Making Everyday Magic: The Podcast

Shanna
  • 3.0 (2)
  • How To

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

  1. 2d ago

    It's Not About You: Why Your Choices Make Other People Uncomfortable

    Why do people get so upset when you make a decision that has absolutely nothing to do with them? After 10 years of homeschooling, I've had plenty of experience with unsolicited opinions, uncomfortable conversations, and people who seem personally offended by choices I've made for my own family. In this episode, I'm exploring why other people's reactions are often more about their own experiences, beliefs, and need for validation than they are about us. We'll talk about confirmation bias, the discomfort that can come from making different choices, and why people sometimes interpret our decisions as a judgment of their own. I'll share some of the conversations I've had as a homeschooling parent, including the kinds of interactions that happen when you're simply trying to go about your day and someone decides your life choices are up for discussion. But this isn't just about homeschooling. It's about the freedom that comes from recognizing what is and isn't ours to manage. We can make thoughtful decisions for our families without defending them to everyone. We can listen to other perspectives without taking responsibility for every reaction. And we can let people have their feelings without making those feelings our own. Sometimes the most liberating thing to remember is that other people are thinking about themselves just as much as we're thinking about ourselves. Your choices are yours. Their choices are theirs. And not every disagreement needs to become a conflict. Welcome to Making Everyday Magic.

  2. Oct 8

    Homeschool Is Not My Identity

    After ten years of homeschooling, I've had plenty of time to think about what happens when something becomes such a huge part of your life that it starts to feel like your identity. Homeschooling is deeply woven into our family. I love it. It works for us. I'm passionate about it. And I talk about it here all the time. But homeschool isn't who I am. It's something I do. And I think that's an important distinction—not just for homeschool parents, but for women and mothers in general. In this episode, I'm talking about identity, motherhood, the pressure to fit ourselves into roles, why I don't want "homeschooler" to become my children's identity either, and why being willing to change your mind can actually be a strength.

  3. Oct 5

    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.

  4. Oct 1

    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.

  5. Sep 25

    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

  6. Sep 24

    I Don't Love Homeschooling Every Day: The Truth About Hard Homeschool Days

    I've been homeschooling for 10 years, and I don't love homeschooling every day. I know that's probably not what you're supposed to say when you have built an entire life around homeschooling—but it's true. In this episode, I'm talking honestly about the hard homeschool days: the pressure, the stress, the lack of sleep, the cost, the mess, the expectations, and those days when you simply do not want to homeschool. But I'm also talking about what we can actually do about it. Sometimes we change the schedule. Sometimes we have a pajama day. Sometimes we go to the beach. Sometimes we do math and call it a day. Sometimes we outsource. And sometimes we need to admit that homeschooling may not be working for our family anymore. Because I don't believe homeschooling is something we should suffer through just to prove that we're committed. You can love homeschooling without loving every day. You can put it down and pick it back up. You can pivot. You can change your mind. And if you're in a hard homeschool season right now, maybe you don't need another productivity system or another curriculum recommendation. Maybe you just need permission to admit that today is hard. The days are long, but the years are short—and that applies to homeschooling, too.

  7. Sep 22

    What's Next? Life After Homeschooling, Learning New Things, and Making Wigs

    We're entering our 10th year of homeschooling, and with a 9th grader and a 5th grader, I'm starting to think about what life looks like when my kids need me less. Not because I'm done being a mom. Because I'm still a person, too. In this episode, I'm talking about learning new things, being a beginner, and figuring out what comes next. And apparently, that currently means learning the art of wig making and wig styling. I have a cosmetology background, a child pursuing theater, and a lot of curiosity. It's creative, flexible, and something I can pick up when I have time. But this conversation is about more than wigs. It's about remembering that you're allowed to have interests, you're allowed to want things, and you're allowed to do things just because they make you happy. I'm also sharing a little about the other things I'm figuring out right now, including planning our hopefully soon Parisian trip, building our own homeschool resources, and my ongoing pursuit of maximizing the value of the dollars we spend. Because apparently, even when I'm trying to relax, I'm still trying to figure out how to get the most out of everything. What are you working on right now? What's your next thing? I'd love to hear what you're learning, what you're excited about, or what you're thinking about for the next season of your life. Let's grow this list. ❤️

  8. Sep 19

    What You Tolerate, You Endorse: Boundaries in Homeschooling and Parenting

    There is one phrase I come back to over and over again in homeschooling, parenting, relationships, business, and honestly... life: What you tolerate, you endorse. And I know that might feel a little uncomfortable. Because sometimes the things causing chaos in our homeschool, our homes, and our relationships aren't things we actively chose. They're things we let slide. One more late bedtime. One more skipped lesson. One more meltdown that ends with us giving in because we're tired, embarrassed, or simply do not have the energy to deal with it right now. But what happens when "just this once" becomes the pattern? In this episode, I'm talking about consistency, boundaries, parenting, homeschool habits, people pleasing, and why being firm doesn't mean being unkind. From bedtime routines and homeschool expectations to relationships and the comment section, we're looking at the bigger picture. Because sometimes doing the hard thing now is really about doing later you a favor. You don't have to control every person around you. You don't have to be harsh. You don't have to become a jerk. But you do get to decide what you will and will not tolerate. And if you're tolerating something that is creating an outcome you don't actually want, it might be time to address it. Kindly. Firmly. Consistently.

See All (123)

Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

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

Information

You Might Also Like