PODCAST

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief

Thoughts from my home to yours

All Episodes

[Podcast #301] A Gentle Rollout to Your Homeschool Year

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/20

One of the best parts of homeschooling is the freedom to start the year in a way that works for your family. Instead of overwhelming everyone with a full schedule on day one, you can begin with connection and fun—like a “Not Back to School” outing, a day of games, or a creative project. Personal […] The post [Podcast #301] A Gentle Rollout to Your Homeschool Year appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Take Teens Seriously

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/18

Teens intimidate us. Even when their interests seem dumb or uninteresting to us, following a teen’s passions or interests or curiosity will lead to learning. Teens need to know that the stuff they love has value for the adult lives they will eventually get to lead! Our job is to show them that the adulthood […] The post Take Teens Seriously appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Brave Learning: Partnering with Your Child

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/15

Recently on Brave Learning… Partnering with Your Child Partnership Writing is the most overlooked stage of writing development. I want to share with you a story from my own childhood, because I think it’s illustrative of the failure of the system that requires children to write without help. My mother was a freelance author, wrote 75 […]The post Brave Learning: Partnering with Your Child appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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[Podcast #300] The 300th Episode (our best homeschool...

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/13

Homeschooling isn’t about perfection—it’s about connection, curiosity, and adapting to your family’s needs. In this Brave Writer podcast episode (our 300th!), we revisit three core principles that have guided our approach through the years: When we let go of pressure and focus on our children’s interests, we create an environment where learning truly thrives. Show […] The post [Podcast #300] The 300th Episode (our best homeschool advice!) appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in

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Having a Bad Day?

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/11

Are you having a bad day? What do you like to hear the most when things are going poorly? There’s an old saying: “What we resist persists.” When you’re having a bad day, isn’t the last thing you want to hear is that you should be grateful for what a great life you have and […] The post Having a Bad Day? appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Brave Learning: The Importance of Conversations

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/08

Recently on Brave Learning… We’ve been talking all about Big, Juicy Conversations on Substack! If you missed any posts, here they are: For more support, download Brave Writer’s free Big Juicy Conversation Starters PDF. It may help you offer more interesting, provocative questions that the child wants to answer. Subscribe to Brave Learning on Substack where we chat, discuss, […] The post Brave Learning: The Importance of Conversations appeared first on A Brave Writer's

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[Podcast #299] Would You Let a Chatbot Homeschool...

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/06

Do you ever wonder what’s at stake when we hand over our children’s education to automation and AI? In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore how the rise of influencer-driven resources and tech-powered learning tools is reshaping homeschooling—and what we risk losing when we outsource the most human parts of education. We discuss: As […] The post [Podcast #299] Would You Let a Chatbot Homeschool Your Child? appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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9 Ways You Get in Your Own Way

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/05

A little reminder to be present. Ways You Get in Your Own Way: Which one is your achilles heel? This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebravewriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one! The post 9 Ways You Get in Your Own Way appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Brave Learning: Home-learning

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/08/01

Recently on Brave Learning… Home-learning Let’s change the name from homeschooling to home-learning. I’m all for innovation! We’ve got micro schools, online classes, and a huge array of co-op options in the homeschool space. Homeschooling is having a moment! In this big shift, I want to be sure we remember one of the golden purposes of […] The post Brave Learning: Home-learning appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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[Podcast #298] Wise Effort with Diana Hill

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/30

Have you ever felt exhausted from giving your all, yet still worried you aren’t doing enough? In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we’re joined by Dr. Diana Hill, clinical psychologist, podcast host, and author of Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most. Diana shares her refreshing, science-based approach to reclaiming […] The post [Podcast #298] Wise Effort with Diana Hill appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Small Doses of Delight

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/28

You’re child won’t fall in love with every subject. You won’t manage to make all learning magical. If you and your kids discover the beauty in a single subject at any point in time, you’ve shown your child how to find it for themselves. You don’t have to turn every aspect of childhood into an […] The post Small Doses of Delight appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Brave Learning: Plan Their Happiness

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/25

Recently on Brave Learning… Plan Their Happiness not only their academics… So you’ve got your homeschool planner in front of you. You’re looking at the stack of materials you bought for the coming school year. You’ve got a calculator on the table so you can figure out what pace you must work through all those pages […]The post Brave Learning: Plan Their Happiness appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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[Podcast #297] Chronicle Your Homeschool Adventure

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/23

Do you ever find yourself wondering what you’ve truly accomplished in your homeschool? Chronicling—through blogs, scatterbooks, journals, quick notes, or even voice memos—offers families a way to: In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we discuss the many forms of chronicling, how it transforms our outlook from focusing on what’s missing to noticing the richness of […] The post [Podcast #297] Chronicle Your Homeschool Adventure appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Connection Is Everything

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/22

Our students need to believe that they can rely on parents and teachers who will stand by them, not abandon them—even when we find their reasoning incomplete. The tough part about raising teens is that they test a belief system that sometimes feels illogical or dangerous to you. Teens deserve parents who are capable of […] The post Connection Is Everything appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Brave Learning: The Power of Talking

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/18

Recently on Brave Learning… The Power of Talking Why talking is so important to writing. We want words, lots of them, churned out on reassuring sheets of lined paper, with curlicue cursive ‘r’s and proper punctuation reflecting both the demands of syntax and emotion. When the words fail, we try to coax them out. What sometimes […]The post Brave Learning: The Power of Talking appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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[Podcast #296] Bad Writing Assignments

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/16

Do you ever wonder if the writing assignments your child receives are actually supporting their growth—or just making writing feel like a chore? In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we explore why it’s not only okay but essential to judge and adapt writing assignments for your kids. We talk about: We also share practical tips […] The post [Podcast #296] Bad Writing Assignments appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Start Now

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/14

Can you imagine having a 16 year old who refuses to write? This was the predicament of a mother-son pair in my first Brave Writer class that I taught 25 years ago. The mom, a conscientious and organized homeschooler, was fit to be tied. Her 16 year old hated writing, yet wanted to go to college. […] The post Start Now appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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Brave Learning: How Learning Comes Alive

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/11

Recently on Brave Learning… How Learning Comes Alive And why a “felt sense” in learning matters to your homeschool. The one thing I wish every home educator knew is that learning and schooling are not the same thing. Once you embark on homeschooling, the temptation is to figure out a style of school instruction. Certainly part […]The post Brave Learning: How Learning Comes Alive appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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[Podcast #295] Brave Writer Lifestyles of the...

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/09

Do you ever wonder how to create a homeschool life that feels rich and connected, rather than just checking off boxes? In this podcast episode, we explore the Brave Writer Lifestyle—moving beyond rigid schedules to routines that foster: We discuss how to anchor your days with simple routines, value real-life learning, adapt to your family’s […] The post [Podcast #295] Brave Writer Lifestyles of the Educationally Rich appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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The Unsolicited Gift of Despair

A Brave Writer"s Life in Brief ·

2025/07/07

If you’re anything like me, you want life to be smooth sailing and believe it to be possible! But I’ve noticed that in the darkest hours, that’s when I hear my own voice and all the unspoken words that now must be faced. I heard a speaker call this experience the unsolicited gift of despair. […] The post The Unsolicited Gift of Despair appeared first on A Brave Writer's Life in Brief.

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