The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast with Yvette Hampton & Aby Rinella

Hosted ByYvette Hampton & Aby Rinella

The podcast for homeschool families – Biblical encouragement from home education experts and parents just like you!

Embracing Distractions: Prioritizing What Truly Matters in Homeschooling – Katie Waalkes, Part 2

“God oftentimes uses distractions to challenge us in what we’re prioritizing.” – Katie Waalkes

Katie Waalkes joins Yvette Hampton to share her experience as a highly distracted homeschool mom. She discovers her own ADHD tendencies through her child’s therapy sessions and encourages other moms who can relate to their natural tendencies or external circumstances. Katie emphasizes the importance of character over curriculum, and how homeschooling provides an opportunity to prepare children for life, not just academics. She discusses the challenges of distractions and offers strategies such as anchoring the day, breaking it into chunks, and using sensory engagement during learning. Katie also shares practical tips for organizing tasks and protecting focused homeschooling hours. Yvette and Katie pray for the podcast to encourage and honor the Lord, as Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast aims to equip parents and homeschoolers with biblical truth. Join Yvette and Katie as they dive into the topic of the highly distracted homeschool mom and offer guidance and encouragement along the way.

Come back tomorrow for the rest of this important conversation.

Embracing Distractions: Prioritizing What Truly Matters in Homeschooling

Watch this full conversation on our YouTube channel.

Katie Waalkes is a wife of 14 years, mother to 6 kids, most of whom have special needs with a mixture of medical diagnosis & special learning needs.

She is passionate about encouraging parents in their biblical parenting and helping homeschool moms in their journey. Katie has a unique perspective on homeschooling as both she and her husband grew up homeschooled. As a second-generation homeschooler, she has been both the student and teacher and has much to offer on the topic. She hopes to be able to help you start making the most of the little moments in life as the mundane moments are often the most impactful.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does Katie define distracted homeschooling? Can you relate to her experiences as a highly distracted homeschool mom?
  2. How does Katie emphasize the importance of character over curriculum? In what ways can we prioritize character-building in our homeschooling journey?
  3. What are some teaching moments and opportunities that parents often miss out on when their children are separated from them for long periods? How can we be more intentional in seizing those opportunities?
  4. What are some strategies that Katie shares for overcoming distractions and staying focused in homeschooling? How do you anchor your day and help your children develop refocusing skills?
  5. How does Katie view distractions in the journey of parenting? How can distractions actually benefit our children’s growth and our own journey towards Jesus?
  6. What are some challenges that Katie identifies in her homeschooling journey, such as changing curriculums and inconsistent expectations? How can we address these challenges and ensure a more consistent homeschooling experience?
  7. Katie’s children have special needs. How does she adapt her homeschooling approach to cater to each child’s individual needs and abilities? How can we accommodate our children’s unique learning styles and challenges?
  8. How does Katie view multitasking? Why is it important to block off specific hours for homeschooling and protect those hours from external distractions and appointments?
  9. Katie suggests creating a minimalist environment and using noise-canceling headphones to reduce distractions. How can we create a homeschooling environment that promotes focus and minimizes distractions?
  10. In what ways can we seek a heart change and rely on God’s guidance to overcome the challenges of distracted homeschooling? How can prayer and seeking the Lord’s wisdom help us in our homeschooling journey?

Recommended Resources: 

https://lifeinthemundane.com

https://www.youtube.com/lifeinthemundane

M.O.M. Master Organizer of Mayhem: Simple Solutions to Organize Chaos and Bring More Joy into Your Home, by Kristi Clover

Organizing the Mayhem, with Kristi Clover on the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast

Homeschool Planning: Step by Step with Pam Barnhill on the Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast

 

 

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About the Author
Yvette Hampton - Host Yvette is a homeschool mom through and through, but it wasn't supposed to be this way. Like so many other homeschoolers, Yvette and her husband, Garritt, said they would NEVER homeschool their kids, but God had other plans. Yvette is the producer and host of the upcoming documentary, Schoolhouse Rocked: The Homeschool Revolution, being directed by her husband, Garritt Hampton. As a mom who is concerned for the future of this generation and the future of our country, Yvette has a deep passion to see a culture shift by encouraging people through the truth of God’s Word. Her greatest joy in life is being a wife and mom! - - - - - - - - - - - - In the fall of 2016, she and her family sold their home and almost all of their possessions, loaded up in an RV, and began traveling the country to film Schoolhouse Rocked. They have a passion for the homeschool community and are humbled and honored that the Lord has called them to tell the stories of the millions of families who have been impacted by the homeschool revolution. - - - - - - - - - - - - Yvette and Garritt have been married since 1995. They have two daughters, Brooklyn and Lacey, who they have homeschooled since the very beginning. - - - - - - - - - - - - To see the Schoolhouse Rocked movie trailer and find out more visit SchoolhouseRocked.com. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Aby Rinella - Cohost Aby Rinella is homeschool mom to 3, writer, speaker and director of her local homeschool support group. She writes and speaks to encourage and inspire women to live the life they were designed to live, to train up their children in God’s Word and to stand on truth in a culture that has lost its foundation. Aby and her husband, Jesse, love the outdoors and speak and write on the benefits of pointing children to their Creator by spending time in His creation. Aby is a featured speaker for the 2020 Homegrown Generation Family Expo. - - - - - - - - - - - - Read more from Aby at CalledToTheTop.com. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Garritt Hampton - Producer Garritt is a entertainment industry veteran who got his start in the record industry before moving into film. His credits include some of the biggest movies of the last decade, including Interstellar, Furious 7, TRON: Legacy, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and many more. He is passionate about using his talents to build up the family and glorify God.