Homeschool is a Work of Heart
The world of education is changing, and more families are choosing a different way. Homeschooling gives parents the opportunity to personalize learning, strengthen relationships, and help their children grow into confident, capable learners. But even with all the benefits, the day-to-day can feel challenging.
If you have a heart for homeschooling, this podcast is here to encourage you, offer practical guidance, and help you see your role and your child in a whole new light.
Episodes
161 episodes
Great start. Now revise it.
What if your child doesn’t actually hate writing? What if they hate guessing?In this episode, I’m taking you back to sixth grade and a writing assignment I’ve remembered for decades. I was told to revise my paper, but there was on...
What Does Homeschooling Mean Anymore?
What does it mean to homeschool in 2026?After more than 20 years in the homeschool world, I’ve noticed something: when a parent tells me, “We homeschool,” I still don’t know much about what learning actually looks like in their home....
Pack. Camp. Clean Up. Write?
What does a family camping trip have to do with teaching your child to write an essay? More than you might think!Just like you wouldn’t arrive at a campsite without packing first, young writers shouldn’t be expected to sit down and simpl...
Let It Be Hard: Why Our Kids Don’t Always Need Something Easier
When your child says, “This is hard,” is your first instinct to find something easier?We expect kids to struggle when they learn the piano, take up a new sport, or master a new skill. We know practice, frustration, and even failure are p...
The First Month is Data, Not a Verdict: Don't Judge Your Homeschool Year Yet
It’s August. The curriculum is new, the schedule looked much better on paper, the kids are still figuring things out, and you may already be wondering: Did I get this wrong?Before you change everything, take a closer look at wha...
The 7 Biggest Writing Mistakes
After more than 30 years of teaching writing, I’ve seen the same mistakes trip families up again and again. And most of them come from parents who are genuinely trying to do the right thing.In this episode, I’m sharing the seven bigge...
It's Not Harvest Season Yet
As a new school year begins, it’s tempting to plant the seeds and immediately start looking for the harvest. We choose the curriculum, establish the routines, set the goals, and then wonder why everything isn’t growing quite as quickly as we ho...
Before We Judge Another Homeschool Family
Have you ever noticed how quickly we put people into neat little boxes?One story. One viral video. One difficult experience. Suddenly, we think we understand an entire group of people.This week, I'm talking about stereotypes and w...
The Compliment I Almost Missed
This week, I'm sharing a simple storytelling strategy that can help children become more confident writers and make family conversations a lot more entertaining.Using the easy-to-remember SWBS framework (Somebody, Wanted, But, So), I'll ...
Never Stop Discovering Your Children
This week, I'm inviting you into something a little different and, I think, something every family needs.After hearing part of a fun "best friend quiz," I started wondering: How well do we really know the people sitting around our ow...
Summer Reading Inspiration for Your Kids
Looking for a great book your child will actually want to read this summer? In this episode, I'm sharing five highly recommended books for ages 10 to 12, one from each of five different genres. I did the research so you ...
The Cost of the Life You Want
Have you ever stood in a store debating whether something was really worth the price? This week, a $70 bottle of self-tanner got me thinking about something much bigger than money. I started wondering about the other costs we pay to...
The Business That Was Never Yours
Have you ever found yourself wishing someone would just change? Maybe it's your child, your spouse, a friend, or even a difficult family member. In this episode, Melissa explores the powerful concept of "my business, you...
Practice What You Preach
Have you ever encouraged your children to be curious, lifelong learners?I have, and this week, I found myself asking a different question: How often have I modeled that behavior myself?Recently, I stumbled across a strange foamy s...
Doing Nothing is Still Doing Something
Have you ever noticed that putting something off doesn't actually make it disappear?This week, I'm sharing a simple realization that came to me while walking past a game closet that has needed attention for far too long. It got me thinki...
What a Marathon Taught Me About Resilience
What if the hard thing you're facing is actually helping you grow?In this episode, I share the story of watching our oldest son complete his first marathon and the powerful lessons it reminded me of about resilience, confidence, persever...
Your Invisible Rulebook
Do you ever find yourself frustrated because your spouse, child, friend, or family member isn't behaving the way you think they should?You may be carrying around an invisible rulebook without even realizing it.In this episode, I'm...
How Rewards and Consequences Shape Our Children
This week on Homeschool is a Work of Heart, I’m talking about something that affects every home, every classroom, and every relationship: rewards and consequences. Inspired by conversations within my business, Write On Webb...
The Beauty of Boredom
In this week’s episode of Homeschool is a Work of Heart, we’re talking about something many parents try hard to avoid: boredom. But what if boredom is not a problem to solve, but a valuable life skill to develop? Let's expl...
Helping Kids Manage Big Emotions Starts with Us
This week on Homeschool is a Work of Heart, we’re diving into emotional regulation, what it is, what it is not, and why it matters so much in parenting and homeschooling.Most of us were taught how to manage behaviors, not regula...
How to Stop Feeling Unappreciated
With Mother’s Day approaching, many moms quietly carry expectations about feeling appreciated, celebrated, and noticed. But what happens when those expectations go unmet?In this episode, I plan to share a powerful mindset shift inspired ...
The Risk of Another Revolution: Are We Outsourcing Our Thinking?
In this episode, I reflect on a powerful idea I heard from Andrew Pudewa about how each major revolution has divided people into two groups. From the “hands and hands not” of the Industrial Revolution to the “maths and maths not” of the Informa...
The Mirror Effect: What Your Children are Reflecting
Ever notice how quickly emotions spread in your home? One frustrated child turns into two, then suddenly everyone is overwhelmed. It feels like it came out of nowhere, but it didn’t.In this episode, I’m breaking down something called “mi...
Plan to be Awed
Hey Home Educators! What if the missing piece in your homeschool isn’t more or better curriculum, but rather wonder and awe?Wonder and awe are catalysts for deeper, more engaging learning, and it does require some planning.&n...
The Homeschool Shift That Changes Everything: An Interview with Kami Wanous
In this episode, I sit down with Kami Wanous, founder of The Freedom Scholar, to talk about why so many homeschooling families struggle and how to move beyond it. Kami shares her early experience of recreating school at home, which ...