Your Morning Basket

I am joined today on the podcast by Mary Wilson, a homeschool mom and book lover who believes that fun should be an integral part of the homeschool day. In this episode Mary and I discuss the idea of celebrating books in big and small ways. We chat about some of Mary's past book celebrations, how she got started, and why she thinks this is a unique and important way to introduce your kids to literature. We also chat about how you can make book celebrations doable and bring a little bit of this kind of practice into a weekly Morning Time setting. Don't miss this one! For more information and a downloadable transcript and time stamps visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb74

On today's episode of the podcast I am chatting with a good friend Brandy Vencel all about which subjects in our homeschools are appropriate for Morning Time. Are some activities and subjects holier than others? Are there any subjects that do not pertain to God?   These are all fascinating questions. While we do not claim to have a definitive answer we welcome you to join us as we begin the discussion. Let us know what you think in the comments.   For the downloads including transcript and time stamps or to leave a comment, visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb73.

What do you do when you have a kid (or two or more) who do not like Morning Time? As much as we want to think that our kids will be as enamored with the idea of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty as we are, sometimes that just isn't the case -- especially when we start building a Morning Time habit after our homeschools are already established.   Today I am joined by Dawn Garrett, Community Manager here at Your Morning Basket, and we chat about solutions to this very problem. We talk about flexing schedules, honoring your kids' time, age-appropriate activities, and yes, when it is okay to require them to stay and have a decent attitude.   All of that wrapped up in one (hopefully) helpful show.   For podcast downloads and resources be sure to visit https://pambarnhill.com/ymb72

Today on the podcast I am joined by Joy Cherrick, homeschooling mom of six and author of Nature Study Hacking. This series of lesson plans boils down nature journaling to a do-able list that moms everywhere can actually use. On the show Joy and I chat about the value of studying nature, the four parts of nature study, and ideas for how to make nature journaling a habit that your kids want to do on their own. Enjoy! More information, downloads, and show notes at https://pambarnhill.com/ymb71

Dr. Carol Reynolds joins me on today's show to give a delightful lesson about folk music. In this episode Prof. Carol enthusiastically shares about the value of folk music for our kids, what exactly a folk song is anyway, and how to get started studying them in your Morning Time. Full of wonderful stories and great resources, I think this is an episode you will really enjoy. Don't forget to grab your episode downloads at pambarnhill.com/ymb70

I am joined on the podcast today by Lauren Stengele, a non-native Spanish speaker who is passionate about raising bilingual kids. Lauren is teaching her kids Spanish in order to reclaim her own Mexican heritage and she is using Morning Time to make this a reality in her homeschool.   In this episode of the podcast Lauren and I chat about how she incorporates two languages intro her school day, what makes Morning Time such a great vehicle for second language learning and also about the two biggest indicators for success in raising bilingual kids. It was a fun episode.   Don't forget to grab your episode downloads including your Basket Bonus Spanish memory work for your Morning Time at pambarnhill.com/ymb69.

On today's episode of the podcast I am chatting with a good friend and author of the Morning Time plans at pambarnhill.com. Jessica Lawton is a bibliophile and owner of a library of over 3000 books. She is also great a choosing just the right books to use in Morning Time.   On today's podcast Jessica and I chat about how to choose the best books about a topic, which books she thinks are worth owning versus merely borrowing, and how to use different kinds of books for different purposes.

Today's episode of the Your Morning Basket podcast has not one, but two great interviews. First up on the show is my good friend Fr. Doug Martin who is here to talk about the spiritual observation of Lent and how all Christians can practice this in their families. As we were preparing that interview we were approached by author Asheritah Ciuciu, an evangelical author who has her own Lenten devotional recently published by Moody Publishers. We decided to have Ahseritah on the show as well to talk about her new book and the practice of Lent from her perspective. A wonderful benefit is that both guests focus on how we can observe Lent within our families and use it to join our sufferings with Christ, slow down and grieve our sins, and experience the joy of the Resurrection more fully. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Today on the podcast I am joined by Alisha Gratehouse and her daughter Olivia from Masterpiece Society. As fans of art, Alisha and Olivia have started a new art appreciation podcast that takes a fun and "cheeky" look at artists and their work. In fact, it is quickly becoming a favorite of the teens and tweens in my house. In this episode of the show discover what is unique about the Masterpiece Maker's approach to studying the artists, why it is far from boring, and how you can use this free resource in your own homeschool Morning Time to study the great masters.

Cindy Rollins, mom of nine and “Mama of Morning Time” (so-named by me!), is back on the podcast this week to chat about Stratford Caldecott’s Beauty in the Word — specifically the portion on grammar, or what Caldecott calls “remembering.” Join us as we chat about anamnesis, what it is and how it is alike and different what we already associate with memory. Listen for:   The idea of anchoring or tethering our children to a cultural heritage. What are some Morning Time elements that help to convey this cultural heritage. How Cindy handles the aspects of our heritage that are not positive or admirable. The connection between language and memory and how language helps form relationships with ideas. How technology is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to our efforts to be people who practice Remembering. Read the show notes at pambarnhill.com/ymb65

Today on the podcast I am joined by Amy Sloan from humilityanddoxology.com and mom of five kids ages 4 to 14. For about the past five years Amy has made memory work a central part of her homeschool day. In this episode Amy and I discuss how to be consistent with memory work, how you find great pieces to memorize, and practical ways you can make this happen in your home. We also chat about the debate between memorizing facts versus spending your time memorizing other worthy passages, how to make it work for multiple ages, and even how to deal with attitudes if they arise.

What happens to your morning time as your kids get older? Does it change or do we stop requiring them to attend? Can your teen outgrow Morning Time? These are the questions that Cindy West from Our Journey Westward joins me to answer today. In this episode of the podcast we talk about how the tone of Morning Time changes as your kids get older, how to get their buy in with what you are doing, and what a Morning Time with older kids can look like. Enjoy! Show notes at https://pambarnhill.com/ymb63

Today we welcome Christopher and Christine Perrin to the podcast to chat about prayer in your homeschool, Morning Time, and personal time. It is a fascinating conversation. Join us as we discuss: How prayer can be both personal discipline and corporate practice. What are the best ways to teach and model the practice of prayer? Tips for modeling something when we are just learning it ourselves. Different types of prayer and the value of each. Tips for praying the Scriptures. And recommendations of prayers and more to read for moms. This was a helpful and fascinating conversation I think you will enjoy!   Show notes at https://pambarnhill.com/ymb62

Today we are joined on the podcast by Heather Woodie of Blog She Wrote, mom of four young adults. Heather has been practicing Morning Time in her family for a number of years, and has seen a shift in the practice as she has graduated two kids and is now left home with two more teens to go. In this episode of the podcast we chat about: how Heather's Morning Time changed has changed over the years. why is Morning Time still a valuable practice in the teen years. what kind of adjustments and challenges a teen-only Morning Time brings. how Heather's role at Morning Time changed as the kids have gotten older. and how Heather has been able to use topics from Morning Time as coursework and credits for the purposes of high school transcripts plus so much more. Sit back and enjoy as we dive into Morning Time with the teen set. Download the Christmas Morning Time Plans.

She's back! One of my favorite guests ever is back again on the Your Morning Basket podcast. Last fall when we had Angelina Stanford on the show to talk to us about why fairy tales are important reading for your kids, you let us know how much you loved the episode and Angelina's enthusiasm for the topic.   Today she is no less enthusiastic as we dive into what exactly myth is (surprised me), Justin Martyr and his "seeds of truth," why medieval Christians fought Viking invaders to preserve myths, and what we as modern Christians can learn from these stories.   It is a fabulous episode of the podcast. We hope you enjoy.

The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis is a series of essays on the state of education and truth in the 21st Century. A slim volume, yet dense with ideas, it is a worthy read for any parent dedicated to the education of their child in Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Today we have special guest Dr. Jason Jewell with us to help us unpack and understand Lewis's work and begin to learn how it applies to the education of our children.

Heather Bunting is passionate about helping families learn to sing -- even if mom doesn't think she can carry a tune at all. Through her free YouTube channel, Children of the Open Air, Heather helps make solfege lessons, hymns, and folks songs accessible for homeschool families everywhere. In this episode of the podcast, Heather talks about the skill of learning to sing, how we can incorporate singing lessons into our Morning Time, and what to do about those who feel they lack the talent to succeed. I invite you to listen and be inspired to bring singing to your own Morning Time.

If you ever need to take Morning Time on the road then this episode is for you. Dawn Garrett joins me to chat about why and how we can pack up our Morning Times and take them with us -- getting homeschooling done even when we can't be at home. If you are out of the house a day or more each week then this episode is for you.

Have you ever wanted another mom to come along beside you and show you exactly what Morning Time looks like? Maybe, you think, I could just stop by her home and be a fly on the wall and unpack the mysteries of this Morning Time thing? Heather Tully has done just that with other moms in her community and she has been doing it for years. On this episode of the podcast Heather joins me to talk about what this kind of mentoring can look like and how we might reach out and help other moms learn about Morning Time. And since she is a mom of ten doing Morning Time with the toddler to the teenager, Heather also shares a ton of wisdom in this episode about how to make Morning Time work with a large age range. This one is not to be missed!

Andrew Peterson knows a thing or two about a good story and creativity. He is on the show today to talk about sharing both with your kids, his work with the Rabbit Room as a place for children's authors to support one another and grow, and a little something he calls the redeemed imagination. It's a fascinating conversation with topics as diverse as C.S. Lewis, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Harry Potter. Enjoy!