What if the most powerful way to strengthen focus, creativity, and connection in your home is…quiet? In this episode, we explore the growing trend of silent reading parties and why shared, sustained reading helps both kids and adults reclaim attention in a scrolling world. We talk about body doubling, device fatigue, reading rituals that actually work, and how simple practices like DEAR time or candlelit reading can change the rhythm of a homeschool day. If your family struggles to settle into books, this conversation offers gentle, practical ways to read together again. Join us—and then grab a book.

Resources:

1. Grab a discounted copy of our Brave Writer Guide to the Winter Games!
2. Big props to Christopher Frizzelle, whose Silent Reading Parties are one of the inspirations for this episode.
3. Find Sue Monk Kidd’s Writing, Creativity, and Soul in the Brave Writer Book Shop. And don’t miss our selection of books that make great companion reads for the Winter Games!
4. Brave Writer class registration is open! Our Building Brave Writers classes are a great pick for a winter jumpstart.
5. Check out the Boomerang for Jack London’s The Call of the Wild and White Fang
6. Share William Wordsworth’s sonnet “The World Is Too Much With Us” with your kids
7. Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
8. Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
9. Find community in our membership forum, the Brave Learner Home
10. Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
11. Start a free trial of

What if your child’s hardest behaviors aren’t a problem to fix, but an invitation to grow? In this episode, we sit down with Mary Van Geffen, author of Parenting a Spicy One, to explore what it really means to raise a strong-willed, sensitive, or explosive child. We talk about nervous systems, repair after blow-ups, and why slowing down is often the most effective parenting move. You’ll hear practical strategies, deeply humane insights, and a reframing of “difficult” kids that just might change everything. Join us, and let’s rethink what supportive parenting can look like.

Resources:

1. Preorder Parenting a Spicy One for special bonuses! Details at Mary Van Geffen’s website: https://www.maryvangeffen.com
2. Follow Mary on Instagram @maryvangeffen
3. Find books mentioned in this episode in the Brave Writer Book Shop
4. Brave Writer class registration is open!
5. Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
6. Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
7. Find community in our membership forum, the Brave Learner Home
8. Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
9. Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
10. Give your child the gift of music! Sign up for a free month of private lessons with Maestro Music and let your child discover their own musical voice: www.maestromusic.online/brave
11. Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s

If your homeschool doesn’t produce stacks of worksheets, does that mean learning isn’t happening? We explore why meaningful education often leaves very little paper behind. From embodied grammar lessons to spontaneous moments of insight, we talk about how children actually learn and why traditional record-keeping can miss the point. We also share practical, low-pressure ways to document growth without turning your home into a classroom clone. If you’ve ever worried that your homeschool doesn’t “look like enough,” this conversation offers reassurance, clarity, and permission to trust what you see unfolding every day. Join us and rethink what counts as real evidence of learning.

Resources:

1. Find delicious reading selections for kids and adults in the Brave Writer Book Shop
2. Brave Writer class registration is open!
3. Visit Julie’s Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!)
4. Purchase Julie’s new book, Help! My Kid Hates Writing
5. Find community in our membership forum, the Brave Learner Home
6. Learn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programs
7. Start a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that’s sure to grab and keep your child’s attention
8. Give your child the gift of music! Sign up for a free month of private lessons with Maestro Music and let your child discover their own musical voice: www.maestromusic.online/brave
9. Subscribe to Julie’s Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa’s Catalog of Enthusiasms
10. Sign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!
11. Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684