Raising Lifelong Learners

Raising kids "on the fringes," or gifted, 2e, etc can be isolating and confusing. Therapist and author Heather Boorman joins Colleen on today's episode to talk about how helping kids see their differences can help them be the amazing people they're meant to be. Her 13yo son joins the conversation too, giving some great advice to help teens who feel isolated find friends with similar interests.

There are so many homeschooling moms that start to worry as their kids get into middle school and high school that what they've done up until this point isn't enough. Or that they're missing big pieces of learning, content, or skills that they should have been teaching all along. Today, Colleen talks with her sixteen year old son, Trevor, about some of his experiences so far, and gets his insights about homeschooling, self directed education, hope, and more. You're not going to want to miss this episode, particularly if you've got budding high schoolers of your own!

It can be scary to homeschool an outside-the-box learner. Differently-wired kids beat to the tune of their own drummers, and that can be problematic when we go into it with a set expectation for how things will be. It is hard to trust our kids AND ourselves with this totally alternate path to education... In today's conversation, Colleen and Sara Hall chat about just that.  How it's not our job to fit our kids into a box. It's our job to help them see how amazing their out-of-the box thinking truly is. 

It's a new year and I don't know about you, but I'm ready to tackle it head on and enjoy my kiddos and our new puppy, all while making this podcast and site the place where you can find all you need to help you parent and homeschool those differently wired kiddos amazingly. In today's episode, we'll talk about some new formatting, new features, and you'll get a preview of things to come. I can't wait to share it all with you and to hear your feedback!

Ever worry that you're not going to be able to do this homeschool thing all the way through high school? Me too. Colleen is talking today with Connie Albers -- homeschool mom of five adult children. All of those kiddos have homeschooled, gone through college at a major university, and are now doing great things. You're not going to want to miss this inspirational chat. It will encourage you as you look towards the long term in this homeschooling gig. 

People ask often how I do it all. I try to tell them that I simply don't -- that there are balls I drop regularly, but I'm not sure they completely believe me. In today's episode, I tell you all the things I don't do. The home and homeschool balls that get dropped. Above all, friends, remember that you're not alone and that you are doing an amazing job.

We really want to encourage critical and creative thinking in our kids -- especially with so many things going on in the world that require us to think clearly and make informed decisions. Ginny Kochis has some great tips for developing these skills without adding something new to our already full homeschool parenting plates. Check it out, and let me know how YOU teach critical thinking in your home and homeschool. You can leave a comment below or send a voice message. I'll share more tips as you share. 

The holidays are coming and I know -- if you're like me -- that you're gearing up and trying to figure out how to make it happy, fun, and successful for all your kids, you, and the rest of your extended family. In this chat, I'll share some of my thoughts about navigating the holidays with your differently-wired kiddos, and simple tricks you can do to make it great (or at least bearable) for all.

Raising globally minded kids in today's world is important as the world grows closer and more connected. Today Colleen talks with Anne Guarnera about bringing language and cultural learning into the home and homeschool effortlessly, and what it's like living the adventure of a bilingual family.

The testing question... it comes up often in conversation and consults, but as a listener asked again recently, Colleen thought it worth revisiting in a podcast episode. Testing your child for giftedness is a personal choice and everyone has different reasons for why they chose to test... or not to test. What should you do? Well... let's talk about it.