Homeschooling & Loving It!

About Homeschooling & Loving It!

Where is my instruction manual? I can't find mine either! Let's chat about parenting, homeschooling, and how to love it while you're up to your neck in it!!

Publisher

Homeschool.com with Jamie Gaddy

Category

education · education · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

16 Jan 2018

Latest episode

10 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

137 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Aug 2026

   Episode 90: 5 Unusual Tips for Getting Starting

   The start of a new homeschool year often brings a mix of excitement, anticipation, and pressure. Between choosing curriculum, organizing supplies, and planning schedules, it’s easy to feel like everything needs to be perfect before day one. But after years of homeschooling, many parents discover that the most successful homeschool years don’t begin with the perfect curriculum. They begin with the right mindset. In this episode of Homeschooling and Loving It, we share five practical and out of the ordinary strategies that can help homeschooling families start the year with confidence, flexibility, and joy. Start with Relationships, Not Curriculum Before diving into lesson plans and textbooks, take time to reconnect with your children. Summer often brings changes in interests, maturity, and learning preferences. A child who loved science last year may now be fascinated by entrepreneurship, art, or animals. Taking time to listen and learn what excites them can help create a more engaging and successful school year. Try asking: What are you excited to learn this year? What did you enjoy most last year? What would you like to do differently? A strong relationship creates a strong foundation for learning. Create a “Minimum Viable School Day” One of the biggest challenges in homeschooling is planning for ideal circumstances rather than real life. Unexpected appointments, sick days, and difficult mornings happen to every family. Instead of feeling defeated when plans change, identify what absolutely must happen on your busiest days. For many families, that might include: Reading Math Meaningful conversation or discussion Everything else becomes a bonus. By focusing on your highest priorities first, you’ll maintain momentum even when life gets busy. Build Margin Into Your Year Experienced homeschoolers know that flexibility is one of homeschooling’s greatest strengths. Rabbit trails can turn into incredible learning opportunities. Family trips, unexpected challenges, and spontaneous interests often create some of the most memorable educational experiences. Rather than scheduling every day to perfection, intentionally leave room in your year for flexibility. Consider adding: Lighter weeks Project days Catch-up opportunities Exploration days Giving yourself margin allows learning to happen naturally and reduces stress when plans inevitably change. Focus on Habits Before Academics Curriculum matters, but daily habits often determine long-term success. Building routines such as independent work, daily reading, organization, and responsibility can make homeschooling more effective and enjoyable throughout the year. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, choose one habit to focus on during the first month of school. Some ideas include: Starting school on time Reading every day Putting materials away after lessons Completing chores before schoolwork Small, consistent improvements often create the biggest results. Define Success Before the Year Begins Perhaps the most important question homeschool parents can ask is: What does success look like for our family this year? Your answer may have little to do with test scores or completed curriculum. Success might mean: Strengthening family relationships Building confidence in a struggling reader Developing independence Spending more time outdoors Creating a calmer homeschool environment When you clearly define success for your own family, you’ll feel less pressure to compare yourself with what others are doing. Remember: Progress Over Perfection The best homeschool year

2. 

   7 Jul 2026

   Episode 89: Tips to Keep Kids Learning without Losing Summer

   FOLLOW US ON: APPLE PODCASTS (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeschooling-loving-it/id1476422247) | SPOTIFY (https://open.spotify.com/show/7G3uibrEisW7nnqwi06faI) | PANDORA (https://www.pandora.com/podcast/homeschooling-loving-it/PC:1001080885) As summer settles in, many homeschool families welcome slower mornings, outdoor adventures, and a well-earned break from routine. But this season also brings concerns about the “summer slide,” the loss of academic skills when learning comes to a complete stop. In this episode, Jamie shares simple, low-pressure ways to keep learning naturally woven into everyday life while still enjoying a relaxing summer. Rethink the Summer Slide Learning doesn’t have to stop just because formal lessons pause. Children are naturally learning through everyday experiences. Focus on staying connected to learning rather than recreating school at home. Keep Writing Simple and Fun Discuss the writing your child completed during the school year. Encourage short writing activities instead of lengthy assignments. Turn language learning into games: Build sentences with magnets. Identify parts of speech while playing catch. Explore funny word meanings and language mix-ups. A few minutes of writing practice can go a long way. Math Is Already Happening Everyday activities provide excellent opportunities for math practice: Cooking and baking Grocery shopping Gardening Planning trips Running a lemonade stand Budgeting and saving money Additional ideas (https://education.pxf.io/eng4ZO): Play board games. Let kids handle money and make purchases. Use apps or worksheets as quick refreshers, not full lessons. Make Reading a Natural Part of Summer Visit the library and let children choose books that interest them. Reading menus, recipes, and instructions all count. Audiobooks are a great option for reluctant readers or extra support. Continue family read-alouds, even with older children. Discuss stories together to build comprehension and critical thinking. Learning Doesn’t Have to Look Like School Mix academics with creative activities. Pair art projects with a few sentences of reflection or storytelling. Encourage imagination, exploration, and curiosity. Embrace the messy, unstructured moments where meaningful learning often happens. Summer Learning Tips Keep any learning activities: Short Focused Low-pressure Flexible If children begin resisting, use it as a cue to adjust and make learning more engaging. Sponsor Spotlight: Education.com (https://www.homeschool.com/blog/why-worksheets-work-so-well-during-our-summer-school-routine/) Education.com offers: 40,000+ printable worksheets Hands-on activities Lesson plans Educational games Guided lessons Special Offer: Receive 55% off a Premium Membership (https://education.pxf.io/eng4ZO) using code EDCOM55. Final Encouragement You do not need to recreate school during the summer to prevent learning loss. Small conversations, real-life experiences, books, games, and everyday activities provide meaningful opportunities to keep young minds engaged while preserving the joy and freedom of summer. Remember: Some of the best learning happens when it doesn’t feel like learning at all. The post

3. 

   28 May 2026

   Episode 88: Summer Learning That Sticks

   FOLLOW US ON: APPLE PODCASTS (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeschooling-loving-it/id1476422247) | SPOTIFY (https://open.spotify.com/show/7G3uibrEisW7nnqwi06faI) | PANDORA (https://www.pandora.com/podcast/homeschooling-loving-it/PC:1001080885) In this episode of Homeschooling: Loving It, Jamie continues the conversation on summer learning by focusing on how to make it meaningful, engaging, and lasting. Rather than viewing summer as a break from learning, this episode encourages families to see it as an opportunity for exploration, passion-driven growth, and confidence building. Jamie shares how parents can guide their children in setting simple goals, discovering new interests, and maintaining academic skills in creative, low-pressure ways. The episode emphasizes that true learning doesn’t require a traditional school setup—it can happen naturally through hobbies, everyday activities, and real-life experiences. By keeping learning fun, flexible, and child-led, parents can help their children avoid the “summer slide” while nurturing a lifelong love of learning. One Goal Changes Everything Asking your child to choose just one meaningful goal gives their summer direction without overwhelm. It shifts learning from something you assign to something they own. That sense of ownership is what fuels motivation and follow-through. Exploration Is Enough Not having a clear goal isn’t a problem—it’s an opportunity. Summer is the perfect time to try new things without pressure or expectations. Curiosity grows when kids are given space to discover. Keep the Brain Active, Not Busy You don’t need formal lessons to prevent summer learning loss. Simple activities like reading, cooking, or exploring hobbies naturally keep skills sharp. Consistency matters more than structure. Passion Builds Confidence When learning connects to what kids already love, it sticks. Passion-driven learning helps them feel capable, confident, and excited to keep going. That confidence carries far beyond summer into real life. By embracing learning as a year-round lifestyle rather than something limited to the school year, parents can help their children see it as enjoyable, flexible, and part of everyday life. Summer learning doesn’t have to feel like school; it should feel like discovery. When you follow your child’s interests and keep things flexible, you’re not just maintaining skills, you’re building curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning. Special (https://www.homeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Creative-1080x1080-v1a.jpg) thanks to our sponsor, IXL (https://ixl.sjv.io/c/5607188/3882742/18898). IXL is a comprehensive K–12 learning platform that helps kids build real skills in math, language arts, science, and more through personalized p

Who has been a guest on Homeschooling & Loving It!

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Carrie Strong
• Nikki Wilson
• Kimberly Langen
• Jessica
• Corrina

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 51 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85