Welcome to Making Everyday Magic, the podcast where we explore the ins and outs of homeschooling, family life, and finding joy in the everyday moments. Join Shanna as she shares real-life experiences, tips, and insights on navigating homeschool with a secular perspective, making family memories, and balancing the highs and lows of home education. From practical advice to mindset shifts, each episode is designed to inspire and empower you to create a fulfilling and magical life that's uniquely your own. Tune in and let's make everyday magic together!
#HomeschoolLife #FamilyJoy #MakingEverydayMagic #SecularHomeschool #Podcast
Homeschool Isn't the Answer. It Isn't the Enemy Either.
After 10 years of homeschooling, I'm increasingly convinced that we need a better way to talk about education.
Homeschool can be wonderful. It can also have serious problems. Public school can serve children beautifully. It can also fail them. The same is true of private schools, charter schools, Montessori schools, and pretty much every other educational model we could name.
So why do we keep trying to turn these choices into absolutes?
In this episode, I'm talking about why I don't believe homeschool is either the answer to every educational problem or the enemy of education. I'm sharing what works for our family, the circumstances that make our homeschool possible, the legitimate criticisms I have of homeschooling, and why I'm never going to tell another family what they should do.
This is my homeschool. My experience. My very narrow lens.
And I think that's exactly what it should be.
1 Oct 2026
How I Homeschool Multiple Grades: 9th + 5th Grade
How do you homeschool multiple children when they're in completely different grades?
In this episode, I'm sharing exactly how we make our 9th-grade and 5th-grade homeschool work after 10 years of homeschooling.
My kids are four grade levels apart, so they obviously don't do everything together. Math and language arts stay individual, while we combine subjects like history, science, art history, geography, and French whenever it makes sense.
I'll talk about our "teach to the older child and pull the younger one up" philosophy, how I adjust assignments and expectations for different developmental levels, why group learning works so well for us, and how we've built independence into our homeschool over the years.
This isn't a prescription for every homeschool family. It's simply what works in our house—and hopefully it gives you a few ideas that save you some time, effort, and grief.
25 Sept 2026
What Do Homeschool Parents Actually Do?
What happens when you don't homeschool and your idea of homeschooling comes mostly from the loudest and most extreme examples?
I understand the skepticism. After 10 years of homeschooling, I've seen things in the homeschool world that concern me too—including educational neglect and rejection of science.
But that's not the whole story.
In this episode, I'm talking about what our secular homeschool actually looks like, why I don't think homeschool parents need to be experts in every subject, and why one of the most important parts of my job is knowing what I don't know.
My kids learn from scientists, specialized instructors, experts, curricula, museums, and experiences that I couldn't possibly provide by myself.
I don't have to know everything.
I have to be willing to find the people who do.
And ultimately, my homeschool isn't about building taller walls around my children.
It's about opening doors.
Links:
Non-educator Superintendent: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2002/rpt/2002-R-0945.htm
Teacher Stats: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/state-teacher-shortages-2026-factsheet
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
3.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
72
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Host of Making Everyday Magic: The Podcast?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
