5 Favorite Homeschool Podcasts
We are well into the warm days of summer! Hopefully, you are not overwhelmed by reading all the books you think are needed for your homeschool. If you need a break from the books or would just like a change of pace in content, consider podcasts!
It’s nearing the end of the day, the dryer is letting me know my load is finished and in need of folding and putting away, it’s time to prepare dinner, and right now I can’t take one more little voice asking for a snack! I pop in my earbuds and get taken away for just a few minutes while completing my tasks. Podcasts have been a great way for me to learn so much in a short amount of time while getting a little mental break and also getting some work done.
When I need a little like-minded conversation while fixing dinner or on a drive, I often listen to a podcast. Anywhere from 15-45 minutes of conversation on a specific topic that I am interested in is just enough to give me a mental rest and recharge. It can be encouraging, insightful, and, many times, a good laugh with some people who are right there with you in the throes of motherhood!
I have also learned so many helpful tips that I have been able to incorporate into my daily life, especially my homeschool, as this is a big percentage of the podcast content I consume. I have also received several book recommendations from listening to conversations with authors discussing the information in their books—way more than any book jacket or Amazon review can give!
Here are a few of my favorite podcasts for homeschooling, motherhood, parenting, and spiritual encouragement.
1000 Hours Outside with Ginny Yurich is all about the importance of kids getting a chance to have a gentle, not rushed, childhood and the psychological benefits of fresh air, and the many ways this could happen. Many of her guests have many different ideas that I would have never thought to incorporate into our homeschool, such as camping trips, trail adventures, or just letting my boys play in the dirt and see what they can discover. I wasn’t much of an outdoorsy person, but hearing the importance of this one aspect of childhood has gotten me to get myself and my boys outside daily!
The Zan Tyler Podcast: Thriving in Your Homeschool is hosted by veteran homeschool mom Zan Tyler, who actually fought to legalize homeschooling in her state early in her homeschool career, and speaks of the many freedoms that come with this choice of education and the benefits for the family as a whole. Her guests consist of a wide variety of homeschool families and topics ranging from legal protections to families’ choices on what made them homeschool in the first place, and anything in between! I find this podcast extremely informative, and it encourages me to keep going and to always remember our “why” in our family’s choice to homeschool.
The Durenda Wilson Podcast hosted by Durenda Wilson is like talking to an old friend! Her ability to be down to earth on some weighty topics that can occur in home life in general has been helpful in my parenting journey. From her podcast, I have been directed to read several of her books on these topics, as she introduces them on air and goes more in-depth in her writing. I have learned so much from Durenda, especially her many chats on raising boys! We have three boys, and it has been helpful to have someone point out the differences in raising and schooling boys and how they thrive.
Culture Proof with Wil and Meeke Anderson has got to be on the top of the lists of podcasts I listen to with my husband. We both get encouraged by the conversations on the importance of family discipleship and the roles to which we have been called as parents. They often hit on some heavy topics, including things we are currently dealing with in our culture that are contrary to the Word of God. They help bring awareness to, and help families navigate, the many challenges our kids could potentially face and how to keep things lined up with the “straight edge” of scripture. Our family has greatly benefited from listening to the Addisons share how they are standing strong in this culture and we can do the same.
The Habits & Home Show | Decluttering & Systems for Christian ADHD Moms is great for household organization, which is so much more important when you spend as much time as we do in the home as a homeschool family. Her simple systems of getting things done from meal planning and laundry, to cleaning and organizing are very helpful in the smooth running of a household. Putting several well-maintained systems in place in the home makes for less stress and more time for families to enjoy one another in their space.
Those are just a few of the podcasts that encourage me at this time in life. There are many more that I wish to share with you in the future, including specific episode numbers. But more importantly, I want to hear what YOU are listening to! Let me know in the comments what podcasts to listen to and how they have been helpful to you—even if it’s just for entertainment, because we all need a little bit of that from time to time, too!
Brandi Wade
Enjoy this article?
For more insightful and encouraging homeschool related articles, homeschool living tips, and homeschool connections, visit our HEAV blog.
