A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

FREE Online Summer Camp!

It’s that time of year again!

Are you feeling it? The overwhelm of a new homeschool year.

So many subjects to cover!
So many curriculum options for each subject!

Let us help you reduce decision fatigue and unlock learning. 

Our day-long camp was packed with useful information about:

• homeschooling
• writing across the curriculum 
• all things Brave Writer

Summer Camp is over (and the discount code has expired) but you can watch the REPLAYS below!

Free Webinars

Online Classes: Writing is the Key to Learning Any Subject

Not only is writing a subject area unto itself, we consider writing the key to unlock learning across the curriculum. Whether science, history, grammar, Shakespeare, art, or current events, online writing classes create the richest and deepest learning experiences in any school subject. Let Kirsten Merryman (Director of Online Classes) show you how.

REPLAY

Brave Learner Home: The Resources and Community You Need

None of us can go it alone. Home education depends on strong support: from friends, and from veteran educators who’ve gone before. Inside Brave Learner Home, the more than 12,000 members have access to ready-made unit studies across the curriculum, a community forum, as well as monthly webinars and classes to help them be effective parent-educators. Join Brave Writer founder, Julie Bogart, to learn more about this homeschooling resource center and community like no other!

REPLAY

For Kids! Author Melissa Wiley Reads Aloud! 

The incomparable Melissa Wiley (children’s novelist and homeschool veteran of six) will read aloud to us! She’s in the middle of her next novel and she is eager to share it with your kids. Melissa has been writing children’s books since 1995, including her Brave Writer featured books, The Prairie Thief and The Nerviest Girl in the World.

REPLAY

Brave Writer Products: Unlocking Learning Through Literature 

Whether fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or fantasy, literature opens doors to a wide range of school subjects and learning adventures. Discover how grammar, punctuation, spelling, and literary devices can be taught naturally, while also inviting children into science, history, math, geography, and imagination. Dawn Smith (Director of Publishing) shares how! 

REPLAY

Raising Brave Learners and Critical Thinkers

You have what it takes to not only raise great kids, but to bring joy, vitality, and skill to each aspect of learning. Once you understand the interconnections between all the school subjects and the vital role of self-expression in each, you will be ready to naturally guide your children into a cherished childhood and deep educational experience (whether you homeschool or not!). Join Julie Bogart (creator of the Brave Writer program) for a final “send-off” talk to launch your school year.

REPLAY

Special Offer

We have a special offer for you! When you purchase $198.00 worth of curriculum, you will be automatically added to our special homeschool community called: Brave Learner Home. Your qualifying purchase provides you with a lifetime membership!

The entire Brave Writer team is excited to serve you this year.

Get ready for your best homeschool year yet!

We can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they have to take the wheel. Those who have never been allowed to make meaningful decisions until later in life are likely to flounder. ~Dr. William Stixrud, The Self-Driven Child

Our job is not to nag or punish our preteens and teens into cooperation.

Your “reminders” have become nagging when you:

• act as the notification system to keep your child on track
• care more about the tasks than your child does
• feel annoyed all day
• feel disrespected
• make the “asks” fun yet your kids still won’t follow through

Rather, the key to productive youth is motivation. When you are exhausted from pushing the rock up the hill (the activities, education, showers, chores, clean clothes, homework) on behalf of your child through shaming, blaming, and incessant reminding, pivot.

Go on a “caring fast.”

Choose to not care for a day.

• Wake up, make your favorite hot beverage, open your phone, tune into a podcast, put your feet up.
• Next, maybe take the dog for a walk, read a chapter of a book, throw in a load of laundry, eat a snack.
• At some point, some child is going to wonder: “What are we supposed to do today Mom/Dad?” With a nonchalant manner, simply say, “I don’t know. Up to you. I’m busy with X.”
• Go back to X.

To shift responsibility to a child, be honest without assigning motives.

“I’m here to help you with school work or lunch (or whatever) when you are ready. Until then, I’ve got other stuff to do.”

The key to this practice is not using it as manipulation. You are training yourself to care less, too. This is the beginning of shifting the responsibility to your child away from yourself. It’s hard! Parents like control. That preteen or teen doesn’t want the responsibility, so they keep putting it back on you. Drop the rope. No more tug of war.

Get busy, give space, and trust.

It’s a detox for you too.

Part Two next week!

This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebravewriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one!