I’m starting something new. I will write, at least a weekly newsletter, but probably daily or thrice-weekly blog posts. I’m thinking I’ll have a podcast, too. I’ve had a few of my own solo podcasts in the past (The Mastermind Podcast, The Call of Men podcast, and Unsocialized: The Homeschool Podcast). I’m not sure what this new thing will be, though, and I’d like your help. I may be considering cohost candidates for the podcast. I don’t really want to do a solo thing again. But, I’d like your help figuring out what this will become. So, I’m asking, what would you like me to write and/or talk about? If you think I should just forget the whole business and go sell used refrigerators, I probably won’t like you very much, but, as Bobby Brown said, that’s my prerogative. So, what do you think? What would you like to hear from me? Here’s what I’m thinking so far. They say, write what you know, but the Fat, Broke, and Old Guy podcast doesn’t feel like it would be very good for my self-esteem. I like movies a lot. Recently, my son and I discussed the possibility of doing a movie podcast. I even ranked the top 150 movies of all time, according to me. I also love music and writing/recording my own songs, but I’m not sure I want to write/talk about music (or movies) all the time. I like talking about faith, culture, and politics, but I’m not sure there’s a strong market for my opinions on all that. I like encouraging families/dads/husbands, especially of the Christian homeschool persuasion. I also like entrepreneur stuff. So, maybe some combination of movies, music, family, faith, homeschooling, and entrepreneur stuff that’s, you know, inspiring and encouraging? Btw, stand-up comedy is not out of the realm of possibility either. Again I ask, what do you think? I love you guys and value your opinion. What would you like to hear from me? Thanks! Sincerely,Scott P.S. If you’re such a big fan/friend that you want to be on my email list no matter what I’m doing, then please send me an email at: scott@unsocializedmedia.com and I’ll make sure to keep in touch! Thanks again.

I’m starting something new. I will write, at least a weekly newsletter, but probably daily or thrice-weekly blog posts. I’m thinking I’ll have a podcast, too. I’ve had a few of my own solo podcasts in the past (The Mastermind Podcast, The Call of Men podcast, and Unsocialized: The Homeschool Podcast). I’m not sure what this new thing will be, though, and I’d like your help. I may be considering cohost candidates for the podcast. I don’t really want to do a solo thing again. But, I’d like your help figuring out what this will become. So, I’m asking, what would you like me to write and/or talk about? If you think I should just forget the whole business and go sell used refrigerators, I probably won’t like you very much, but, as Bobby Brown said, that’s my prerogative. So, what do you think? What would you like to hear from me? Here’s what I’m thinking so far. They say, write what you know, but the Fat, Broke, and Old Guy podcast doesn’t feel like it would be very good for my self-esteem. I like movies a lot. Recently, my son and I discussed the possibility of doing a movie podcast. I even ranked the top 150 movies of all time, according to me. I also love music and writing/recording my own songs, but I’m not sure I want to write/talk about music (or movies) all the time. I like talking about faith, culture, and politics, but I’m not sure there’s a strong market for my opinions on all that. I like encouraging families/dads/husbands, especially of the Christian homeschool persuasion. I also like entrepreneur stuff. So, maybe some combination of movies, music, family, faith, homeschooling, and entrepreneur stuff that’s, you know, inspiring and encouraging? Btw, stand-up comedy is not out of the realm of possibility either. Again I ask, what do you think? I love you guys and value your opinion. What would you like to hear from me? Thanks! Sincerely, Scott P.S. If you’re such a big fan/friend that you want to be on my email list no matter what I’m doing, then please send me an email at: <a href="mailto:scott@unsocializedmedia.com">scott@unsocializedmedia.com</a> and I’ll make sure to keep in touch! Thanks again.

What Next?

The End Is Near

Quarantine (A Viral Parody)

We have some new theme music for the show! It’s by my friends, Trent and Siobhan. You can find them at rvworshipleader.com. Along with the new music, I want to tweak the show a little. It’s still about homeschooling, but it occurs to me that this is about so much more than homeschooling. It’s about purposely trying to create the family that we want. Now, it’s never the Norman Rockwell painting we’d like it to be, but we’re working on it, right? What do you think? I really want to know. In other news: So, the election happened. And now, it’s Thanksgiving, which means, CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!! And, Happy Thanksgiving!!!   50 Side Jobs to Help You Make an Extra $500 or More This Month

We have some new theme music for the show! It’s by my friends, <a href="http://www.trentandsiobhan.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trent and Siobhan</a>. You can find them at <a href="http://www.rvworshipleader.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rvworshipleader.com</a>. Along with the new music, I want to tweak the show a little. It’s still about homeschooling, but it occurs to me that this is about so much more than homeschooling. It’s about purposely trying to create the family that we want. Now, it’s never the Norman Rockwell painting we’d like it to be, but we’re working on it, right? What do you think? I really want to know. In other news: So, the election happened. And now, it’s Thanksgiving, which means, CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!! And, Happy Thanksgiving!!! <a href="http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/50-make-extra-money/?aff_id=4&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;payout=.08" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">50 Side Jobs to Help You Make an Extra $500 or More This Month</a>

072 A New Start?

Perhaps like you, I’m dreading the election. By the time you read/listen to this, we may already know the results. For what it’s worth, I think we’re pretty well sunk as a nation no matter who wins. Don’t get me wrong. I believe the results should be markedly better one way, but I believe the character of the American people has become so degraded that we need a dramatic change to right the course of this ship. “It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether the societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force. If there be any truth in the remark, the crisis at which we are arrived may with propriety be regarded as the era in which that decision is to be made; and a wrong election of the part we shall act may, in this view, deserve to be considered as the general misfortune of mankind.” – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 1 Mr. Hamilton’s words are no less true today. Even before this presidential election, it can be said that we are incapable of good government. “The obstacles to usurpation and the facilities of resistance increase with the increased extent of the state, provided the citizens understand their rights and are disposed to defend them.” – Hamilton, Federalist No. 28 Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at this point. Many of the citizens have no idea what rights are, much less their rights, and wouldn’t be able to defend them anyway. “It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” – James Madison, Federalist No. 62 That sounds like just about every law passed by our government: Obamacare, the tax code, you name it. “No government, any more than an individual, will long be respected without being truly respectable; nor be truly respectable without possessing a certain portion of order and stability.” – Madison, Federalist No. 62 If we are to have any hope of reestablishing the honor of the United States of America as a true champion of liberty, where truth and justice are paramount, we must take back the education of our children from the state. I read recently that many American students believe that America invented slavery and George Bush killed more people than Stalin. That is what our public schools have taught our children – or at least allowed them to believe by not correcting the lies and distortions of Hollywood and the mainstream media. Homeschoolers, do not grow weary and give up. If we don’t teach our children the truth, who will?

Perhaps like you, I’m dreading the election. By the time you read/listen to this, we may already know the results. For what it’s worth, I think we’re pretty well sunk as a nation no matter who wins. Don’t get me wrong. I believe the results should be markedly better one way, but I believe the character of the American people has become so degraded that we need a dramatic change to right the course of this ship. <blockquote>“It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether the societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force. If there be any truth in the remark, the crisis at which we are arrived may with propriety be regarded as the era in which that decision is to be made; and a wrong election of the part we shall act may, in this view, deserve to be considered as the general misfortune of mankind.” – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 1</blockquote> Mr. Hamilton’s words are no less true today. Even before this presidential election, it can be said that we are incapable of good government. <blockquote>“The obstacles to usurpation and the facilities of resistance increase with the increased extent of the state, provided the citizens understand their rights and are disposed to defend them.” – Hamilton, Federalist No. 28</blockquote> Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at this point. Many of the citizens have no idea what rights are, much less their rights, and wouldn’t be able to defend them anyway. <blockquote>“It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” – James Madison, Federalist No. 62</blockquote> That sounds like just about every law passed by our government: Obamacare, the tax code, you name it. <blockquote>“No government, any more than an individual, will long be respected without being truly respectable; nor be truly respectable without possessing a certain portion of order and stability.” – Madison, Federalist No. 62</blockquote> If we are to have any hope of reestablishing the honor of the United States of America as a true champion of liberty, where truth and justice are paramount, we must take back the education of our children from the state. I read recently that many American students believe that <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/US/College-Students-America-Slavery/2016/10/31/id/756177/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">America invented slavery</a> and <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2016/10/17/this-is-the-percentage-of-millennials-who-believe-george-w-bush-killed-more-people-than-stalin/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">George Bush killed more people than Stalin</a>. That is what our public schools have taught our children – or at least allowed them to believe by not correcting the lies and distortions of Hollywood and the mainstream media. Homeschoolers, do not grow weary and give up. If we don’t teach our children the truth, who will?

071 Why Homeschooling Matters More Than Ever

Are you just starting out on this homeschooling journey? Here are 10 things I wish I’d known when I was a new homeschooling dad:  We can do this. Our kids will be different – and that’s good! It’s not about getting them into Harvard. My wife is going to need cheerleading. And lots of help. Scratch number 4. These are my kids, too. My wife doesn’t just need help. We are homeschooling. It’s not her job to homeschool the kids. The house is never going to be clean. Maybe when the kids are grown. But then I’ll be sad. This is going to be expensive, but worth it. Our parents, friends, relatives, etc., may or may not understand or support what we’re doing. In fact, they may actively oppose what we’re doing. We’re going to feel like quitting. Don’t! I love my kids!!!  What do you think?

Are you just starting out on this homeschooling journey? Here are 10 things I wish I’d known when I was a new homeschooling dad: <ol> <li>We can do this.</li> <li>Our kids will be different – and that’s good!</li> <li>It’s not about getting them into Harvard.</li> <li>My wife is going to need cheerleading. And lots of help.</li> <li>Scratch number 4. These are my kids, too. My wife doesn’t just need help. We are homeschooling. It’s not her job to homeschool the kids.</li> <li>The house is never going to be clean. Maybe when the kids are grown. But then I’ll be sad.</li> <li>This is going to be expensive, but worth it.</li> <li>Our parents, friends, relatives, etc., may or may not understand or support what we’re doing. In fact, they may actively oppose what we’re doing.</li> <li>We’re going to feel like quitting. Don’t!</li> <li>I love my kids!!!</li> </ol> What do you think?

070 What I Wish I’d Known As A New Homeschooling Dad

This week, in the words of Dean Martin, “I’m just trying to have a little fun, folks.” Enjoy.

This week, in the words of Dean Martin, “I’m just trying to have a little fun, folks.” Enjoy.

I Think I’ll Run For President

We took an awesome field trip with our son last week. It was a bit more than a normal field trip, at least the way I remember them from my school days. Those usually involved a bus ride downtown to the art museum or the zoo or something like that. Not this field trip! We drove five hours to Nashville, TN so my son could meet his favorite author who was doing a book signing event there. On the way, we stopped at the Corvette Museum to see some of the coolest cars ever made and learn a little about the greatness of America and the American muscle car. And, before coming home, we went to the Nashville Parthenon (a full scale replica of the original Greek Parthenon, complete with a statue of Athena inside). We don’t do many field trips on this scale, and we had to scrimp and pinch to make this one work, but it was worth every penny. So, what field trips have you done or are planning to do?

We took an awesome field trip with our son last week. It was a bit more than a normal field trip, at least the way I remember them from my school days. Those usually involved a bus ride downtown to the art museum or the zoo or something like that. Not this field trip! We drove five hours to Nashville, TN so my son could meet his favorite author who was doing a book signing event there. On the way, we stopped at the Corvette Museum to see some of the coolest cars ever made and learn a little about the greatness of America and the American muscle car. And, before coming home, we went to the Nashville Parthenon (a full scale replica of the original Greek Parthenon, complete with a statue of Athena inside). We don’t do many field trips on this scale, and we had to scrimp and pinch to make this one work, but it was worth every penny. So, what field trips have you done or are planning to do?

069 Homeschool Field Trips

How much authority does a local superintendent have over your homeschool? Well, that depends on how much they think they have and how much you’ll let them take. We’ll talk a little about that today and about the upcoming election as it relates to homeschooling. In addition, I have a question for you. Are you struggling with the wealth of opportunities available for your homeschool student after graduation? Me, too! I’m working on a resource to help homeschool parents and their students to “homeschool college”. What do you think? Would you be interested in such a resource? And, what questions would you like answered? Do you want help getting your homeschooler into a good college? SAT prep? Guidance for creating their own education post-high school? Leave a comment or send me an email. I’d love to know your questions/thoughts. Thanks! Supreme Court faces historic transformation after election OH superintendent: ‘I will question homeschoolers as I see fit’

How much authority does a local superintendent have over your homeschool? Well, that depends on how much they think they have and how much you’ll let them take. We’ll talk a little about that today and about the upcoming election as it relates to homeschooling. In addition, I have a question for you. Are you struggling with the wealth of opportunities available for your homeschool student after graduation? Me, too! I’m working on a resource to help homeschool parents and their students to “homeschool college”. What do you think? Would you be interested in such a resource? And, what questions would you like answered? Do you want help getting your homeschooler into a good college? SAT prep? Guidance for creating their own education post-high school? Leave a comment or send me an email. I’d love to know your questions/thoughts. Thanks! <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/09/30/supreme-court-liberal-conservative-transformation-clinton-trump-garland/89957976/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Supreme Court faces historic transformation after election</a> <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/education/2016/09/25/oh-superintendent-i-will-question-homeschoolers-as-i-see-fit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OH superintendent: ‘I will question homeschoolers as I see fit’</a>

068 Homeschooling The College Experience

On today’s episode, a listener asks: I just listened to your latest “Unsocialized” podcast where you discussed how difficult homeschooling is. You also referenced an article about things homeschooling will not necessarily prevent.  I agree with you completely.  However, your kids seem to be fully on board with homeschooling, making your difficulties bearable. What about kids like mine who hate homeschooling–and I do mean HATE?  My 13-year-old son doesn’t care that public school is terrible and private school is outrageously expensive (and filled with several who were kicked out of public school); he is only concerned with not being different from all his friends.  I can easily see him rebelling if we continue to homeschool, and I can also see him being part of the wrong crowd if he were to go to public school.  Any thoughts? What do you think? I said: Thank you for your question. That’s a tough situation. I’m just a dad trying to figure this stuff out myself, but I’m happy to share my thoughts. The first thing I would do is pray, asking Jesus what He thinks we should do. If you get a clear answer, go with that. Now for my thoughts. It’s really hard when your kids see homeschooling as optional. I mean, when I was a kid, I hated school, but I went because I didn’t have a choice. If I couldn’t see a better way to handle this and I really didn’t see public or private school as options, I would tell my son (not in these words) to, “suck it up and deal. You don’t have a choice. It’s our job as your parents to raise you the best way we can and this is our decision. Now, we love you and we don’t want you to be miserable. How can we find a way to work together to make homeschooling better?” Now, I realize that’s probably the toughest way to go and not likely to produce the happiest response. I assume you’ve laid a strong foundation of love and trust with your son. Without it, the ‘suck it up and deal’ approach will almost certainly backfire. Even with a firm foundation of love and trust, it’s a hard sell. Are there any options you may not have thought of? For instance, is it just that he wants to be in school or is he an extrovert that needs to be around people? Perhaps a homeschool co-op or other groups would provide enough social interaction. If there isn’t a co-op near you, you could consider starting one. Since he’s 13, he may be ready to take a more active role in his life. Even if you don’t really give him any authority or power, it may help if he feels that he’s involved in the process of deciding what to do. I would definitely try to talk through it with him and see if we could come to a solution together first. Maybe there’s another option besides the way it’s been or school. Don’t be afraid to get creative. I’d try everything possible before I either put him in school or tried the ‘suck it up and deal’ approach. Have you tried throwing out the curriculum you’re using and looking for a new strategy for home education? Maybe a change of style would be enough of a difference without dumping homeschooling altogether. Another idea would be to try public school for a semester. He may decide he hates it pretty quickly. On the other hand, it may turn out to be a better option than you had thought (There are days I’d really like to stick my kids on the bus and have some time to myself ;). I personally tend to demonize all public schools, but they’re not all evil. I’m not sure I’m helping much. As you already knew, this is your decision. If it were me, I’d be agonizing over how to guard his heart in this process without letting him take advantage of and manipulate me. I’d also be looking for options we hadn’t considered yet. Does that help at all? Education Secretary King: Homeschoolers Have Limited Options

On today’s episode, a listener asks: <blockquote>I just listened to your latest “Unsocialized” podcast where you discussed how difficult homeschooling is. You also referenced an article about things homeschooling will not necessarily prevent.  I agree with you completely.  However, your kids seem to be fully on board with homeschooling, making your difficulties bearable. What about kids like mine who hate homeschooling–and I do mean HATE?  My 13-year-old son doesn’t care that public school is terrible and private school is outrageously expensive (and filled with several who were kicked out of public school); he is only concerned with not being different from all his friends.  I can easily see him rebelling if we continue to homeschool, and I can also see him being part of the wrong crowd if he were to go to public school.  Any thoughts?</blockquote> What do you think? I said: Thank you for your question. That’s a tough situation. I’m just a dad trying to figure this stuff out myself, but I’m happy to share my thoughts. The first thing I would do is pray, asking Jesus what He thinks we should do. If you get a clear answer, go with that. Now for my thoughts. It’s really hard when your kids see homeschooling as optional. I mean, when I was a kid, I hated school, but I went because I didn’t have a choice. If I couldn’t see a better way to handle this and I really didn’t see public or private school as options, I would tell my son (not in these words) to, “suck it up and deal. You don’t have a choice. It’s our job as your parents to raise you the best way we can and this is our decision. Now, we love you and we don’t want you to be miserable. How can we find a way to work together to make homeschooling better?” Now, I realize that’s probably the toughest way to go and not likely to produce the happiest response. I assume you’ve laid a strong foundation of love and trust with your son. Without it, the ‘suck it up and deal’ approach will almost certainly backfire. Even with a firm foundation of love and trust, it’s a hard sell. Are there any options you may not have thought of? For instance, is it just that he wants to be in school or is he an extrovert that needs to be around people? Perhaps a homeschool co-op or other groups would provide enough social interaction. If there isn’t a co-op near you, you could consider starting one. Since he’s 13, he may be ready to take a more active role in his life. Even if you don’t really give him any authority or power, it may help if he feels that he’s involved in the process of deciding what to do. I would definitely try to talk through it with him and see if we could come to a solution together first. Maybe there’s another option besides the way it’s been or school. Don’t be afraid to get creative. I’d try everything possible before I either put him in school or tried the ‘suck it up and deal’ approach. Have you tried throwing out the curriculum you’re using and looking for a new strategy for home education? Maybe a change of style would be enough of a difference without dumping homeschooling altogether. Another idea would be to try public school for a semester. He may decide he hates it pretty quickly. On the other hand, it may turn out to be a better option than you had thought (There are days I’d really like to stick my kids on the bus and have some time to myself ;). I personally tend to demonize all public schools, but they’re not all evil. I’m not sure I’m helping much. As you already knew, this is your decision. If it were me, I’d be agonizing over how to guard his heart in this process without letting him take advantage of and manipulate me. I’d also be looking for options we hadn’t considered yet. Does that help at all? <a href="http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/2016/20160921.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Education Secretary King: Homeschoolers Have Limited Options</a>

067 What If My Kids Hate Homeschooling?

This podcast is for homeschoolers and anyone interested in homeschooling. If you're looking for encouragement, inspiration, and resources for homeschooling, welcome.

Do not use this as a resource for information, growth, or home-schooling.

Uninformed

I guess if you like to hear someone droning on about their life and complaining about the sad state of the world; taking breaks to read long boring quotes, then this is the guy for you. 
Then again, I’m not a middle aged boring conservative man....

Ugh horrible

Unsocialized: The Homeschool Podcast with Scott Moore

Elections are coming! In just a few weeks, we in America will go to the polls (or not) and vote for our representatives in Congress, state government, and at the local level as well. There are a lot of candidates and a lot of issues. I have just one question for you – Do you know where the candidates stand on homeschooling? What about Common Core? (OK, that was two questions. Sue me. I was a public school student as a child, so my math skills aren’t the best.) New Jersey homeschool family ordered to follow Common Core First of Its Kind: Tufts University Hires Humanist Chaplain for Atheist Students Homeschoolers Save Taxpayers Billions Per Year

<a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Atheist-Caroling.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Elections are coming! In just a few weeks, we in America will go to the polls (or not) and vote for our representatives in Congress, state government, and at the local level as well. There are a lot of candidates and a lot of issues. I have just one question for you – Do you know where the candidates stand on homeschooling? What about Common Core? (OK, that was two questions. Sue me. I was a public school student as a child, so my math skills aren’t the best.) <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/new-jersey-homeschool-family-ordered-to-follow-common-core" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Jersey homeschool family ordered to follow Common Core</a> <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2014/09/25/first-kind-tufts-university-hires-humanist-chaplain-atheist-students/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First of Its Kind: Tufts University Hires Humanist Chaplain for Atheist Students</a> <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2009/02/19/homeschoolers-save-taxpayers-billions-per-year/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschoolers Save Taxpayers Billions Per Year</a>

017 Are Homeschool Issues On Your Ballot?

When my wife and I started homeschooling, it was much like when we became parents. We knew almost everything before we started. When our first child arrived, we started to get the sense that we were in trouble. Any of you who have read the hilarious blog post from stolensleep.com titled How To Get Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night (In Just TWO Years) will understand. Homeschooling was slightly less of a shock to our systems, but still, there are some things I wish I’d known then. So, I’m going to share 5 of them with you today. Now, you’re smart, so you probably know all these, but we’re not so quick in our house. So, please indulge me. Here we go – the 5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Homeschooling.  It’s going to be messy. We will not keep the same curriculum for all of our children. In fact, we may not even make it through one semester with one child using the same curriculum. When we started, it was like Christmas morning receiving our curriculum in a box. We ripped open the package and pulled out all these shiny, beautiful books, and we just new that we had made the right decision. Two months later, we were dialing the Homeschoolers’ Anonymous hotline begging them to buy our used curriculum so we could afford to buy a different one. Homeschooling is expensive. There will be tears. Lots of them. You mean I have to learn, too?! Yes, folks, if you want to teach your children, you will have to learn.  Bonus tip: Learn to say I’m sorry. A lot. Don’t always try to fix everything. Be ready to clean at a moment’s notice. And get Chinese takeout whenever your wife needs it. It’s important. Put it in the budget. Okay, so that was like 4 bonus tips. You’re welcome.    News articles: Right And Left Joined Forces In Fight To Legalize Home Schooling ‘From Birth to Adulthood:’ Christian Group Decries Proposal to Monitor Connecticut Homeschoolers

<a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/boarding-school2.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>When my wife and I started homeschooling, it was much like when we became parents. We knew almost everything before we started. When our first child arrived, we started to get the sense that we were in trouble. Any of you who have read the hilarious blog post from <a href="http://stolensleep.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">stolensleep.com</a> titled <a href="http://stolensleep.com/2014/09/27/how-to-get-your-baby-to-sleep-through-the-night-in-just-two-years/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How To Get Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night (In Just TWO Years) </a>will understand. Homeschooling was slightly less of a shock to our systems, but still, there are some things I wish I’d known then. So, I’m going to share 5 of them with you today. Now, you’re smart, so you probably know all these, but we’re not so quick in our house. So, please indulge me. Here we go – the 5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Homeschooling. <ol> <li>It’s going to be messy.</li> <li>We will not keep the same curriculum for all of our children. In fact, we may not even make it through one semester with one child using the same curriculum. When we started, it was like Christmas morning receiving our curriculum in a box. We ripped open the package and pulled out all these shiny, beautiful books, and we just new that we had made the right decision. Two months later, we were dialing the Homeschoolers’ Anonymous hotline begging them to buy our used curriculum so we could afford to buy a different one.</li> <li>Homeschooling is expensive.</li> <li>There will be tears. Lots of them.</li> <li>You mean I have to learn, too?! Yes, folks, if you want to teach your children, you will have to learn.</li> </ol> Bonus tip: Learn to say I’m sorry. A lot. Don’t always try to fix everything. Be ready to clean at a moment’s notice. And get Chinese takeout whenever your wife needs it. It’s important. Put it in the budget. Okay, so that was like 4 bonus tips. You’re welcome. News articles: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/09/26/351831387/right-and-left-joined-forces-in-fight-to-legalize-home-schooling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Right And Left Joined Forces In Fight To Legalize Home Schooling</a> <a href="http://christiannews.net/2014/10/06/from-birth-to-adulthood-christian-group-decries-proposal-to-monitor-connecticut-homeschoolers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘From Birth to Adulthood:’ Christian Group Decries Proposal to Monitor Connecticut Homeschoolers</a>

018 Five Things I Wish I’d Known Before Homeschooling

Do you remember what it’s like to be a kid? How about a teenager? I recently re-watched a movie that I liked when I was a teenager. All I can think about that now is, What was I thinking?! This movie’s terrible! I’d go ballistic if my child watched this! What were my parents thinking?! Letting me watch this stuff?! Then I stop and think, Have I forgotten? Have I forgotten how awkward it is to be a kid sometimes? Especially a teenager. My parents didn’t know anything – and let’s get this straight – I actually thought my parents were pretty ok. Most of my friends thought even less of their folks than I did of mine. So, what do we do? What do we do if we see the dreaded teenager in our home?  Warn them before they hit these awkward years. I’m still wondering if this will work, but someone older than me said this was a good idea and it seems to be working. Check back with me in a few years and I’ll let you know how it went. Don’t let the popular Hollywood images stand without analysis or at least some type of reply. I loved the John Hughes Brat Pack movies in the 80’s (when I was a teenager). The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful. They all had some common themes and elements. One of which was that adults were idiots. Parents were only slightly less idiotic than Guidance Counselors. By the way, few of those movies are worth exposing your children to. You remember them as great movies, but watch them again as parents. You’ll see them from a whole different perspective. I do not want my teenagers taking relationship advice from Harry and Sally, Long Duck Dong, Duckie, any of the Molly Ringwald characters, or even the great sage Ferris Bueller and his best friend, Cameron Frye. Don’t freak out. My parents got that part right. But don’t check out, either. If you’ve prepared your children for the teenage years by investing in them before then, it ‘should’ make the teenage years a little smoother, but if you’ve made some mistakes or even if you’ve just pulled your 13-year-old out of public school as a last-ditch effort to save their soul, then take heart. It may take some more effort, but children want your love. That’s the secret they won’t say. They may not even consciously know it, but they want and need your love, your discipline, your boundaries. They’ll respond to you. Be intentional. This parenting thing is hard, and it only gets harder if we just wing it all the time. I’m not saying it has to be planned perfectly, but a mission, a strategy, an idea of what you’re aiming at will help a lot. Specifically, spend 1-1 time with your kids. Listen to them. Spend lots of time with them. But, give them some space.  If it sounds like I don’t know what I’m doing, that’s because I don’t. I’m trying to learn from those who have gone before me, but I don’t know if what I’m doing will work for me, let alone you. I do know that if I just give in to my sinful nature, I’d give up altogether. And maybe that’s the most important point. Just don’t give up. That’s what I see in the Bible. God never gives up on us. And that’s what I’ve seen in every good parent. They don’t give up on their kids. They keep loving them and keep working at figuring this stuff out. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9 That’s one of my favorite verses, especially when I need encouragement in homeschooling and raising my children. Do not grow weary in doing good. Do not give up. We will reap a reward.   News: Don’t Mess With Texas Homeschoolers

<a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Chimp-Thinking.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Do you remember what it’s like to be a kid? How about a teenager? I recently re-watched a movie that I liked when I was a teenager. All I can think about that now is, What was I thinking?! This movie’s terrible! I’d go ballistic if my child watched this! What were my parents thinking?! Letting me watch this stuff?! Then I stop and think, Have I forgotten? Have I forgotten how awkward it is to be a kid sometimes? Especially a teenager. My parents didn’t know anything – and let’s get this straight – I actually thought my parents were pretty ok. Most of my friends thought even less of their folks than I did of mine. So, what do we do? What do we do if we see the dreaded teenager in our home? <ol> <li>Warn them before they hit these awkward years. I’m still wondering if this will work, but someone older than me said this was a good idea and it seems to be working. Check back with me in a few years and I’ll let you know how it went.</li> <li>Don’t let the popular Hollywood images stand without analysis or at least some type of reply. I loved the John Hughes Brat Pack movies in the 80’s (when I was a teenager). The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful. They all had some common themes and elements. One of which was that adults were idiots. Parents were only slightly less idiotic than Guidance Counselors. By the way, few of those movies are worth exposing your children to. You remember them as great movies, but watch them again as parents. You’ll see them from a whole different perspective. I do not want my teenagers taking relationship advice from Harry and Sally, Long Duck Dong, Duckie, any of the Molly Ringwald characters, or even the great sage Ferris Bueller and his best friend, Cameron Frye.</li> <li>Don’t freak out. My parents got that part right. But don’t check out, either. If you’ve prepared your children for the teenage years by investing in them before then, it ‘should’ make the teenage years a little smoother, but if you’ve made some mistakes or even if you’ve just pulled your 13-year-old out of public school as a last-ditch effort to save their soul, then take heart. It may take some more effort, but children want your love. That’s the secret they won’t say. They may not even consciously know it, but they want and need your love, your discipline, your boundaries. They’ll respond to you.</li> <li>Be intentional. This parenting thing is hard, and it only gets harder if we just wing it all the time. I’m not saying it has to be planned perfectly, but a mission, a strategy, an idea of what you’re aiming at will help a lot. Specifically, spend 1-1 time with your kids. Listen to them. Spend lots of time with them. But, give them some space.</li> </ol> If it sounds like I don’t know what I’m doing, that’s because I don’t. I’m trying to learn from those who have gone before me, but I don’t know if what I’m doing will work for me, let alone you. I do know that if I just give in to my sinful nature, I’d give up altogether. And maybe that’s the most important point. Just don’t give up. That’s what I see in the Bible. God never gives up on us. And that’s what I’ve seen in every good parent. They don’t give up on their kids. They keep loving them and keep working at figuring this stuff out. <blockquote>“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9</blockquote> That’s one of my favorite verses, especially when I need encouragement in homeschooling and raising my children. Do not grow weary in doing good. Do not give up. We will reap a reward. News: <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/10/11/Don-t-Mess-With-Texas-Homeschoolers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Don’t Mess With Texas Homeschoolers</a>

019 What Was I Thinking?

We are loaded for bear today. The government is not only trying to shut down free speech and free religion in Houston by demanding pastors turn over their sermons to the mayor’s office, but we, as a nation, are crossing a line no American could have imagined when I was a kid. The state of Hawaii is bribing kids with gift cards for participating in a controversial sex education program. Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll resigned. And the homeschool community, if there is such a thing, is being attacked from within. This last one may just be the elephant in the homeschool. This one is HUGE, folks. And, it is threatening the 800-pound gorillas in the old guard of the homeschool movement. My interest in this story is not to take sides and stir up animosity. My hope and prayer is that the truth will come to light and love will prevail. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the homeschool community eating its own. It’s a story of allegations of child abuse stemming from many years ago and allegations of covering up the alleged abuse. You can read the article for yourself and research what you want. I first ran across this article when it popped up in my Facebook news feed. I confess I had heard something about this controversy before I saw this blog post, but I don’t tend to chase after stories for the juicy gossip. The reason I read this is that even the headline seemed to me an indictment of homeschooling – “WHEN HOMESCHOOL LEADERS LOOKED AWAY”. It starts off this way: American Christianity is actively facing a sexual abuse crisis. This crisis is more than just the evangelical community’s time to face their failings and follow in the steps of the Catholic church. It is a crisis of power and of children’s rights. It is a story about protecting abusers in order to preserve existing power structures in evangelical communities. Now, to me, that just ramped it up. This isn’t just a story about homeschooling. It’s targeting American Christianity and/or the evangelical community. BUT, then it zeroes in on homeschoolers and certain “leaders” in the homeschool community. “Sexual abuse in Christian homeschool communities continues to be uncovered…” Now, I want to address something that troubles me in a lot of areas of our society today, including this one. That is this propensity to blame an entire community for the sins of individuals within the community. A current example would be those who are calling for the NFL Commissioner to be fired because of the supposed culture of violence in the NFL that allows or supports one football player who abused his fiancee. It’s not the commissioner’s fault that this jerk beat his fiancee unconscious. It’s also, to my knowledge, not the job of the NFL to police private citizens. Certainly, they can and do have policies in place players’ behavior, etc., but there are societal laws that pertain to domestic abuse and assault. My point is that we don’t need to target anyone and everyone, no matter how loosely associated with a person who did something horrible, just because we’re so angry we’ve taken leave of our senses. In this case involving certain leaders in the homeschool community — Can I just stop right there for a second? Who is the homeschool community? The only qualification for membership I can think of is educating your children at home. It’s not like we all signed a statement of beliefs when we “joined”. And, who elected the leaders? Do you see what I’m getting at? This isn’t a club or political organization. Yes, I suppose homeschoolers do share some common characteristics, but when we start talking about specific cases of real children being abused (even and perhaps especially if these are only allegations), then it’s time to dispense with the generalities. Now, nothing about this is funny, but for lack of a better word, the funny thing about this is that homeschooling is growing so rapidly right now that I doubt the majority of current homeschoolers have ever heard of the individuals named in this article. You may recognize one or two of the organizations these individuals lead, but it’s just as likely you’ve never heard of them. There’s a lot more that could be said about this story, but I’m not the one to say it. I don’t know any more than what I’ve read on this blog and the linked articles. All I can say is, if it’s accurate and true, then it’s pretty ugly stuff. I have a hunch this won’t be the last we hear of this story. I reiterate my desire for Truth to shine its light and for Love to prevail. The last thing I want to say about this issue is that I’m concerned for all homeschoolers. It’s clear that freedom is under attack in America and around the world. The more we allow or support evil in our midst and its generalization to entire communities instead of holding individuals responsible for their actions, the more the big-government, nanny-state fascists will try to take away our freedom.   RELIGIOUS LIBERTY UNDER ATTACK AS CITY OF HOUSTON SUBPOENAS CHURCH SERMONS by SARAH RUMPF Government to Ordained Ministers: Celebrate Same-Sex Wedding or Go to Jail by Ryan T. Anderson Hawaii Students Get Gift Cards for Participating in Controversial Sex-Ed Program by Malia Zimmerman Pastor Mark Driscoll’s Resignation by Mars Hill Church WHEN HOMESCHOOL LEADERS LOOKED AWAY: THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE COVER-UP by Hannah Ettinger and R.L. Stollar

<a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/defcon.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>We are loaded for bear today. The government is not only trying to shut down free speech and free religion in Houston by demanding pastors turn over their sermons to the mayor’s office, but we, as a nation, are crossing a line no American could have imagined when I was a kid. The state of Hawaii is bribing kids with gift cards for participating in a controversial sex education program. Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll resigned. And the homeschool community, if there is such a thing, is being attacked from within. This last one may just be the elephant in the homeschool. This one is HUGE, folks. And, it is threatening the 800-pound gorillas in the old guard of the homeschool movement. My interest in this story is not to take sides and stir up animosity. My hope and prayer is that the truth will come to light and love will prevail. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the homeschool community eating its own. It’s a story of allegations of child abuse stemming from many years ago and allegations of covering up the alleged abuse. You can <a href="http://homeschoolersanonymous.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/when-homeschool-leaders-looked-away-the-old-schoolhouse-cover-up/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">read the article</a> for yourself and research what you want. I first ran across this article when it popped up in my Facebook news feed. I confess I had heard something about this controversy before I saw this blog post, but I don’t tend to chase after stories for the juicy gossip. The reason I read this is that even the headline seemed to me an indictment of homeschooling – “<a href="http://homeschoolersanonymous.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/when-homeschool-leaders-looked-away-the-old-schoolhouse-cover-up/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WHEN HOMESCHOOL LEADERS LOOKED AWAY</a>”. It starts off this way: <blockquote>American Christianity is actively facing a sexual abuse crisis. This crisis is more than just the evangelical community’s time to face their failings and follow in the steps of the Catholic church. It is a crisis of power and of children’s rights. It is a story about protecting abusers in order to preserve existing power structures in evangelical communities.</blockquote> Now, to me, that just ramped it up. This isn’t just a story about homeschooling. It’s targeting American Christianity and/or the evangelical community. BUT, then it zeroes in on homeschoolers and certain “leaders” in the homeschool community. <blockquote>“Sexual abuse in Christian homeschool communities continues to be uncovered…”</blockquote> Now, I want to address something that troubles me in a lot of areas of our society today, including this one. That is this propensity to blame an entire community for the sins of individuals within the community. A current example would be those who are calling for the NFL Commissioner to be fired because of the supposed culture of violence in the NFL that allows or supports one football player who abused his fiancee. It’s not the commissioner’s fault that this jerk beat his fiancee unconscious. It’s also, to my knowledge, not the job of the NFL to police private citizens. Certainly, they can and do have policies in place players’ behavior, etc., but there are societal laws that pertain to domestic abuse and assault. My point is that we don’t need to target anyone and everyone, no matter how loosely associated with a person who did something horrible, just because we’re so angry we’ve taken leave of our senses. In this case involving certain leaders in the homeschool community — Can I just stop right there for a second? Who is the homeschool community? The only qualification for membership I can think of is educating your children at home. It’s not like we all signed a statement of beliefs when we “joined”. And, who elected the leaders? Do you see what I’m getting at? This isn’t a club or political organization. Yes, I suppose homeschoolers do share some common characteristics, but when we start talking about specific cases of real children being abused (even and perhaps especially if these are only allegations), then it’s time to dispense with the generalities. Now, nothing about this is funny, but for lack of a better word, the funny thing about this is that homeschooling is growing so rapidly right now that I doubt the majority of current homeschoolers have ever heard of the individuals named in this article. You may recognize one or two of the organizations these individuals lead, but it’s just as likely you’ve never heard of them. There’s a lot more that could be said about this story, but I’m not the one to say it. I don’t know any more than what I’ve read on <a href="http://homeschoolersanonymous.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/when-homeschool-leaders-looked-away-the-old-schoolhouse-cover-up/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this blog</a> and the linked articles. All I can say is, if it’s accurate and true, then it’s pretty ugly stuff. I have a hunch this won’t be the last we hear of this story. I reiterate my desire for Truth to shine its light and for Love to prevail. The last thing I want to say about this issue is that I’m concerned for all homeschoolers. It’s clear that freedom is under attack in America and around the world. The more we allow or support evil in our midst and its generalization to entire communities instead of holding individuals responsible for their actions, the more the big-government, nanny-state fascists will try to take away our freedom. <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/10/15/Religious-Liberty-Under-Attack-as-Houston-Subpoenas-Church-Sermons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RELIGIOUS LIBERTY UNDER ATTACK AS CITY OF HOUSTON SUBPOENAS CHURCH SERMONS</a> by SARAH RUMPF <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2014/10/18/government-ordained-ministers-celebrate-sex-wedding-go-jail/%20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Government to Ordained Ministers: Celebrate Same-Sex Wedding or Go to Jail</a> by Ryan T. Anderson <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2014/10/16/hawaii-students-got-gift-cards-participating-controversial-sex-ed-program/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hawaii Students Get Gift Cards for Participating in Controversial Sex-Ed Program</a> by Malia Zimmerman <a href="https://marshill.com/2014/10/15/pastor-mark-driscolls-resignation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pastor Mark Driscoll’s Resignation</a> by Mars Hill Church <a href="http://homeschoolersanonymous.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/when-homeschool-leaders-looked-away-the-old-schoolhouse-cover-up/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WHEN HOMESCHOOL LEADERS LOOKED AWAY: THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE COVER-UP</a> by Hannah Ettinger and R.L. Stollar

020 Homeschooling Under Attack From Within

What do you do when your teenager decides to dye her hair pink? My daughter did this recently. And, in true teenagery fashion, she couldn’t just do it on any ole day. No, no. It had to be on the first day of school, thus nearly causing a conniption fit between her and my wife who is not only Mom, but also a professional photographer. Blessedly, my wife eventually came to grips with the fact that her 1st Day of School 2014 picture was going to include a kid with pink hair and she chose to be okay with it. Dad (that’s me) was not as quick to embrace the horror. I mean, IT’S PINK HAIR FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! What’s next?! Tattoos, piercings, and a trip to the Emergency Room to welcome my new grandchild? Laugh all you want. I know you’re laughing because YOU have felt the same way. It may not have been pink hair. Maybe it was a skirt, a t-shirt, a pair of shoes, or some other clothing choice. Maybe it was makeup (MAKEUP?! NEVER!!! MY CHILD IS NOT WEARING MAKEUP!) Yes, I hear you. Well, I didn’t freak out. Just as an aside though, have you noticed that teenagerism confuses language? Everything is wonderful, they love you and think you’re the greatest. Then, they hit 13. And suddenly, everything you say is mean and accusatory to them. ME: Hey, Cool shirt. TEENAGER: I did not! ME: Um, what? TEENAGER: Ugh… (rolls eyes) You’re always saying stuff like that. You just want to say, “Look, I get it. The hormones are raging and your body is changing and everything feels suddenly really intense. But, I have to be able to say something to you without you getting offended. I love you and I’m on your side, OK?” TEENAGER: No! It’s not ok! How could you say that?! You just don’t understand! (bursts into tears and stomps off to her room) So, what do you do? Well, keep on loving them and keep on telling them. That’s first and foremost. They may tell you to go away, but they mean stay close. They may say, “Leave me alone!” but they mean, “Don’t leave – ever.” They may lose their temper (and here’s the kicker for me), but they desperately want us not to lose it with them. They need us to stay calm and loving. Firm and true, but steady. Everything else is changing in their world. They need you to be constant. That’s one of the many reasons divorce stinks so bad. Sometimes Mom and Dad being together is the only thing they can count on to bring stability to the crazy life of a teenager. If we split, their whole foundation collapses. So, as you keep calm and keep on loving them, choose your battles carefully. Decide ahead of time which fights are worth dying for. For me, pink hair isn’t one of them. Unless one of my boys decides he wants pink hair. Then, we’ll need to talk.   http://www.homeschoolnewstoday.com http://thinkprogress.org/education/2014/09/10/3478528/homeschool-child-abuse/ http://thewiredhomeschool.com

<a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Abbie-Pink-Hair.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>What do you do when your teenager decides to dye her hair pink? My daughter did this recently. And, in true teenagery fashion, she couldn’t just do it on any ole day. No, no. It had to be on the first day of school, thus nearly causing a conniption fit between her and my wife who is not only Mom, but also a professional photographer. Blessedly, my wife eventually came to grips with the fact that her 1st Day of School 2014 picture was going to include a kid with pink hair and she chose to be okay with it. Dad (that’s me) was not as quick to embrace the horror. I mean, IT’S PINK HAIR FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! What’s next?! Tattoos, piercings, and a trip to the Emergency Room to welcome my new grandchild? Laugh all you want. I know you’re laughing because YOU have felt the same way. It may not have been pink hair. Maybe it was a skirt, a t-shirt, a pair of shoes, or some other clothing choice. Maybe it was makeup (MAKEUP?! NEVER!!! MY CHILD IS NOT WEARING MAKEUP!) Yes, I hear you. Well, I didn’t freak out. Just as an aside though, have you noticed that teenagerism confuses language? Everything is wonderful, they love you and think you’re the greatest. Then, they hit 13. And suddenly, everything you say is mean and accusatory to them. <blockquote>ME: Hey, Cool shirt. TEENAGER: I did not! ME: Um, what? TEENAGER: Ugh… (rolls eyes) You’re always saying stuff like that.</blockquote> You just want to say, “Look, I get it. The hormones are raging and your body is changing and everything feels suddenly really intense. But, I have to be able to say something to you without you getting offended. I love you and I’m on your side, OK?” <blockquote>TEENAGER: No! It’s not ok! How could you say that?! You just don’t understand! (bursts into tears and stomps off to her room)</blockquote> So, what do you do? Well, keep on loving them and keep on telling them. That’s first and foremost. They may tell you to go away, but they mean stay close. They may say, “Leave me alone!” but they mean, “Don’t leave – ever.” They may lose their temper (and here’s the kicker for me), but they desperately want us not to lose it with them. They need us to stay calm and loving. Firm and true, but steady. Everything else is changing in their world. They need you to be constant. That’s one of the many reasons divorce stinks so bad. Sometimes Mom and Dad being together is the only thing they can count on to bring stability to the crazy life of a teenager. If we split, their whole foundation collapses. So, as you keep calm and keep on loving them, choose your battles carefully. Decide ahead of time which fights are worth dying for. For me, pink hair isn’t one of them. Unless one of my boys decides he wants pink hair. Then, we’ll need to talk. <a href="http://www.homeschoolnewstoday.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.homeschoolnewstoday.com</a> <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/education/2014/09/10/3478528/homeschool-child-abuse/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thinkprogress.org/education/2014/09/10/3478528/homeschool-child-abuse/</a> <a href="http://thewiredhomeschool.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thewiredhomeschool.com</a>

015 When Your Kid Has Pink Hair

Common Core advocates are fighting back, much like the horror movie freak show adults who can’t just let Halloween be a kids’ holiday. You know, the neighbors down the street who see Halloween as their chance to create a horror movie set in their front yard, thereby scaring the daylights out of your kids for the entire month of October. Well, the Common Core fans are campaigning on social media and elsewhere for this monster to continue haunting your children. You’d better be ready. The time to fight this beast is now! Also, the world has a plan for your child. Do you? About That ‘Common Core’ Math Problem Making the Rounds on Facebook… by Hemant Mehta Kids React to Common Core: ‘Mommy, Please Home-School Me’ by Robby Soave The Problem With Halloween by Jon Acuff

<a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Witch.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Common Core advocates are fighting back, much like the horror movie freak show adults who can’t just let Halloween be a kids’ holiday. You know, the neighbors down the street who see Halloween as their chance to create a horror movie set in their front yard, thereby scaring the daylights out of your kids for the entire month of October. Well, the Common Core fans are campaigning on social media and elsewhere for this monster to continue haunting your children. You’d better be ready. The time to fight this beast is now! Also, the world has a plan for your child. Do you? <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/03/07/about-that-common-core-math-problem-making-the-rounds-on-facebook/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">About That ‘Common Core’ Math Problem Making the Rounds on Facebook…</a> by Hemant Mehta <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2014/10/20/kids-react-to-common-core-mommy-please-h" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kids React to Common Core: ‘Mommy, Please Home-School Me’</a> by Robby Soave <a href="http://acuff.me/2013/10/problem-halloween/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Problem With Halloween</a> by Jon Acuff

021 Common Core and Other Halloween Horrors

Today’s episode is different (though I’m still not sure what “normal” is for the Unsocialized Podcast). It’s also long, probably the longest episode I’ve recorded so far. We’re talking about what I call poverty thinking. I was inspired to address this because of an article I read in which a woman shares her experience and feelings about being poor. So, tell me what you think. Am I out to lunch?  Misinformed? How do you deal with ‘poverty thinking’? How do you talk to your kids about poverty?

<a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Soup_Kitchen.tiff" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Soup_Kitchen.tiff" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Soup_Kitchen.tiff" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://unsocializedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Soup_Kitchen.gif" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Today’s episode is different (though I’m still not sure what “normal” is for the Unsocialized Podcast). It’s also long, probably the longest episode I’ve recorded so far. We’re talking about what I call poverty thinking. I was inspired to address this because of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/21/linda-tirado-poverty-hand-to-mouth-extract" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an article I read</a> in which a woman shares her experience and feelings about being poor. So, tell me what you think. Am I out to lunch?  Misinformed? How do you deal with ‘poverty thinking’? How do you talk to your kids about poverty?

016 Poverty Thinking

It’s been a long summer. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d return, but here we are. The kids are back at co-op and I’m back behind the microphone. There are lots of changes this year for my homeschool. My oldest is a senior! From top to bottom, we now have a senior, an 8th grader, a 5th grader, and a Kindergartner. The senior year thing is really freaking me out. Do you have any seniors? How are you dealing with this?

It’s been a long summer. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d return, but here we are. The kids are back at co-op and I’m back behind the microphone. There are lots of changes this year for my homeschool. My oldest is a senior! From top to bottom, we now have a senior, an 8th grader, a 5th grader, and a Kindergartner. The senior year thing is really freaking me out. Do you have any seniors? How are you dealing with this?

066 SAT, ACT, & Senior Year

“No one said it would be easy, but no one said it’d be this hard.” – Sheryl Crow Don’t get me wrong. I expect it to be hard. There are just some days, some months, heck even some years, when I feel like I’m in a battle — and I’m losing. Between the bills piling up, the family members falling apart, the friendships that seem more like long lost acquaintances I used to know, and the dreams — mine and my kids’ — that seem so far away or dashed altogether, well… It’s just hard. Even as I write this, I feel — something, hope perhaps, something urging me to not give up, to remember the good things, to hold firmly to the belief that I’m making the right decisions for my family. Maybe it’s more accurate to say the hope that I’ve made the right decisions for my family. I can’t very well go back and correct them now if they were wrong. My oldest child is entering her senior year – homeschooled since Kindergarten. I’m more aware than ever of the ‘against the grain, swim against the tide’ nature of the decision to home educate my kids. It’s good! I believe it’s good. But, it’s easier, 12 years into this, to see some of the choke points, some of the rough spots in my parenting and in our homeschooling. And so I force myself to remember that this isn’t about producing the most popular kids in their neighborhood peer group. It’s not about competing with students their age on standardized tests. It’s not about giving my children what we call opportunities but what amounts to frantically busy lives with little time left to be children. It’s not about making stars. It is about making a loving home where the kids feel secure in their parents’ love and the friendship of their siblings who always have their back. It sometimes seems like they don’t have as many or as deep of friendships in the groups their in because they don’t. They have a family instead of a peer group. We didn’t want them raised by the schools. We didn’t want them to adopt the values of the other kids in the neighborhood or whatever random kids they sat next to in Study Hall. We wanted to raise them in a different way than we were raised. No one said it would be easy. It reminds me of Mr. Beaver’s description of Aslan in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, when Lucy asks if Aslan is safe: “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.” So, we press on toward the goal… (Philippians 3:14)

<blockquote>“No one said it would be easy, but no one said it’d be this hard.” – Sheryl Crow</blockquote> Don’t get me wrong. I expect it to be hard. There are just some days, some months, heck even some years, when I feel like I’m in a battle — and I’m losing. Between the bills piling up, the family members falling apart, the friendships that seem more like long lost acquaintances I used to know, and the dreams — mine and my kids’ — that seem so far away or dashed altogether, well… It’s just hard. Even as I write this, I feel — something, hope perhaps, something urging me to not give up, to remember the good things, to hold firmly to the belief that I’m making the right decisions for my family. Maybe it’s more accurate to say the hope that I’ve made the right decisions for my family. I can’t very well go back and correct them now if they were wrong. My oldest child is entering her senior year – homeschooled since Kindergarten. I’m more aware than ever of the ‘against the grain, swim against the tide’ nature of the decision to home educate my kids. It’s good! I believe it’s good. But, it’s easier, 12 years into this, to see some of the choke points, some of the rough spots in my parenting and in our homeschooling. And so I force myself to remember that this isn’t about producing the most popular kids in their neighborhood peer group. It’s not about competing with students their age on standardized tests. It’s not about giving my children what we call opportunities but what amounts to frantically busy lives with little time left to be children. It’s not about making stars. It is about making a loving home where the kids feel secure in their parents’ love and the friendship of their siblings who always have their back. It sometimes seems like they don’t have as many or as deep of friendships in the groups their in because they don’t. They have a family instead of a peer group. We didn’t want them raised by the schools. We didn’t want them to adopt the values of the other kids in the neighborhood or whatever random kids they sat next to in Study Hall. We wanted to raise them in a different way than we were raised. No one said it would be easy. It reminds me of Mr. Beaver’s description of Aslan in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, when Lucy asks if Aslan is safe: <blockquote>“Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”</blockquote> So, we press on toward the goal… (Philippians 3:14)

065 No One Said It Would Be This Hard

As a parent, I want my kids to follow the rules. But, should I? Would you rather have Mary or Martha as your daughter? (Luke 10:38-42) Would you rather have the elder son or the prodigal son? (Luke 15) Worshipping the rules leads to missing God. Living from your heart may lead you to some dark places, but it will also lead you home. I confess I like rules. Rules make order. Order makes sense. It makes life easier — until it doesn’t. Then, it kills life. I always thought the Pharisees got kind of a bad rap from Jesus. I mean, they were just trying to do the right thing, right? Except that their worship of the rules made them blind to love. They literally could not recognize God Himself standing right in front of them. What I’m Never Going To Tell You About Homeschooling

As a parent, I want my kids to follow the rules. But, should I? Would you rather have Mary or Martha as your daughter? (Luke 10:38-42) Would you rather have the elder son or the prodigal son? (Luke 15) Worshipping the rules leads to missing God. Living from your heart may lead you to some dark places, but it will also lead you home. I confess I like rules. Rules make order. Order makes sense. It makes life easier — until it doesn’t. Then, it kills life. I always thought the Pharisees got kind of a bad rap from Jesus. I mean, they were just trying to do the right thing, right? Except that their worship of the rules made them blind to love. They literally could not recognize God Himself standing right in front of them. <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/what-im-never-going-to-tell-you-about-homeschooling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What I’m Never Going To Tell You About Homeschooling</a>

064 What Kind Of Child Do You Want?

Attribution: Bruin You read that right. The government wants to randomly audit homeschoolers (Random Audits For Homeschoolers?). They’re also very concerned about homeschoolers who decide not to take government money (Take Government Money Or Else!). But, don’t worry. Once your kid gets to college, he or she (or it, etc.) will never have to be offended again thanks to the campus Bias Response Teams (No Joke – College Bias Response Teams).

Attribution: Bruin You read that right. The government wants to randomly audit homeschoolers (<a href="http://hslda.org/hs/state/ky/201605230.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Random Audits For Homeschoolers?</a>). They’re also very concerned about homeschoolers who decide not to take government money (<a href="http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ny/201605170.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Take Government Money Or Else!</a>). But, don’t worry. Once your kid gets to college, he or she (or it, etc.) will never have to be offended again thanks to the campus Bias Response Teams (<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/23/on-a-college-campus-don-t-try-to-tell-a-joke.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Joke – College Bias Response Teams</a>).

062 Government Auditing Homeschoolers

It’s summertime! Well, almost… Our homeschool co-op finished up their school year, so that’s good enough for me! Let’s have some fun! If we’re sneaky, we might even get our kids to learn some things during the summer, too.  So, to kick off summer right, here’s my recommendation for a summer ‘To-Do’ list:  Throw out the list. Play with your kids. Go to the beach (or camping if there’s no beach near you). Make a summer reading list. Then, don’t worry if you don’t finish it all. Try a new podcast! I recommend my other podcast, The Call of Men, especially the most recent episode. It’s a doozie!

It’s summertime! Well, almost… Our homeschool co-op finished up their school year, so that’s good enough for me! Let’s have some fun! If we’re sneaky, we might even get our kids to learn some things during the summer, too. So, to kick off summer right, here’s my recommendation for a summer ‘To-Do’ list: <ol> <li>Throw out the list.</li> <li>Play with your kids.</li> <li>Go to the beach (or camping if there’s no beach near you).</li> <li>Make a summer reading list. Then, don’t worry if you don’t finish it all.</li> <li>Try a new podcast! I recommend my other podcast, <a href="http://www.thecallofmen.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Call of Men</a>, especially <a href="http://www.thecallofmen.com/023/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the most recent episode</a>. It’s a doozie!</li></ol>

063 Summer To Do List

Why would I expect my child, who I chose to keep out of the government-run factories called public schools because I didn’t want her to be a government-trained cog in a machine — why would I expect her to fit neatly into society’s mold after high school graduation? Universities can’t solve our skills gap problem, because they caused it Familyman Ministries

Why would I expect my child, who I chose to keep out of the government-run factories called public schools because I didn’t want her to be a government-trained cog in a machine — why would I expect her to fit neatly into society’s mold after high school graduation? <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/08/universities-cant-solve-our-skills-gap-problem-because-they-caused-it/?ncid=rss&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&amp;utm_content=FaceBook&amp;sr_share=facebook" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Universities can’t solve our skills gap problem, because they caused it</a> <a href="http://familymanweb.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Familyman Ministries</a>

061 Life After Homeschool Graduation Is Unsocialized Too

Attribution: Wt90401 at English Wikipedia In a nutshell, Target is committing retail suicide. Those of us protesting Target are not doing so to be mean to transgender people. This is about public safety — specifically, the safety of my daughters to use the bathrooms and dressing rooms without unnecessary fear of fat, hairy, disgusting perverts trying to watch them because Target wants to be politically correct. That being said, to all those confused about your gender: God loves you. I love you. Get some help. This is a good place to start: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27 Apparently, I missed Homeschool Teacher Appreciation Day, Week, Month, or whatever it was. If you missed it, make it right! Also, don’t miss Mother’s Day! (Oops. I recorded this before Mother’s Day, but put it out late. If you missed it, fix it!) Last, what are your hopes, dreams, or plans for your students after they graduate from high school? Leave a comment below.

Attribution: Wt90401 at English Wikipedia In a nutshell, Target is committing retail suicide. Those of us protesting Target are not doing so to be mean to transgender people. This is about public safety — specifically, the safety of my daughters to use the bathrooms and dressing rooms without unnecessary fear of fat, hairy, disgusting perverts trying to watch them because Target wants to be politically correct. That being said, to all those confused about your gender: God loves you. I love you. Get some help. This is a good place to start: <blockquote>“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27</blockquote> Apparently, I missed Homeschool Teacher Appreciation Day, Week, Month, or whatever it was. If you missed it, make it right! Also, don’t miss Mother’s Day! (Oops. I recorded this before Mother’s Day, but put it out late. If you missed it, fix it!) Last, what are your hopes, dreams, or plans for your students after they graduate from high school? Leave a comment below.

060 Target, Transgenders, and Homeschool Teacher Appreciation Day

I actually recorded this episode a couple weeks ago. It’s been a hectic time. So, here you go. Not everyone has this time with their kids. We have worked hard to engineer our families so that we can be at home with our kids. Let’s not waste it! On today’s episode, I talk about an unexpected homeschool lesson my daughter got when cooking and our time together at home as a result.

I actually recorded this episode a couple weeks ago. It’s been a hectic time. So, here you go. Not everyone has this time with their kids. We have worked hard to engineer our families so that we can be at home with our kids. Let’s not waste it! On today’s episode, I talk about an unexpected homeschool lesson my daughter got when cooking and our time together at home as a result.

059 Don’t Waste It

In this episode, we talk about the challenge of raising boys to be manly men. No, I don’t mean the Charlie Sheen ‘Two and a Half Men’ version of a manly man. I mean a man of character, honor, and integrity — the kind of man written about by Theodore Roosevelt in “The American Boy”. How are you raising your boys? The American Boy by Theodore Roosevelt

In this episode, we talk about the challenge of raising boys to be manly men. No, I don’t mean the Charlie Sheen ‘Two and a Half Men’ version of a manly man. I mean a man of character, honor, and integrity — the kind of man written about by Theodore Roosevelt in <a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/10/19/manvotional-the-american-boy-by-theodore-roosevelt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“The American Boy”</a>. How are you raising your boys? <a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/10/19/manvotional-the-american-boy-by-theodore-roosevelt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The American Boy by Theodore Roosevelt</a>

058 Raising Boys To Be Manly Men

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