We’re all familiar with the common conflicts between parents and teens, situations like: “My teenage daughter is addicted to her phone, and if we take it away for punishment, she acts like her life is over! How can I be firm without becoming public enemy No. 1?” Although the technology…
When our children are young, danger is obvious. The guidance we provide is very tangible, and saying “no” is part of daily life. However, as our children enter the tween and teen years and begin to develop their own judgement, setting rules and guidelines for them gets more complicated. We…
This past week my family traveled to Washington D.C. to attend my favorite homeschooling conference, Teach Them Diligently. However, Teach Them Diligently isn’t just about homeschooling: It’s about the heart of families centered on God’s Word and our calling as parents to disciple our children. Last year was my first…
Two weeks ago, I was blessed to attend the Denver Missional Women Conference with my sister-in-law, NextGen Homeschool Author Rosanna Ward, and my first-gen homeschooling mother-in-law Karen Gotcher. Our attendance came together very last minute, however God demonstrated to me that when HE is on a mission, the message is…
This year my family is planning to attend the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Washington D.C., taking place May 15-17. Last year, my homeschooling sister-in-law Rosanna and I attended our first Teach Them Diligently in Omaha — and we haven’t been the same homeschoolers since! (See her post on why she’s…
When you are faced with major decisions regarding your homeschooling, your family, your own personal role and relationships, seeking God’s direction can be challenging. Even daily decisions can get bogged down with the opinions and advice of others, self doubt, and conflicting messages from our culture. As I shared in…
Last week we took a few days off for a spring garden prep “field trip” at the home of my in-laws in Kansas. Grandpa and Grandma Gotcher are “firstgen” homeschoolers: They began homeschooling my husband and his two sisters in the early 1980s. They needed help getting their orchard and…
“Ask a NextGen Homeschooler” is your turn to ask our authors — formerly homeschooled moms who are now homeschooling our children — to weigh in on your homeschooling questions. We welcome all of your questions, whether you’re looking for practical tips or support and encouragement! This week’s question was brought…
Last night I had the pleasure of meeting 20-year homeschooling veteran Lori Lane, founder of Artios Academies and The End in Mind, a Christian homeschooling encouragement blog. As the guest speaker for my local homeschool support group, Lori shared her personal homeschooling journey and its connection to the foundation of…
Welcome to “Ask a NextGen Homeschooler.” It’s your turn to ask the authors of NextGen Homeschool — formerly homeschooled moms who are now homeschooling our children — to weigh in on your homeschooling questions. From the practical to the personal, all questions are welcome! This week’s question comes from a…
Every journey requires times of rest to regroup and restore physically and mentally. As homeschoolers, we know this all to well: It’s easy to burn out when we don’t pace ourselves and take necessary breaks. It’s no different with our spiritual journey. If we’re running full steam ahead ourselves and…
Recently a good friend of mine surprised me by asking if we could get together to talk about homeschooling. I wasn’t surprised that she might consider it, but I was surprised by the timing and eagerness to get it all figured out right now — months before the school year’s…