Brave Writer

Most parents love the idea of allowing their children to be independent, follow their own passions and interests, and be enriched by them. But not all of those interests are equal — at least in our eyes. What happens when our kids’ interests take them in directions that, to us, don’t seem valuable? How do we direct them toward learning without shutting down their hobbies and interests? Let’s discuss!

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

If your year is starting—and it's not going well yet, keep reading. Do you have a nagging sense that you and your child are not on the same page or that your child seems to be struggling and you don't know what to do about it? If so, stay tuned! I’m going to share some practical tips for reestablishing connection with your child, earning their trust, and turning this year around.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

When the staff of Brave Writer gets together, there is always one ingredient present that isn’t planned for but is nevertheless enjoyed: Laughter. In fact, our meetings often run long, to the annoyance of nobody. This is one of those secret ingredients that make the work of Brave Writer shine, though you never get to see it—until now. In my last meeting with Dawn Smith, our head of publishing, I asked out loud “Why aren’t we recording this?” And now, here we are! I want to give you an inside look at the dedication, energy, philosophy, and craft that goes on behind the scenes.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• If you have any questions, reach out to [email protected] and our team will get back to you!
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: http://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

While educating children is a job of its own, many homeschooling parents also have a full-time job or side gig on top of that. You deserve support in all of those roles.

Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist, an assistant professor at Brown University, and co-host of Psychologists Off the Clock, a podcast about the science and practice of living well. She’s also the mother of three. Her academic research explores the interaction between relationship problems and mental health conditions and has a brand new book coming out called “Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Based Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much.”

We get into why she wrote the book, how parents can balance the different roles they play in life, the value stress can play in our lives, using your values to guide your decisions, and more.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Work, Parent, Thrive
• Yael's website: yaelschonbrun.com
• Podcast: Psychologists Off the Clock
• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Our guest today is a Brave Writer mom, Emily Mohajeri Norris. She homeschooled her kids, using our Brave Writer program extensively. She and her children have taken online classes and used our writing manuals to boost their skills. She’s also read my books and applied what she learned there to her teaching and parenting while personalizing it to the needs of her and her family. But that’s not the most amazing thing about her. Both Emily and her son are contestants in the third season of LEGO Masters!

Season 3 of LEGO Masters features 24 contestants competing in pairs against the show’s most ambitious challenges to date, with the hopes of winning a $100,000 dollar cash prize. We go into the story of how she built a family culture that allowed her son to dive deeply into his passion for LEGO building—and how investing deeply in any subject allows you to grow a rich vocabulary, and develop cross-disciplinary skills as well as a rich, meaningful life.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Interview with Emily and Liam: Arizona mom and son duo competing on nationally televised 'Lego Masters' show
• LEGO Masters: https://twitter.com/LEGOMastersFOX/status/1573024476459339776
• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz
• Follow Emily on Instagram: @legomomemily

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

As parents and caretakers, we are often torn between the trust we feel for our children and the worry that something will go wrong. These two are intrinsically opposed: Trust is the act of letting go of worry. That’s difficult to do when so much of parenting is wrapped up in worry—it gives us value. Let’s discuss the risks of trusting your child, the dangers of worrying too much, and some tips on how you can let go of a little more worry.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Sign up for Tea with Julie emails: https://bravewriter.com/tea
• Brave Learner Home Membership: https://bravewriter.com/special-offer
• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Content warning: We deal with topics of evangelical Christianity and parenting in the United States. While this conversation may be welcoming for some, it could be triggering for others. Despite any personal views expressed by myself or our guest Bekah McNeel, know that Brave Writer is a non-sectarian company that happily celebrates and includes members who hold a wide variety of worldviews, religious beliefs, non-religious beliefs, backgrounds, and political perspectives.

Bekah McNeel is the author of Bringing Up Kids When the Church Lets You Down: A Guide for Parents Questioning Their Faith. She’s a native of San Antonio, Texas where she’s been a reporter for nine years. Her work has appeared in Christianity Today, The Public Justice Review, Chrisitan Science Monitors, Texas Tribune, and numerous other outlets. She’s a graduate of the London School of Economics where she earned an MSC in Media Studies. She’s also a wife and mother of two very busy boys.

Here’s what you can expect in this podcast:

• Why has Christianity fallen for Millennials and what role do their parents play in that?
• Should children be baptized as a baby or only when they are old enough to consent?
• Why does Christianity push us to rely on authority figures—and why do many who leave the church never learn to shed that reliance?

I know this is a difficult topic for many people. Whether you grew up religious and found yourself drifting away from the church, or you are still devoted and find it painful to hear these stories, know that the end goal here is for all of us to be able to move forward together.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Twitter: @BekahMcneel
• Website: bekahmcneel.com
• Book: Bringing Up Kids When the Church Lets You Down
• Join our 7-Day Writing Blitz and take your kids’ writing to the next level! Visit bravewriter.com/writing-blitz to download it
• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist and the founder and CEO of Good Inside, as well as a mom of three, and she’s rethinking the way we raise our kids. Her goal: To empower parents to feel sturdier and more equipped to manage all the challenges every parent faces.

As home educators, we know that you’ve compounded the challenge of parenting by spending every waking moment (and those rare times you’re actually getting some sleep) with your precious ones.

We tackle all the topics from video games to tolerating frustration to thinking through how to deal with a child that expresses a lot of resistance and anger. Dr. Becky Kennedy brings an internal family systems perspective to the job of parenting but offers us so many practical tools. She’s never one to offer advice without breaking down exactly how to implement it in your home.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Learn more at goodinside.com
• Read: "Good Inside"
• Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram: @drbeckyatgoodinside
• Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon: Prologue
• Brave Writer's Growing Brave Writers was designed with you in mind, and how to connect with a child to produce writing without pain or trauma. Learn more here: bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Purchase one of our bundles or sign up for a class to be added to our Brave Learner community for free: bravewriter.com/special-offer
• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: 1 (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

It feels like a natural part of teaching to look at our child’s work and note where it could be improved. Yet oftentimes, giving suggestions can often leave young writers feeling judged, inadequate, or underappreciated. It’s possible to offer your young writer editorial feedback without triggering a meltdown. I’ll share some tips you can use to give your kids helpful feedback that will help retain their confidence and independence.

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• Growing Brave Writers: store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
• Find the right Brave Writer program for your kids: bravewriter.com/stages
• Sign up for Tea with Julie emails: go.bravewriter.com/tea-with-julie
• Sign up for Text Message Pod Ring: (833) 947-3684 and text the word POD
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: https://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

What’s clear to me is that parents are confusing two important issues. They care about their students getting the appropriate education and so they are prioritizing what they consider the right subjects taught in the right ways through the right programs.

Meanwhile the child is resisting. That resistance is expressed as a global unhappiness with the subject or any effort required to address the subject. To create a desire to learn, the child must find the work personally meaningful and useful in some way. Let’s talk about how you can connect learning to something in the child’s current life

You can download show notes for the podcast here: https://blog.bravewriter.com/category/podcasts/

Resources:

• If your interested in learning more about our award-winning classes, visit bravewriter.com/classes
• Have suggestions for topics you’d like to hear discussed on the show? Reach out to our SMS platform at 1-833-947-3684 and text the word POD to be added to the group and text us any of your ideas, questions, or feedback.
• Want help getting started with Brave Writer? Head over to bravewriter.com/getting-started
• Sign up for the Brave Writer newsletter to learn about all of the special offers we’re doing in 2022 and you’ll get a free seven-day Writing Blitz guide just for signing up: http://go.bravewriter.com/writing-blitz

Connect with Julie:

• Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
• Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
• Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter