared that you can't, 234 00:12:51,196 --> 00:12:54,396 Speaker 2: or something. If your child's already reading, you probably could 235 00:12:54,476 --> 00:12:58,516 Speaker 2: get you know, go on con academy and watch some 236 00:12:58,596 --> 00:13:01,356 Speaker 2: science videos together, or you know, give them some books, 237 00:13:01,396 --> 00:13:03,996 Speaker 2: read some books together and talk about them like that. 238 00:13:04,076 --> 00:13:07,196 Speaker 2: I think is just a big part of conveying our values. 239 00:13:07,796 --> 00:13:10,636 Speaker 2: That that can happen in homeschooling is that, you know, 240 00:13:10,796 --> 00:13:13,956 Speaker 2: I'm not just assigning my kids work. I'm learning with them, 241 00:13:14,036 --> 00:13:17,196 Speaker 2: like I'm you know, reading the Chronicles of Narnia out 242 00:13:17,236 --> 00:13:19,756 Speaker 2: loud to them, or we're talking about the values together 243 00:13:19,836 --> 00:13:22,636 Speaker 2: and then we're you know, when when my kids, when 244 00:13:22,636 --> 00:13:24,996 Speaker 2: I was beyond the stage of having to like breastfeed, 245 00:13:25,036 --> 00:13:27,916 Speaker 2: while I was home schooling, I would start notebooking with 246 00:13:27,916 --> 00:13:31,156 Speaker 2: my kids. You know, we might listen to the audio 247 00:13:31,156 --> 00:13:33,876 Speaker 2: book and then while we were listening to the audiobook, 248 00:13:33,876 --> 00:13:38,116 Speaker 2: watercolor paint together. So I use it also to further 249 00:13:38,196 --> 00:13:41,356 Speaker 2: my education because there are things I wanted to learn 250 00:13:41,436 --> 00:13:44,836 Speaker 2: I still do, and so I think it is an 251 00:13:44,876 --> 00:13:48,636 Speaker 2: amazing opportunity. Like if I know it's not for everybody, 252 00:13:49,076 --> 00:13:50,756 Speaker 2: some of you. You might be a pastor's wife and 253 00:13:50,756 --> 00:13:54,396 Speaker 2: you're running the children's ministry. You might be a teacher yourself, 254 00:13:54,436 --> 00:13:57,876 Speaker 2: Like you might be just so overworked in your normal 255 00:13:57,956 --> 00:14:00,716 Speaker 2: life that you can't see how you could also take 256 00:14:00,756 --> 00:14:03,396 Speaker 2: on school and your own children. But I think for 257 00:14:03,436 --> 00:14:06,916 Speaker 2: a season, I mean, it's just so precious, Like I 258 00:14:07,796 --> 00:14:10,396 Speaker 2: would not want There's nobody I'd rather be within my 259 00:14:10,396 --> 00:14:14,476 Speaker 2: own children, Like my own children are the most interesting, 260 00:14:15,396 --> 00:14:20,516 Speaker 2: most fun, most beautiful, Like I just I adore my 261 00:14:20,516 --> 00:14:23,996 Speaker 2: awn children. There's seventeen to thirty two and they're just 262 00:14:24,156 --> 00:14:25,196 Speaker 2: the best people I know. 263 00:14:25,756 --> 00:14:29,796 Speaker 1: Yes, and this is really important for us. You know. 264 00:14:29,836 --> 00:14:33,036 Speaker 1: We had Jess Wilson home on earlier and she talked 265 00:14:33,036 --> 00:14:35,676 Speaker 1: about that window of four to fourteen, how important that 266 00:14:35,756 --> 00:14:39,716 Speaker 1: window is. And it is true parents, as we're parenting 267 00:14:39,756 --> 00:14:42,716 Speaker 1: our children, to parent them in such a way that 268 00:14:42,756 --> 00:14:45,676 Speaker 1: they will become adults that we really enjoy being with 269 00:14:45,716 --> 00:14:49,316 Speaker 1: in the future. And that looks like discipline, and that 270 00:14:49,356 --> 00:14:52,036 Speaker 1: looks like saying no, that looks like this, you know, 271 00:14:52,116 --> 00:14:54,636 Speaker 1: delaying the phone and all those things. But then you'll 272 00:14:54,636 --> 00:14:57,156 Speaker 1: get an adult that you're like, I really think you're amazing. 273 00:14:57,436 --> 00:14:59,836 Speaker 1: So that is so good, And I want to go 274 00:14:59,916 --> 00:15:01,556 Speaker 1: back to C. S. Lewis. We're going to loop back 275 00:15:01,596 --> 00:15:03,636 Speaker 1: to him. And I also want to go back to notebooking. 276 00:15:03,676 --> 00:15:05,556 Speaker 1: We're going to loop back to that as well. But 277 00:15:05,876 --> 00:15:09,956 Speaker 1: are There's so many questions in your book that are 278 00:15:09,996 --> 00:15:11,956 Speaker 1: really helpful, and I just want to share a few 279 00:15:11,956 --> 00:15:15,316 Speaker 1: of them to help as you're thinking about your family, 280 00:15:15,316 --> 00:15:17,756 Speaker 1: as you're thinking about your family values, these questions were 281 00:15:17,756 --> 00:15:22,436 Speaker 1: really helpful. Activities bring joy to your family? What games 282 00:15:22,476 --> 00:15:25,196 Speaker 1: did you play as a child. What would you love 283 00:15:25,276 --> 00:15:28,116 Speaker 1: for your children to remember about life in your home? 284 00:15:28,956 --> 00:15:31,996 Speaker 1: So think about these things and what you can do 285 00:15:32,116 --> 00:15:35,756 Speaker 1: to restore some more joy, some more play, you know, 286 00:15:35,836 --> 00:15:41,756 Speaker 1: things values that you share in your family. Notebooking. You 287 00:15:41,836 --> 00:15:46,036 Speaker 1: talked about notebooking. Why are you such a fan of notebooking? 288 00:15:46,036 --> 00:15:48,836 Speaker 1: Because I love this And how would just a blank 289 00:15:48,876 --> 00:15:50,516 Speaker 1: notebook really help any child? 290 00:15:51,436 --> 00:15:55,516 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's such a good It's a gift. It's a 291 00:15:55,556 --> 00:15:58,476 Speaker 2: gift to us. You know what what I talk about 292 00:15:58,516 --> 00:16:00,756 Speaker 2: in the book is I compare the lives of different 293 00:16:00,796 --> 00:16:04,796 Speaker 2: people in history who are homeschooled, and I apply the 294 00:16:04,836 --> 00:16:10,196 Speaker 2: way they were homeschooled to like to modern homeschool families 295 00:16:10,636 --> 00:16:13,836 Speaker 2: and so what I looked at here was Leonardo da Vinci, 296 00:16:13,916 --> 00:16:16,796 Speaker 2: who many people say was like the best artists of 297 00:16:16,836 --> 00:16:21,876 Speaker 2: all time. And he, you know, he learned through observation. 298 00:16:21,996 --> 00:16:25,476 Speaker 2: He was just always looking at what was around him 299 00:16:25,516 --> 00:16:31,076 Speaker 2: and making lists and making discoveries. Really, and so as 300 00:16:31,156 --> 00:16:33,636 Speaker 2: we you know, just maybe read something to your children 301 00:16:33,716 --> 00:16:37,596 Speaker 2: and then you draw a picture about it, or maybe 302 00:16:37,596 --> 00:16:40,156 Speaker 2: you take a nature walk and you write a little 303 00:16:40,196 --> 00:16:44,556 Speaker 2: weather observation. Like any kind of observation that you note 304 00:16:45,156 --> 00:16:48,516 Speaker 2: becomes a notebook. And there's so many applications. There's you know, 305 00:16:48,596 --> 00:16:53,956 Speaker 2: Bible study, there's maybe character or virtue studies, there's nature study. 306 00:16:54,236 --> 00:16:56,796 Speaker 2: You could notebook history, like you read a history book 307 00:16:56,796 --> 00:16:58,916 Speaker 2: and then you write a notebook page about it. You 308 00:16:58,916 --> 00:17:02,076 Speaker 2: could notebook your feelings, your family timeline. There are so 309 00:17:02,156 --> 00:17:04,636 Speaker 2: many ways that just taking time to observe and write 310 00:17:04,676 --> 00:17:07,156 Speaker 2: your own thoughts. And there's a lot of research on this. 311 00:17:07,396 --> 00:17:09,956 Speaker 2: How you know, when we write things down with our 312 00:17:09,996 --> 00:17:12,196 Speaker 2: own you know, not not just typing it out, but 313 00:17:12,236 --> 00:17:14,676 Speaker 2: write it down with the pen and paper, drawing it. 314 00:17:15,036 --> 00:17:18,756 Speaker 2: How the learning becomes more hours and more retrievable when 315 00:17:18,756 --> 00:17:21,716 Speaker 2: we've done that. And so it's a tool that can 316 00:17:21,756 --> 00:17:26,796 Speaker 2: be used in many applications across academics, across family life, 317 00:17:27,196 --> 00:17:31,156 Speaker 2: where you give your kid a notebook and learning becomes 318 00:17:31,196 --> 00:17:35,355 Speaker 2: their own. They're able to observe and that, you know, 319 00:17:35,556 --> 00:17:38,316 Speaker 2: we don't know what that could turn into one day, 320 00:17:38,396 --> 00:17:42,436 Speaker 2: whether it would be you know, beautiful art or scientific discovery. 321 00:17:42,955 --> 00:17:45,836 Speaker 2: Just because they learned early on to start processing their 322 00:17:45,876 --> 00:17:46,796 Speaker 2: thoughts on paper. 323 00:17:47,796 --> 00:17:51,275 Speaker 1: That is fascinating because we all do the opposite. So 324 00:17:51,396 --> 00:17:54,755 Speaker 1: instead of a child observing something, noting it, making it 325 00:17:54,755 --> 00:17:57,235 Speaker 1: their own right, we have a tablet in the hand 326 00:17:57,356 --> 00:17:59,715 Speaker 1: or phone in the hand where we are observing nothing 327 00:18:00,035 --> 00:18:03,355 Speaker 1: and we are just right. We're just scrolling something mindlessly. 328 00:18:03,955 --> 00:18:07,835 Speaker 1: So it's such an opposite kind of behavior that I 329 00:18:07,836 --> 00:18:10,555 Speaker 1: think that's really beautiful. And it's so simple. It's so 330 00:18:10,676 --> 00:18:12,955 Speaker 1: cheap to get a notebook and just fill it up 331 00:18:13,035 --> 00:18:17,995 Speaker 1: with your thoughts and your observations. I think that's so brilliant. C. S. Lewis, 332 00:18:18,475 --> 00:18:21,116 Speaker 1: you talk about him in the book, just tell us, 333 00:18:21,235 --> 00:18:23,156 Speaker 1: you know a little bit about about what you write 334 00:18:23,156 --> 00:18:26,116 Speaker 1: about him, and then help us through how we could 335 00:18:26,196 --> 00:18:30,275 Speaker 1: help our kids with their reading with oral narration written narration. 336 00:18:30,475 --> 00:18:31,556 Speaker 1: Just kind of talk us through that. 337 00:18:31,916 --> 00:18:33,795 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this is a good one, you know. C. S. 338 00:18:33,876 --> 00:18:36,036 Speaker 2: Lewis is another chapter in the book, and I'm talking 339 00:18:36,116 --> 00:18:41,436 Speaker 2: in there about language arts. And the great thing about C. S. 340 00:18:41,515 --> 00:18:45,276 Speaker 2: Lewis is he was only homeschooled for part of the time. 341 00:18:45,396 --> 00:18:47,755 Speaker 2: Like in the early years he was homeschooled, and then 342 00:18:47,796 --> 00:18:51,436 Speaker 2: in high school he was homeschooled not by his parents, 343 00:18:51,475 --> 00:18:53,436 Speaker 2: it was by a tutor. So he actually lived with 344 00:18:53,475 --> 00:18:57,515 Speaker 2: this couple and the man would teach him from the classics, 345 00:18:57,556 --> 00:19:00,995 Speaker 2: and then the wife would teach him French. And I 346 00:19:01,035 --> 00:19:04,515 Speaker 2: think this is really the ideal way to teach high school, 347 00:19:04,755 --> 00:19:07,836 Speaker 2: is that you read books together and you talk about them. 348 00:19:08,356 --> 00:19:11,275 Speaker 2: And I think this is a big part of why C. S. 349 00:19:11,356 --> 00:19:14,235 Speaker 2: Lewis became such a good communicators. He was constantly having 350 00:19:14,275 --> 00:19:18,036 Speaker 2: to read something think through what it meant to him, 351 00:19:18,396 --> 00:19:20,916 Speaker 2: and of his daily schedule was like he would read 352 00:19:20,916 --> 00:19:23,275 Speaker 2: and discuss books in the morning with his tutor, then 353 00:19:23,316 --> 00:19:24,876 Speaker 2: he would take a big walk where he had a 354 00:19:24,955 --> 00:19:27,196 Speaker 2: chance to sort of process his own thoughts, and then 355 00:19:27,196 --> 00:19:30,595 Speaker 2: he does some more study with the wife foreign language 356 00:19:30,755 --> 00:19:33,636 Speaker 2: or other things in the afternoon. So I think giving 357 00:19:33,636 --> 00:19:36,515 Speaker 2: our children that time because so often, especially in high school, 358 00:19:36,995 --> 00:19:40,116 Speaker 2: we bogged them down with a lot of like general 359 00:19:40,396 --> 00:19:42,835 Speaker 2: ed that they're also going to repeat in college if 360 00:19:42,836 --> 00:19:45,596 Speaker 2: they go to college. And yet this could be a 361 00:19:45,596 --> 00:19:49,116 Speaker 2: time where we actually go really deep on truth, beauty 362 00:19:49,116 --> 00:19:52,595 Speaker 2: and goodness that they're definitely not going to encounter in 363 00:19:52,755 --> 00:19:57,515 Speaker 2: public college. And you know, so Socius Lewis again, like 364 00:19:57,636 --> 00:20:00,356 Speaker 2: in early childhood, he was homeschool for a little while, 365 00:20:00,356 --> 00:20:02,076 Speaker 2: then he was in boarding school, which is an absolutely 366 00:20:02,156 --> 00:20:05,916 Speaker 2: miserable experience for him, and even criminal and dangerous, like 367 00:20:06,035 --> 00:20:08,876 Speaker 2: if you have read his book Surprised by Joy, there 368 00:20:08,995 --> 00:20:12,396 Speaker 2: was criminal and dangerous things happening in boarding school and 369 00:20:12,836 --> 00:20:18,035 Speaker 2: pretty sinister you know, headmasters. And I think that's, unfortunately, 370 00:20:18,316 --> 00:20:21,196 Speaker 2: seems to be a common thread when you read British authors. 371 00:20:21,275 --> 00:20:23,676 Speaker 2: Roll Dahl also had a bad experience like that, and 372 00:20:23,715 --> 00:20:25,756 Speaker 2: I think for Boll C. S. Lewis and Roll Dahl 373 00:20:25,836 --> 00:20:29,715 Speaker 2: it turned them off of Christianity, although thankfully C. S. 374 00:20:29,796 --> 00:20:33,996 Speaker 2: Lewis came back to the Lord, and I wonder how 375 00:20:34,035 --> 00:20:36,275 Speaker 2: much his high school tutor had to do with that. 376 00:20:37,035 --> 00:20:39,916 Speaker 2: And then obviously other encounters of people like GK. Chesterton. 377 00:20:40,515 --> 00:20:43,916 Speaker 2: But there's so much to take from that, because there 378 00:20:43,955 --> 00:20:48,156 Speaker 2: are better ways to educate our children. Sometimes for sure 379 00:20:48,235 --> 00:20:50,555 Speaker 2: for a season, like his father had passed away, so 380 00:20:50,676 --> 00:20:53,795 Speaker 2: boarding school was the option for them. But then, you know, 381 00:20:53,876 --> 00:20:56,156 Speaker 2: at some point they did realize, wow, this is not 382 00:20:56,316 --> 00:20:59,995 Speaker 2: actually working so well, and they found this smaller tutor situation. 383 00:21:00,076 --> 00:21:02,755 Speaker 2: And so even for those of you who maybe would 384 00:21:02,755 --> 00:21:06,475 Speaker 2: be interested in homeschooling but you can't you have to 385 00:21:06,515 --> 00:21:08,395 Speaker 2: work full time, maybe there is sort of a smaller 386 00:21:08,436 --> 00:21:11,636 Speaker 2: group situation. There's so many I live in California, and 387 00:21:11,676 --> 00:21:16,556 Speaker 2: here there are a lot of very creative educational opportunities, 388 00:21:16,596 --> 00:21:19,396 Speaker 2: Like there's charter schools that are still overseen by the state, 389 00:21:19,636 --> 00:21:21,835 Speaker 2: but then there's also a little pop up schools and 390 00:21:21,836 --> 00:21:24,876 Speaker 2: cottage schools and just so many different ways that people 391 00:21:24,916 --> 00:21:30,916 Speaker 2: are working around the Because in California, they're really strict 392 00:21:31,196 --> 00:21:33,555 Speaker 2: vaccine requirements for going to school, and that's not a 393 00:21:33,556 --> 00:21:36,955 Speaker 2: good fit for every family, and so families have gotten 394 00:21:37,035 --> 00:21:39,396 Speaker 2: very creative. And I think that's actually important for our 395 00:21:39,436 --> 00:21:44,115 Speaker 2: society that for sure, there's no one fits all, but 396 00:21:44,316 --> 00:21:48,875 Speaker 2: learning to you know, trade or for a little while. 397 00:21:49,316 --> 00:21:51,875 Speaker 2: I you know, I had started my business, the Peaceful 398 00:21:51,876 --> 00:21:56,595 Speaker 2: Press homeschool Curriculum at that point, and I would trade 399 00:21:56,596 --> 00:21:59,036 Speaker 2: with another mom and one day a week, she'd take 400 00:21:59,076 --> 00:22:00,716 Speaker 2: my kids and do some things, and one day week 401 00:22:00,715 --> 00:22:03,555 Speaker 2: I'd take hers. And so it's an awesome opportunity for 402 00:22:03,596 --> 00:22:07,515 Speaker 2: me to develop as a you know, a great teacher. 403 00:22:07,955 --> 00:22:10,035 Speaker 2: But it was also an opportunity for me to have 404 00:22:10,035 --> 00:22:11,716 Speaker 2: a day where my kids could learn with other kids. 405 00:22:11,796 --> 00:22:16,356 Speaker 2: So every objection that people have to homeschooling, you know, socialization, 406 00:22:16,636 --> 00:22:19,996 Speaker 2: I'm not qualified all of this. There is a solution 407 00:22:20,156 --> 00:22:22,556 Speaker 2: for it, but I know, I know it's not for everybody. 408 00:22:22,515 --> 00:22:25,715 Speaker 2: And so thankfully there are so many different ways to 409 00:22:25,876 --> 00:22:26,995 Speaker 2: educate our children today. 410 00:22:27,796 --> 00:22:30,436 Speaker 1: How can you avoid What advice would you give to 411 00:22:30,475 --> 00:22:33,156 Speaker 1: avoid that trap of just okay, I'm homeschooling and now 412 00:22:33,196 --> 00:22:35,396 Speaker 1: my child is sitting in front of a computer all day, 413 00:22:36,436 --> 00:22:36,715 Speaker 1: Like I. 414 00:22:37,316 --> 00:22:41,916 Speaker 2: Would definitely resist because and unfortunately, that is what's happening 415 00:22:41,955 --> 00:22:43,636 Speaker 2: in a lot of public schools too, is that kids 416 00:22:43,676 --> 00:22:50,196 Speaker 2: are moving onto AI based education on computers. But it's 417 00:22:50,955 --> 00:22:54,676 Speaker 2: it's not that hard in the early years to educate children. 418 00:22:54,715 --> 00:22:57,356 Speaker 2: There's a couple there's a book by a man named 419 00:22:57,396 --> 00:22:59,356 Speaker 2: John Taylor Gatto who's a New York State Teacher of 420 00:22:59,356 --> 00:23:01,876 Speaker 2: the Year, and he said all of the learning necessary 421 00:23:01,876 --> 00:23:03,916 Speaker 2: for success in high school can be taught in only 422 00:23:03,955 --> 00:23:07,315 Speaker 2: two or three years of formal skill study. And so 423 00:23:07,475 --> 00:23:11,116 Speaker 2: I think sometimes we get very worried, you know, when 424 00:23:11,116 --> 00:23:13,955 Speaker 2: our child's not reading at six years old, or when 425 00:23:13,955 --> 00:23:17,396 Speaker 2: they're not spelling well at eight years old, and we 426 00:23:17,436 --> 00:23:21,276 Speaker 2: start to panic. But children do develop on a spectrum. 427 00:23:21,396 --> 00:23:23,715 Speaker 2: Not every child is going to read fluently at six 428 00:23:23,796 --> 00:23:25,916 Speaker 2: years old. Some of them it will be more like 429 00:23:25,955 --> 00:23:29,556 Speaker 2: eight to ten. And so what I recommend is just consistency, 430 00:23:29,676 --> 00:23:35,795 Speaker 2: you know, consistency. Consistently review phonograms, consistently, have your children 431 00:23:35,836 --> 00:23:39,795 Speaker 2: do some copy work, consistently do some math. And it 432 00:23:39,836 --> 00:23:41,676 Speaker 2: doesn't have to be overkilled. It doesn't have to be 433 00:23:41,715 --> 00:23:46,156 Speaker 2: you know, often math lessons in a formal curriculum publisher 434 00:23:46,475 --> 00:23:49,075 Speaker 2: are set up for a school where you have to 435 00:23:49,156 --> 00:23:50,955 Speaker 2: keep the kids sitting at a desk for an hour. 436 00:23:51,396 --> 00:23:54,196 Speaker 2: You don't necessarily have to do that, you know, you 437 00:23:54,235 --> 00:23:56,515 Speaker 2: could do some of the math orally. Like I would 438 00:23:56,515 --> 00:23:58,715 Speaker 2: sit there with my child and we would do some 439 00:23:58,796 --> 00:24:01,075 Speaker 2: of the problems orally, and then I would write the answer, 440 00:24:01,235 --> 00:24:04,796 Speaker 2: or or we would I would like I would help 441 00:24:04,796 --> 00:24:06,596 Speaker 2: them work out the answer and they would write it down. 442 00:24:06,995 --> 00:24:10,316 Speaker 2: And so there are lots of creative ways to help 443 00:24:10,396 --> 00:24:12,876 Speaker 2: children who maybe are developing a little slower. But the 444 00:24:12,916 --> 00:24:16,475 Speaker 2: other thing is in the Peaceful Press curriculum, especially the 445 00:24:16,515 --> 00:24:20,156 Speaker 2: Peaceful Preschool and Nurishing Nature Kindergarten, and we incorporate a 446 00:24:20,196 --> 00:24:23,396 Speaker 2: lot of motor skills training because so many kids they're 447 00:24:23,396 --> 00:24:27,596 Speaker 2: coming into school with underdeveloped motor skills. 448 00:24:27,916 --> 00:24:30,316 Speaker 1: We've heard of this of kindergartens who can't hold a pencil, 449 00:24:30,676 --> 00:24:33,556 Speaker 1: that they don't have the muscle strength to do these 450 00:24:33,556 --> 00:24:34,995 Speaker 1: things right, and. 451 00:24:34,916 --> 00:24:37,436 Speaker 2: So we do a lot of you know, working on 452 00:24:37,436 --> 00:24:41,196 Speaker 2: the pincher grip through activities tracing. You know, one of 453 00:24:41,196 --> 00:24:44,116 Speaker 2: the big core activities in the Peaceful Preschool for teaching 454 00:24:44,196 --> 00:24:48,436 Speaker 2: phonograms is creating glitter glue letters and then tracing those 455 00:24:48,556 --> 00:24:51,475 Speaker 2: letters with your finger while reviewing the sound. And so 456 00:24:51,676 --> 00:24:53,995 Speaker 2: as your child puts their finger on the letter A 457 00:24:54,235 --> 00:24:57,156 Speaker 2: and traces it there, they're putting it in their mind 458 00:24:57,275 --> 00:25:01,876 Speaker 2: like on the feeling the way it is pictured. But 459 00:25:01,955 --> 00:25:04,995 Speaker 2: they're also learning how to track. And if you visually 460 00:25:04,995 --> 00:25:07,196 Speaker 2: can track your finger going around the letter at A, 461 00:25:07,955 --> 00:25:09,795 Speaker 2: then you're also going to be able to track words 462 00:25:09,796 --> 00:25:13,275 Speaker 2: going across a page. And so there's so many activities 463 00:25:13,275 --> 00:25:16,876 Speaker 2: that we've built into our kindergarten and preschool award winning 464 00:25:16,916 --> 00:25:20,636 Speaker 2: resources that help develop those motor skills, because if the 465 00:25:20,796 --> 00:25:27,275 Speaker 2: underlying visual and auditory and large motor skills aren't developed, 466 00:25:27,515 --> 00:25:30,275 Speaker 2: then your child will have delays. You know, there's a 467 00:25:30,275 --> 00:25:34,676 Speaker 2: lot of factors that create both learning delays and things 468 00:25:34,715 --> 00:25:39,756 Speaker 2: like add ADHD and so learning how to create an 469 00:25:39,796 --> 00:25:42,955 Speaker 2: early childhood that's a little more peaceful, a little more 470 00:25:43,076 --> 00:25:46,315 Speaker 2: motor skills centric, is going to actually give your children 471 00:25:46,556 --> 00:25:49,835 Speaker 2: a big advantage later on. I've seen several studies that 472 00:25:49,876 --> 00:25:54,396 Speaker 2: say that the early like early readers and late readers 473 00:25:54,436 --> 00:25:57,515 Speaker 2: all are about the same level by sixth grade. So 474 00:25:57,796 --> 00:26:00,436 Speaker 2: you know, your child, like, it's awesome if they start 475 00:26:00,475 --> 00:26:03,436 Speaker 2: reading early, But if your child isn't reading early, don't 476 00:26:03,475 --> 00:26:05,795 Speaker 2: worry about it. Just keep reading aloud to them. The 477 00:26:05,836 --> 00:26:08,955 Speaker 2: only real gain in learning to read earlier is that 478 00:26:08,995 --> 00:26:10,795 Speaker 2: you get a bigger vocabulary. But if you have a 479 00:26:10,836 --> 00:26:12,955 Speaker 2: mom who's reading out loud to you or listening to 480 00:26:12,955 --> 00:26:16,475 Speaker 2: audiobooks with you, you can totally erase that sort of 481 00:26:16,556 --> 00:26:17,396 Speaker 2: lag as well. 482 00:26:17,715 --> 00:26:20,636 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you talk about that the daily reading, you know, 483 00:26:20,715 --> 00:26:24,516 Speaker 1: having oral narration, written narration, asking your children, you know, 484 00:26:24,556 --> 00:26:26,876 Speaker 1: tell me about it, orally write about it. Now, what 485 00:26:26,955 --> 00:26:29,075 Speaker 1: did you hear all those things that are going to 486 00:26:29,116 --> 00:26:32,235 Speaker 1: help them? I want to just end with this idea 487 00:26:32,235 --> 00:26:34,836 Speaker 1: of screen time, which we've already touched on. You write, 488 00:26:34,916 --> 00:26:38,276 Speaker 1: pushback as long as possible on screen time, or require 489 00:26:38,356 --> 00:26:42,836 Speaker 1: screen time to be productive rather than merely consumptive. Are 490 00:26:42,876 --> 00:26:46,875 Speaker 1: your teens making games or movies, writing code, researching, or 491 00:26:47,035 --> 00:26:50,156 Speaker 1: merely consuming? Give us a word on that. 492 00:26:51,076 --> 00:26:54,596 Speaker 2: Yeah, I just I loved the idea that screens can 493 00:26:54,676 --> 00:26:57,955 Speaker 2: be a useful tool. There are so many ways that 494 00:26:57,995 --> 00:27:00,795 Speaker 2: people are, you know, making a living myself included with 495 00:27:00,955 --> 00:27:04,636 Speaker 2: my online community and peaceful press, homeschool curriculum, and so 496 00:27:04,796 --> 00:27:08,396 Speaker 2: I don't think screens are an absolute negative. But I've 497 00:27:08,396 --> 00:27:10,916 Speaker 2: talked to you and read about so many of the 498 00:27:10,955 --> 00:27:13,636 Speaker 2: great creators, people who are making a big impact, and 499 00:27:13,676 --> 00:27:15,475 Speaker 2: most of them do not allow their young children to 500 00:27:15,475 --> 00:27:16,035 Speaker 2: be on screen. 501 00:27:16,116 --> 00:27:16,556 Speaker 1: That's right. 502 00:27:17,076 --> 00:27:19,636 Speaker 2: And one of the advice that many them give is 503 00:27:19,676 --> 00:27:23,835 Speaker 2: that what people really need is like virtue, emotional intelligence, 504 00:27:23,876 --> 00:27:27,196 Speaker 2: and imagination. And so you can develop those in early 505 00:27:27,316 --> 00:27:30,595 Speaker 2: childhood through you know, reading aloud, letting your children have 506 00:27:30,676 --> 00:27:34,556 Speaker 2: free play time, keeping the screens very minimized, and then 507 00:27:34,636 --> 00:27:36,955 Speaker 2: you know, as they grow incorporating things like maybe a 508 00:27:36,955 --> 00:27:41,275 Speaker 2: photography class or a camera or maybe some giving them 509 00:27:41,316 --> 00:27:43,396 Speaker 2: some time to work on Canva or do a typing 510 00:27:43,436 --> 00:27:46,116 Speaker 2: program like really intentional screen. 511 00:27:45,876 --> 00:27:48,836 Speaker 1: Yet, but I will they're acquiring skills. 512 00:27:48,995 --> 00:27:52,235 Speaker 2: But I wouldn't do that until you know, really later childhood, 513 00:27:52,556 --> 00:27:56,595 Speaker 2: early adolescence, because once you know and for sure, like 514 00:27:56,596 --> 00:27:59,116 Speaker 2: I wouldn't give them an iPhone until yeah, I mean 515 00:27:59,396 --> 00:28:02,796 Speaker 2: eighteen years old if possible, too. Yeah, we waited as 516 00:28:02,796 --> 00:28:05,755 Speaker 2: long as possible, and even then it was too early. 517 00:28:05,836 --> 00:28:09,396 Speaker 2: And so I feel like the longer you wait, the more. 518 00:28:09,515 --> 00:28:12,075 Speaker 2: Like my seventeen year old son's working at a summer 519 00:28:12,116 --> 00:28:15,235 Speaker 2: camp and he's had a phone for a year and 520 00:28:15,235 --> 00:28:19,196 Speaker 2: a half or so, but he at camp, they're not 521 00:28:19,196 --> 00:28:20,836 Speaker 2: allowed to have the fund during the week. They're working 522 00:28:20,955 --> 00:28:24,636 Speaker 2: long days. It's an adventure camp. And he's he's feeling 523 00:28:24,755 --> 00:28:28,315 Speaker 2: like he's really noticing the difference because there is a 524 00:28:28,316 --> 00:28:32,196 Speaker 2: big difference in your lifestyle and your your the way 525 00:28:32,235 --> 00:28:35,075 Speaker 2: your brain works. Like, yes, we are inducing a d 526 00:28:35,196 --> 00:28:38,556 Speaker 2: D and ourselves and our children by the you know, 527 00:28:39,036 --> 00:28:43,836 Speaker 2: the quick screen content, and so I think like eliminated 528 00:28:43,836 --> 00:28:45,836 Speaker 2: for as long as possible, even you know, we were 529 00:28:45,876 --> 00:28:49,276 Speaker 2: not a screen free family. Like, we did watch movies 530 00:28:49,356 --> 00:28:53,436 Speaker 2: sometimes or shows sometimes, but we even kept those really slow. 531 00:28:53,476 --> 00:28:57,796 Speaker 2: It would be like The Incredible Journey or Animal like 532 00:28:57,876 --> 00:29:00,956 Speaker 2: there's the you know, some of the nature shows that 533 00:29:00,996 --> 00:29:04,196 Speaker 2: they would do. We'd watch those. So even the screen 534 00:29:04,276 --> 00:29:07,676 Speaker 2: use that we did do was never video games or 535 00:29:07,796 --> 00:29:11,115 Speaker 2: fast content right ever had it. We've never had a 536 00:29:11,116 --> 00:29:13,116 Speaker 2: gaming console. We had a wee for like a year 537 00:29:13,196 --> 00:29:15,115 Speaker 2: or so. We got rid of it because nobody played it. 538 00:29:15,156 --> 00:29:18,115 Speaker 2: So you know, definitely, in my opinion, the longer you 539 00:29:18,196 --> 00:29:21,075 Speaker 2: can lay screen use and the more you minimize it, 540 00:29:21,116 --> 00:29:22,556 Speaker 2: the more creative your children will. 541 00:29:22,436 --> 00:29:25,676 Speaker 1: Be exactly, they will have more time to do be 542 00:29:25,916 --> 00:29:30,516 Speaker 1: creative instead of watching other people be creative. As we close, 543 00:29:30,636 --> 00:29:33,596 Speaker 1: I just wanted to note you have Laura Ingles Wilder 544 00:29:33,756 --> 00:29:36,036 Speaker 1: in your book, and something that was so sweet that 545 00:29:36,076 --> 00:29:39,836 Speaker 1: I that really helped me even yesterday, was you wrote 546 00:29:39,876 --> 00:29:42,876 Speaker 1: about and just noted you know, Ma embraced her work, 547 00:29:43,396 --> 00:29:46,115 Speaker 1: that she didn't take it as an awful thing. She 548 00:29:46,196 --> 00:29:48,876 Speaker 1: invited her children into it, and she embraced the work 549 00:29:48,916 --> 00:29:51,476 Speaker 1: that she had. And I just remember, like, you know, 550 00:29:51,516 --> 00:29:53,996 Speaker 1: my dog made he well he threw up to be honest. 551 00:29:54,036 --> 00:29:56,276 Speaker 1: But anyways, and as I'm cleaning this, I'm like, this 552 00:29:56,316 --> 00:29:59,516 Speaker 1: is terrible. But I thought Ma embraced her work, and 553 00:29:59,556 --> 00:30:03,556 Speaker 1: it honestly made me think, you know what, I'm happy 554 00:30:03,676 --> 00:30:07,276 Speaker 1: to be, you know, like a caregiver, you know, like 555 00:30:07,316 --> 00:30:09,556 Speaker 1: a steward the earth kind of thing to God's creatures. 556 00:30:09,876 --> 00:30:11,596 Speaker 1: I will take care of this creature. I'm going to 557 00:30:11,636 --> 00:30:14,595 Speaker 1: embrace my work. And if you have just that simple 558 00:30:14,636 --> 00:30:18,716 Speaker 1: attitude that is shown by Laura Ingles Wilder and you 559 00:30:19,156 --> 00:30:21,916 Speaker 1: little house on the prairie, the old one that you 560 00:30:22,156 --> 00:30:24,756 Speaker 1: watch that you see, like, well, that that is a 561 00:30:24,796 --> 00:30:28,436 Speaker 1: beautiful example of how you can enjoy the work that 562 00:30:28,476 --> 00:30:28,956 Speaker 1: you're given. 563 00:30:29,316 --> 00:30:33,196 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's it's so wonderful for us physically, Like 564 00:30:33,236 --> 00:30:36,556 Speaker 2: on Sunday I pounded out some sauerkraut, and yesterday I 565 00:30:36,596 --> 00:30:39,516 Speaker 2: made some pickles and planted some flower seeds. And it's 566 00:30:39,556 --> 00:30:42,956 Speaker 2: like we have this opportunity to co create with God, 567 00:30:43,036 --> 00:30:45,796 Speaker 2: like he made this beautiful world and we are called 568 00:30:45,796 --> 00:30:49,315 Speaker 2: to steward it. And that requires work. And so you 569 00:30:49,516 --> 00:30:53,716 Speaker 2: are avoiding work. I think that you there again, there 570 00:30:53,796 --> 00:30:56,315 Speaker 2: might be something internal that you need to process with 571 00:30:56,356 --> 00:30:59,596 Speaker 2: the Lord, because work is a gift. It's like us 572 00:30:59,876 --> 00:31:03,596 Speaker 2: being you know, partnering with God and making the world 573 00:31:03,596 --> 00:31:06,596 Speaker 2: a better place. So I do love Maud's example and 574 00:31:06,876 --> 00:31:09,595 Speaker 2: so many of the examples in the book. Another one 575 00:31:09,676 --> 00:31:13,236 Speaker 2: is Booker T. Washington, Like he embraced diligence and he 576 00:31:13,316 --> 00:31:18,156 Speaker 2: embraced doing things with excellence, and then he created so 577 00:31:18,316 --> 00:31:22,596 Speaker 2: much beautiful education for his people because he wasn't afraid 578 00:31:22,636 --> 00:31:22,996 Speaker 2: to work. 579 00:31:23,196 --> 00:31:25,716 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's awesome. Tell us how we can find out 580 00:31:25,716 --> 00:31:28,236 Speaker 1: more about your book and more about you, Jennifer. 581 00:31:28,436 --> 00:31:32,836 Speaker 2: Yes, if you go to Inspired homeschool book dot com. 582 00:31:33,436 --> 00:31:36,236 Speaker 2: There are a bunch of pre order bonuses on there, 583 00:31:36,956 --> 00:31:40,276 Speaker 2: and there's a great book list to help families get 584 00:31:40,276 --> 00:31:44,356 Speaker 2: started with literature based learning, a student planner, a free 585 00:31:44,356 --> 00:31:47,876 Speaker 2: homeschool planning workshop so at inspired homeschool book dot com. 586 00:31:48,196 --> 00:31:50,916 Speaker 2: And then you can also find all the links to 587 00:31:50,956 --> 00:31:53,436 Speaker 2: everything I talk about at the Peacefulpress dot com. 588 00:31:53,436 --> 00:31:55,196 Speaker 1: And we will have those links in the show notes. 589 00:31:55,196 --> 00:31:56,756 Speaker 1: I am going to be looking at that book list. 590 00:31:56,836 --> 00:31:58,756 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, Jennifer for coming on. 591 00:31:59,156 --> 00:32:00,876 Speaker 2: Thanks for having me, Arlene. What I enjoyed. 592 00:32:02,156 --> 00:32:05,516 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's conversation. I'd love to keep 593 00:32:05,516 --> 00:32:09,156 Speaker 1: in touch beyond this podcast. Click subscribe in the show 594 00:32:09,196 --> 00:32:11,796 Speaker 1: notes and I will give you my latest email to 595 00:32:11,876 --> 00:32:15,115 Speaker 1: keep up on what's happening with technology and kids. 596 00:32:15,636 --> 00:32:16,516 Speaker 2: And maybe you like. 597 00:32:16,596 --> 00:32:19,595 Speaker 1: Reading or listening to books. I have a lot of books. 598 00:32:19,676 --> 00:32:23,236 Speaker 1: You could start with The Big Three, Making Marriage Easier, 599 00:32:23,796 --> 00:32:27,595 Speaker 1: Parents Rising, or Screen Kids. A big thank you to 600 00:32:27,676 --> 00:32:30,156 Speaker 1: the team at Life Audio for their partnership with the 601 00:32:30,196 --> 00:32:34,116 Speaker 1: Happy Home podcast. Check out lifeaudio dot com for dozens 602 00:32:34,156 --> 00:32:38,396 Speaker 1: of other faith related podcasts about prayer, Bible study, and more. 603 00:32:39,076 --> 00:32:41,996 Speaker 1: Remember you don't have to come from a happy home 604 00:32:42,116 --> 00:32:45,516 Speaker 1: to create one. You two can have a happy homes