

The Homeschool Solutions Show
Great Homeschool Conventions
The homeschooling community is large, diverse, and ever-growing. There is so much we may learn from the successes, failures, and challenges of others in this community. We trust that you’ll find these conversations to be encouraging, thought-provoking, and equipping.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 13, 2025 • 32min
487 | Parenting Teen Boys with Brooke McGlothlin (Jessica Smartt)
In this episode Jessica and Brooke talk teen boys -- when to discipline, when to give them freedom, when and how to pray for them. It's an encouraging and helpful episode! About Brooke Brooke McGlothlin is the original founder and former leader of Million Praying Moms, and author of 8 books including her latest, Praying for Teen Boys: Partner with God for the Heart of Your Son. She serves as Client Services Director at Blue Ridge Women’s Center, a nonprofit ministry assisting women in crisis pregnancy. A wife of 23 years, and mom to two young men ages 18 and 20, Brooke makes her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia. About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources Praying for Teen Boys Connect Brooke McGlothlin | Instagram Jessica Smartt | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Jul 29, 2025 • 44min
490 | Homeschooling Through Challenges: Moving (Julie Ross with Ana Willis) | REPLAY
The challenge of moving can bring chaos to the whole family, and throwing homeschooling into the mix is a recipe for complete overwhelm! In this episode, Julie talks with Ana Willis about how she tackled this challenge with her own family and how to make it manageable for parents and children. About Ana Ana is a wife and homeschool mom of three turned homeschool blogger. She is also a women's pastor, entrepreneur, and a passionate Bible and Hebrew teacher. She loves helping homeschool moms to find joy and fulfillment in their homeschool calling. Her goal is to help moms go from stressed to blessed, nurturing a restful homeschooling through a living education, and living a beyond blessed life. Ana studied Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has a double Bachelor's degree in Biblical and Jewish Studies from Israel College of the Bible in Jerusalem. She is the founder of Hebrew for Homeschoolers, a course that teaches homeschool families to read, write, and speak Hebrew in only 4-10 weeks. For the past six years, Ana has been mentoring thousands of homeschool moms through They Call Me Blessed, The Homeschool Sisterhood, and co-hosting the Charlotte Mason Inspired Online Conference. Ana loves bringing God's people together and above all, she loves bringing people closer to God! About Julie Julie H. Ross believes that every child needs a feast of living ideas to grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. As a former school teacher, curriculum coordinator, and assistant director of a homeschool academy, Julie has worked with hundreds of students and parents over the past 20 years. She has also been homeschooling her own five children for over a decade. Julie developed the Charlotte Mason curriculum, A Gentle Feast, to provide parents with the tools and resources needed to provide a rich and abundant educational feast full of books, beauty, and Biblical truth. Julie lives in South Carolina. When she’s not busy homeschooling, reading children’s books, hiking, or writing curriculum, you can find her taking a nap. Resources Morning Time Plans for Times of Crisis from A Gentle Feast Connect Ana Willis | Instagram | Website Julie Ross | Instagram A Gentle Feast | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Jul 1, 2025 • 52min
483 | The Joy of Reading in Community with Jennifer Dow (Janice Campbell)
Jennifer Dow, a classical teacher and founder of the Paideia Fellowship, discusses the transformative power of reading in community. She shares insights on leading book groups and creating welcoming spaces for discussion. Listeners learn how literature fosters healing and personal growth, challenging false beliefs while deepening connections with others. Dow emphasizes nurturing curiosity through meaningful texts and the joy of shared reading experiences, encouraging a supportive atmosphere where relationships and learning blossom.

Jun 3, 2025 • 39min
480 | Out of Public School into Homeschooling with Jill Simonian from PragerU (Jessica Smartt)
Jill and Jessica talk about public school vs. homeschooling, the transition out of public schooling, and whether or not to encourage your kids to go to college. About Jill Jill Simonian is Director of Outreach for PragerU Resources for Educators & Parents (PREP) and PragerU Kids. PragerU Kids offers families and educators free children's edutainment with shows, videos, resources, and books that honor and celebrate American values and history for Kindergarten through 12th grades. Jill is frequently seen and heard discussing education across media outlets, including Newsmax, Fox News, OAN, and more. Jill is a former television host & media contributor, founder of TheFABMom blog, and published author. Previously, Jill was known for straight-talking parenting segments on Los Angeles' KCBS, KCAL, KTLA, KTTV as well as HLN/CNN, TODAY Show, Hallmark Channel, and more between 2011-2020. Prior to 2011, Jill was a full-time entertainment reporter and television host for a variety of cable news networks. Jill is a graduate of UCLA and resides in California with her husband and two children. About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources PragerU Kids PragerU resources Connect Jill Simonian | PragerU | Instagram | X | YouTube Jessica Smartt | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

May 29, 2025 • 36min
479 | Freedom, College, Homeschool Curricula, Facebook, and More with Connor Boyack! (Jessica Smartt) | REPLAY
Join Jessica Smartt for a conversation with Connor Boyack, author of The Tuttle Twins books and president of Libertas Institute! About Connor Connor Boyack is founder and president of Libertas Institute, a free market think tank in Utah. Named one of Utah’s most politically influential people by The Salt Lake Tribune, Connor’s leadership has led to dozens of legislative victories spanning a wide range of areas such as privacy, government transparency, property rights, entrepreneurship, education, personal freedom, and more. A public speaker and author of over thirty books, Connor is best known for The Tuttle Twins books, a children’s series introducing young readers to economic, political, and civic principles. Connor lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife and two homeschooled children. About Jessica Jessica is a wife, homeschool mom of three, author, and blogger. She lives in sunny North Carolina on a big family farm with chickens, goats, cousins, and lots of mud. Resources Jessica's Weekly Review Favorite Things Connect Connor Boyack of Libertas Institute | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Jessica Smartt | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Apr 24, 2025 • 53min
476 | How to Have a Quiet Time as a Homeschool Mom (Jeannie Fulbright) | REPLAY
One thing we often neglect in our busy schedule is nurturing our walk with God. With everything we must complete, we feel that we just don't have the time to have a quiet time. However, Jesus tells us, "Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." We all want more than anything to do a good job homeschooling, to bear much fruit in our children's lives. Yet, if we are not walking with the Lord, we cannot bear fruit, we can do nothing well. Colossians 1:29 says, "To this end I strenuously labor with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." We need the energy Christ provides to succeed in any endeavor we undertake, especially homeschooling. In this podcast, Jeannie will share the simple format that Jesus taught us to strengthen our relationship with God. Even if you only have five minutes to spare each day, by employing the steps Jesus imparted, you will receive all the blessings and benefits of an intimate and dynamic relationship with God. About Jeannie Jeannie Fulbright, a 24-year veteran homeschooler, is the author of the #1 best-selling, multi award-winning Apologia Young Explorer science series: Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Chemistry and Physics, Botany, Zoology, and Anatomy & Physiology. She is also the author of the action-packed historical time travel book series Rumble Tumbles Through Time, as well as preschool science books and activity kits, the Charlotte Mason Heirloom Planner, and many high-quality Charlotte Mason based products. Jeannie and her husband Jeff became empty nesters in 2019. All four of their children all went to the University of Georgia on scholarship (homeschooling works!). For more than 20 years Jeannie has traveled around the country speaking to homeschoolers at conventions, covering a plethora of topics from Charlotte Mason to marriage and prayer. Connect Jeannie Fulbright | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Mar 25, 2025 • 26min
472 | Interest Led vs. Need Based; a Homeschool Balancing Act (Jennifer Cabrera) | REPLAY
Interests can lead to learning, but kids don't always follow them past fun and convenience. Career dreams can only become reality through work and meeting requirements. Requirements only parents may fully understand and need to push behind the interests. But what if they have no interests? There's a spark for learning in all kids that we want to kindle but not put out. But how do we find the perfect balance? About Jennifer Jennifer Cabrera, the Hifalutin Homeschooler, is the writer of homeschool truth, humor, and inspiration. Jennifer lives in Salado, Texas with her husband and three brilliant boys. She is a licensed Physician Assistant/MPH, but set aside that career for her ultimate life's work. She is also the author of Socialize Like a Homeschooler: A Humorous Homeschool Handbook and Revolting Writing, a hilarious writing, vocabulary, and illustration journal for reluctant writers. She is a featured speaker with Great Homeschool Conventions and her memes and witty insights are widely shared on social media. Connect Jennifer Cabrera | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Mar 19, 2025 • 37min
470 | Your Children Need Someone to Talk To (Sean Allen)
Can your children trust you? Before you answer that question, another question should be asked: "Do your children talk to you?" In our relationship with our children, trust is a precious commodity; but it's not one that magically appears in abundance, as if you've suddenly won the lottery of your child's confidence. Trust is acquired and saved over time. Over long and sustained periods as we prove our love and commitment to our children. As we talk to them and encourage them to talk to us. Because if we haven't convinced them they can talk to us, it's going to be very difficult to convince them to trust us. About Sean Sean Allen is the founder of The Well Ordered Homeschool, husband to his beautiful bride Caroline and a proud father of eight. He has a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and is passionate about creating materials to assist parents in the incredibly challenging, yet surpassingly beautiful, work of schooling and training their children at home. Resources The No Ordinary Days Podcast Connect Sean Allen | Instagram | Facebook | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Mar 10, 2025 • 27min
449 | Deep Work: Learning Focus in a World of Distraction (Janice Campbell) | REPLAY
Life can be so busy that it's hard to focus on the things that really matter. Although Cal Newport's book, Deep Work, isn't written specifically for homeschooling families, his ideas are surprisingly compatible with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education, and can help you discover ways to create focused, peaceful, and productive habits in every area of life. About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You’ll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources Deep Work by Cal Newport Cal Newport's blog Blog post with visual notes A simple schedule from Benjamin Franklin (who didn’t have nearly as many distractions as most moderns, but shared some of Newport's ideas on time) Connect Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Mar 7, 2025 • 26min
445 | Seven Things I Wish I'd Known About Homeschooling (Janice Campbell) | REPLAY
Whether you're just getting started or have been schooling for a while, there are a few basic things to know that might make your life easier. When I started homeschooling, I was lucky enough to have done enough reading and non-traditional learning so I knew that the "school-at-home" model wasn't what we wanted. That helped. However, I started out expecting that I'd be able to make perfect plans and schedules and keep exactly on track every year. As you might guess, that was — well, let's just say that it was overly optimistic. Here are a few of the things I wish I'd known — I hope they help you! About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You’ll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey "One of the Family" by Frederick George Cotman Charlotte Mason Introduction Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Guides Music History Courses Lyrical Life Sciences Homeschooling articles Connect Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Thank you to our sponsors! Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.