90-Minute School Day

Kelly

Not your typical homeschooling podcast! Support for your out-of-the-box, neurodiverse kids. Here you will find real talk from the trenches of parenting and homeschooling. This podcast elevates the stories and voices of parents like you who are also looking for training, tips, tools and testimonies to learn, try out and thrive in this brave new world of learning at home!

  1. 5D AGO

    Ep. 61 - Not Everything Is A Discipline Problem with Sunita Kapahi Theiss

    What if the behaviors we’ve been taught to correct are actually signs of overwhelm, sensory overload, burnout, or nervous system distress? In this episode, we’re joined by Sunita Kapahi Theiss. Sunita is a writer, low-demand coach, unschooling parent, and neurodivergent advocate. She joins us for a deeply honest conversation about what’s really happening underneath behavior in neurodivergent children and adults. We talk about PDA, autistic burnout, executive dysfunction, nervous system safety, low-demand parenting, and the profound shift that happens when we stop asking: “How do I stop this behavior?” and begin asking: “What’s actually going on underneath?” This conversation is especially for parents who feel exhausted, confused, isolated, or stuck in cycles of escalation with their children. It’s also for the adults who are beginning to recognize themselves in these conversations too. Inside this episode: Why not everything is a discipline problem What sensory overload, shutdown, and executive dysfunction can actually look like in daily life The difference between support and permissiveness PDA, burnout, and reducing demands What “building capacity over time” really means How overwhelm in adults is often misunderstood too Why nervous system safety changes everything Shifting from compliance and control toward connection and trust Whether you’re brand new to neurodivergent parenting or deep in the trenches of burnout and unschooling, this episode offers language, validation, and practical reframes for families whose children don’t fit traditional molds. CONNECT + RESOURCES Sunita Kapahi Theiss: Website Low Demand Coaching Instagram Writing Workshops   90-Minute School Day™ Private Coaching 90-Minute School Day Training DITL Community FREE Learning Translator

    1h 10m

  2. APR 29

    Ep. 60 - Math Anxiety is a Trojan Horse with Dr. Sarah Eason

    What if your child's resistance to math has nothing to do with math?   In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sarah Eason, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, whose research on family math engagement and math anxiety reframes everything we think we know about why kids shut down around numbers.   This episode is for the parent who dreads math time, who carries their own wounds around numbers, and whose kid has decided math is not for them. What Sarah's research reveals is both surprising and deeply relieving.   We talk about: How math anxiety travels from parent to child without a single word being spoken What actually counts as math learning that most families are already doing Why formal instruction may not be doing the heavy lifting we think it is What predicts long-term math success (it's not worksheets) How parent beliefs and emotions shape a child's math identity from a very young age What to do if you feel like you've already gotten it wrong   Sarah's closing invitation: "Let go of what you think math should look like and reclaim it for you and your family."   LINKS + RESOURCES Sarah Eason https://hhs.purdue.edu/directory/sarah-eason/   WORK WITH 90-MINUTE SCHOOL DAY Training https://90minuteschoolday.com/guide-training/   Day in the Life Community https://90minuteschoolday.com/day-in-the-life/   Free Learning Translator https://90minuteschoolday.com/am-i-doing-enough/

    1h 4m

  3. MAR 18

    Ep. 59 - Unschooling to University with Judy Arnall

    What if the years your child and teen spent playing, exploring, and following curiosity weren't wasted time — but exactly the preparation they needed? Come sit down with Judy Arnall, internationally recognized child-development specialist, bestselling author of Unschooling to University, and mother of five self-directed learners. We talk about what children genuinely need to thrive, why chronic stress is shutting down learning in our kids, and how unschooling can be a legitimate, research-backed path all the way to post-secondary education. You'll learn: What children and teens actually need for healthy development and how that foundation prepares them for adult life The central problem with modern education What self-directed learning looks like in a real, everyday family  The "three intentional years" concept: why university prep doesn't require 12 years of schooling The neuroscience of chronic stress and educational burnout and how play and felt safety reopen the capacity to learn What the research actually says about screens, gaming, and digital communities How to tell if your urge to "do something" is coming from genuine facilitation (or parent anxiety) Practical pathways into university and post-secondary for students without a traditional transcript Real hope for families of neurodivergent children recovering from burnout Whether you're just starting to explore unschooling, deep in the deschooling process, or parenting a teenager who is done with traditional school ... this conversation will meet you right where you are. Resources & Links: Judy Arnall's book: Unschooling to University  Connect with Judy via her website Read Judy's non-punitive parenting blog Join the 90-Minute School Day DITL Community invite list  If this episode resonated with you, share it with a family who needs to hear it. And if you haven't yet ... please leave a review. It helps more families find this show.

    59 min

  4. MAR 1

    Ep. 58 - Unschooling Students with Disabilities with Dr. Gina Riley

    What happens when school is not a match for a learner? For many disabled and neurodivergent children and teens, traditional school environments create anxiety, shutdown, and loss of self-trust. In this conversation, we sit down with Dr. Gina Riley, educational psychologist, Associate Professor of Special Education at Hunter College - School of Education (CUNY), researcher, and unschooling parent to unpack the first peer-reviewed study on unschooling students with disabilities. We explore why families of autistic, ADHD, learning disabled, and neurodivergent children are moving away from traditional school and toward self-directed education This episode covers: Why families leave school (and it’s rarely ideology) Unschooling as a healing environment Intrinsic motivation and self-determination Nervous system safety and learning How unschooling functions as built-in accommodation Caregiver fatigue and lack of respite The need for unschooling-informed doctors, therapists, and educators Why research matters for advocacy and legitimacy Dr. Riley brings both academic research and lived experience as an unschooling parent to this conversation, offering insight for: ✔ Parents of disabled and neurodivergent children ✔ Pediatricians, therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists ✔ Educators and special education professionals ✔ Anyone rethinking what meaningful learning can look like   Unschooling is not the absence of education.   For some learners, it may be the least restrictive and most developmentally appropriate environment available.   Resources Mentioned Dr. Riley’s study: Unschooling Students with Disabilities Learn more about Dr. Riley Join Day in the Life Community Learn more about the 90-Minute School Day   Share This Episode If this conversation gave you language you’ve been needing: Send it to the friend who needs to hear this. Send it to your co-parent. Send it to a concerned family member. Send it to your child’s care team. Send it to an educator who wants to understand.   Research and advocacy matter. And conversations like this move us toward educational models that respect both learning and humanity.

    55 min

  5. FEB 15

    Ep. 57 - How Many Friends Do Kids Really Need? with Missy Willis

    How many friends does your child actually need? We’ve normalized early peer immersion. We worry about socialization. We measure childhood against birthday party invites and best-friend status.   But what if we’ve absorbed a story that deserves to be questioned?   In this conversation, I sit down with Missy Willis of Let ‘Em Go Barefoot to unpack: Peer orientation Attachment theory Mixed-age play vs. peer culture Playmates vs. real friendship And the question underneath the question: what do children actually need to thrive?   Influenced by the work of Gordon Neufeld, Gabor Maté, and Peter Gray, this is a paradigm-shifting look at friendship that challenges cultural norms around socialization.   If you’ve ever felt that quiet pressure, “Is my child social enough?” this episode will help you slow down and look again.   Connect + Resources Missy Willis: https://letemgobarefoot.com/   Peer orientation + attachment: Hold On to Your Kids book by Neufeld and Maté Should We Rethink the Idea of Friendships for Our Kids? By Missy Willis   Mixed Age Play: The Special Value of Mixed-Age Play by Peter Gray   Laughter + connection blog: Laughter Sparks Learning in Homeschool by Kelly Edwards   Join the Day in the Life community: https://90minuteschoolday.com/day-in-the-life/

    1h 4m

  6. JAN 26

    Ep. 56 - I'm Not Reading, But Everyone Else Is with Carrie De Francisco

    “I’m not reading, but everyone else is.” If you’ve ever heard your child say this (or felt it echo quietly in your own head) this conversation is for you. In this episode, I’m joined by Carrie DeFrancisco for a live conversation inside Day in the Life (DITL) community. Carrie is a longtime homeschool parent, former classroom teacher, homeschool coach, and podcaster. And she’s also an accidental homeschooler and the mother of a neurodivergent, dyslexic learner. Together, we talk about what really helps when a child’s reading timeline looks different. Not from a place of fixing or rushing. Not from a school-based lens. And not by pathologizing kids who learn differently. Instead, we explore: what’s actually happening when a child notices they’re “behind” how to respond without layering adult fear onto a tender moment what supports dyslexic and late-reading kids over time (and what creates more friction) how true learning develops through story, meaning, relationship, and interest what success can look like when decoding comes later, including into the teen years This conversation is about reading, yes … but it’s also about trust, identity, and what happens when we let development unfold without a stopwatch. If you have a dyslexic learner, listen closely. If you don’t, still listen … because every child has a place where their timeline looks different. This is a conversation for parents who are done chasing benchmarks and ready to notice what’s already growing. Resources + Links Connect with Carrie DeFrancisco and explore her work here Listen to Carrie’s podcast featuring her son Joe Learn more about Day in the Life (DITL) and be notified when doors open again Explore coaching with Kelly 1:1 if you want support meeting your neurodivergent child where they are and navigating self-directed education with confidence

    57 min

  7. JAN 11

    Ep. 55 - Brushstroke to Breakthrough with Cyrielle Tignard

    Winter can be a hard season for homeschooling parents... Especially if you are raising neurodivergent kids while navigating burnout, nervous system exhaustion, and the pressure to “reset.” In this episode, we explore how watercolor can support nervous system regulation, deschooling, and gentle self-care in real life. Meet artist and unschooling parent Cyrielle Tignard to talk about releasing perfectionism, creating with interruptions, and giving yourself permission to pause, play, and care for your own nervous system alongside your child’s. In This Episode: Watercolor as nervous system regulation and burnout recovery Deschooling as a practice of process, not performance Parenting and learning alongside neurodivergent children Letting go of perfection and trusting growth beneath the surface Why creative self-care matters in homeschooling families Resources & Links: Free 3-Day Introduction to Watercolor Mini Course (Cyrielle Tignard) Learn basic techniques, color mixing, and complete a small project Day In The Life Community (DITL) Supportive community for homeschooling parents focused on nervous system safety and living well Private Coaching with Kelly Edwards Deschooling support, nervous system healing, and sustainable homeschooling (Limited availability) Enjoying the podcast? If this episode met you where you are, please rate and review The 90-Minute School Day. Your reviews help other homeschooling parents find support and encouragement. Thank you!

    46 min

  8. 11/18/2025

    Ep. 54 - Boundaries + Belonging with Rachel Rainbolt

    Let's explore how boundaries and belonging work together to create safety, connection, and authenticity in our families. Especially for those of us parenting and home educating neurodivergent and PDA children who need spaciousness, autonomy, and felt-safety to thrive and learn. Rachel Rainbolt is a therapist, unschooling mother, family guide, and founder of Sage Family. In this episode, Rachel shares grounded, practical tools for navigating real-life relationship dynamics during an emotionally complex season. With her warm, compassionate wisdom, she helps us understand boundaries not as lines drawn to control others, but as choices we make to care for ourselves while staying connected. Together, we talk through: What it actually means to set boundaries—and why these are more effective, nervous-system-safe, and sustainable than requests focused on changing someone else. The Venn Diagram of Needs as a way to reduce conflict, increase collaboration, and honor everyone’s humanity. Accepting people as they are so we stop fighting reality and start navigating relationships with clarity and compassion. Responding to words at face value to reduce anxiety, avoid mind-reading, and create more emotional safety for children and adults alike. Navigating gatherings, expectations, and complicated family systems—and how to prepare yourself, your kids, and your boundaries for a season that often comes with heightened sensory, emotional, and relational demands. Co-regulation and hard conversations in families recovering from burnout, especially within PDA profiles where pressure, demands, and social scripts can feel overwhelming. Belonging as celebration—how to create a family culture where every person is welcomed as themselves, not molded into someone else’s comfort.   This is a gentle, insightful guide for moving through the next season with more clarity, compassion, and confidence. Connect with Rachel Rainbolt Website: sagefamily.com Instagram:@rachelrainbolt Connect with Kelly + The 90-Minute School Day Invite me to Day In The Life Community Subscribe to the 90-Minute School Day Newsletter Learn more about our Guide Training™ Program   Taking a Break — Recommended Episodes to Revisit As we take a holiday break from releasing new podcast episodes, now is an ideal time to revisit or check out a few favorites that align beautifully with today’s themes of boundaries, belonging, connection, and preparing for the season ahead: Episode 11: “Play, Homeschool & Holiday Hooky” — A refreshing take on how to lean into play and freedom during the holidays instead of stress and obligation. Episode 12: “Chaos to Clarity: The Craft of Personal Retreats” — Dive into the power of stepping away, re-centering, and returning to your family and season with greater calm and intentionality. Episode 30: “Boundaries 101: Raising Confident Learners with Liana Francisco” — A rich discussion on boundaries in the unschooling context—what they support, how they protect, and how they set the stage for confident, self-directed learners and families.

    1h 1m
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Not your typical homeschooling podcast! Support for your out-of-the-box, neurodiverse kids. Here you will find real talk from the trenches of parenting and homeschooling. This podcast elevates the stories and voices of parents like you who are also looking for training, tips, tools and testimonies to learn, try out and thrive in this brave new world of learning at home!

Information

  • Creator
    Kelly
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    90-Minute School Day

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