The Smiling Homeschooler Podcast
Sep 2, 2026 · 32 min · 19 segments
Welcome back to the Smiling Homeschooler Podcast! One of the great things about homeschooling is that we have the freedom to make learning fun. But sometimes there is pressure to make every day feel…
Ben WilsonHost
Well, and I think, I think the main question I was kind of thinking is, is obviously you got to balance it, you know, and there is a balance to it.
But it's just like, what's even normal? You know, it's like you kind of have that feeling of like, oh, well, you know, and I get it.
Or it could be I feel like all I'm trying to do is make it fun, but it doesn't need to be fun that often.
Or can I just do the day and not worry about coming up with some cool interactive thing?
We go into whistling and putting away all our chores or clothes magically to make it all a fun game.
So it's like, how much effort do I need to put into making it fun versus, you know, we can just do our normal day and it's okay.
And then obviously there's the flip side of, you know, you still got to get stuff done.
So you can't just only be, you know, we're just going to, you know, play games all day long outside or whatever.
that thought, I think it, but don't you think it's kind of like, it's kind of like picking those rocks.
Because I would say, whatever the rhyme that was probably, I don't know, pioneer times, reading, writing, arithmetic, all to the tune of a hickory stick.
I mean, if you have a really fun, fun homeschool and your kids can't read, I'm not saying one of them, you know, because there's some problems or they're just built that way.
But we're talking about if they all can't read, you know, because, hey, we never got around to that.
I think we will not only frustrate our kids, but we will have set them up for a hard row to hoe.
Well, and I think, I think the main question I was kind of thinking is, is obviously you got to balance it, you know, and there is a balance to it.
But it's just like, what's even normal? You know, it's like you kind of have that feeling of like, oh, well, you know, and I get it.
Or it could be I feel like all I'm trying to do is make it fun, but it doesn't need to be fun that often.
Or can I just do the day and not worry about coming up with some cool interactive thing?
We go into whistling and putting away all our chores or clothes magically to make it all a fun game.
So it's like, how much effort do I need to put into making it fun versus, you know, we can just do our normal day and it's okay.
And then obviously there's the flip side of, you know, you still got to get stuff done.
So you can't just only be, you know, we're just going to, you know, play games all day long outside or whatever.
that thought, I think it, but don't you think it's kind of like, it's kind of like picking those rocks.
Because I would say, whatever the rhyme that was probably, I don't know, pioneer times, reading, writing, arithmetic, all to the tune of a hickory stick.
I mean, if you have a really fun, fun homeschool and your kids can't read, I'm not saying one of them, you know, because there's some problems or they're just built that way.
But we're talking about if they all can't read, you know, because, hey, we never got around to that.
I think we will not only frustrate our kids, but we will have set them up for a hard row to hoe.
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