Podcasts
Want to raise your kids to love learning? To become lifelong learners — children who know that they can find the answers to anything they’re curious about? This is the podcast about all of that and more! Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and listen to how others help inspire kids to view their world with play and passion and fascination…
RLL #80: Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School? with Blake Boles
We speak a lot around here about lifelong learning, that self-motivated pursuit of knowledge not based on a required set of circumstances but learning for its own sake. When our kids are younger, they usually seem pretty content to follow our...
![RLL #79: [Audioblog] Mislabeled Behavior And Undiagnosed Giftedness](https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/RLL-79-feature.png)
RLL #79: [Audioblog] Mislabeled Behavior And Undiagnosed Giftedness
The frustration is real; your intense kiddo might be having outbursts you can't explain, or doesn't relate to others his own age or has a sensitivity to stimuli that is overwhelming, or any combination of the three or more! None of the professionals can seem to...
RLL #78: College For All with Trent Thompson
Have a gifted student who is not being challenged enough? Maybe they are especially gifted in certain areas and able to work ahead? Can you imagine what he or she could do at age 18 after having already finished their bachelor's degree while in high...
RLL #77: Asynchronous Development in Gifted Children
The label "gifted" conjures up images of beautifully wrapped presents with neatly tied bows, images that are a stark contrast to the reality of giftedness: asynchrony. There can be huge differences between a gifted child’s physical, intellectual, social,...
RLL #76: Creating the Adventurous Family with Rachel Rainbolt
Gentle parenting, natural homeschooling and simple living can seem like lofty goals for many of us, but are they really? Colleen explores these ideas and more with Rachel Rainbolt of Sage Family, who has created a lasting culture of connection and...
![RLL #75: [Audioblog] Dear Tired Mama of Gifted Kids](https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/RLL-75-featured.png)
RLL #75: [Audioblog] Dear Tired Mama of Gifted Kids
It’s been a long day already, and you haven’t even taken your first sip of coffee. You didn’t get to bed until well after midnight because the oldest couldn’t shut his mind down and wanted, no needed, to talk about every single, swirling thought he’d ever...
RLL #74: Solving the Transcript Problem with Maya & Nina Serna
In this episode, Colleen meets the Serna family to discuss how self-directed learners Maya and Nina solved a real-world problem in the course of their studies. Maya and Nina realized that there was a genuine need among teen homeschoolers to track learning and...
![RLL #73: [Audioblog] Falling Unexpectedly In Love with Homeschooling My Gifted Child](https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/RLL-73-feature.png)
RLL #73: [Audioblog] Falling Unexpectedly In Love with Homeschooling My Gifted Child
We don't always know what we need or what our kids' need in this journey to raise them as lifelong learners, and sometimes what is absolutely right happens in the most trying of circumstances! In today’s episode, Colleen shares an audioblog — an article that first...
RLL #72: Profoundly Gifted Kids and Radical Acceleration with Michelle and Elliott Tanner
Today, Colleen speaks with Michelle Tanner and her profoundly gifted son, Elliott, about the wonderful journey they’ve taken to radically accelerate Elliott to college at the tender age of 11. Their story proves that no matter what area our kiddos excel...
RLL #71: Resiliency and Why Our Kids Need It
Resiliency is the ability for any of us, including our kids, to bounce back from adversity. The potential for happiness or success comes from how we take snippets of those bad days, turn ourselves around and bounce back from stress, challenge, tragedy,...
RLL #70: More Than Enough with Kara Anderson
Ever feel overwhelmed or scared that you just might not be doing enough in your homeschool? Not seeing those Instagram families in your own home? Feeling a little drained by those wonderful but intense learners? In today's podcast, Colleen speaks with...
![RLL #69: [Audioblog] Seven Tools for Peaceful Parenting that You Can Use Today](https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/RLL-69-7-Tools-Peaceful-Parenting-Feature.jpg-copy.jpg)
RLL #69: [Audioblog] Seven Tools for Peaceful Parenting that You Can Use Today
Parenting is tough. No matter how rock-solid your discipline strategies are, you probably lose your temper and yell from time to time. Even the most well-meaning of parents may find themselves yelling at their kiddos in a moment of angry frustration. When...
RLL #68: Self-Directed Education with Peter Gray, PhD
Today, Colleen speaks with Peter Gray, PhD and author of “Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life.” Peter and Colleen discuss his journey to understanding how...
RLL #67: Ideas for Nurturing Our Kids’ Strengths
Research shows that when we encourage our learners to pursue their interests and utilize their strengths in their learning, we can also see gains in areas that they aren't as strong in. Colleen dives a little deeper into understanding what strength based...
RLL #66: Strength-Based Learning for Differently-Wired Kids with Shawna Wingert
When our differently-wired kids are struggling or seem bored with their studies, often we want to find out why and fix it fast! What if we first became observers of our kids, discovering what they’re great at and interested in, and then turned that around,...
![RLL#65: [Audioblog] Navigating Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Kids](https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RLL-65-featured.jpg)
RLL#65: [Audioblog] Navigating Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Kids
Gifted children have characteristics that can often cause them to struggle socially and emotionally. In today’s episode, Colleen shares an audioblog — an article that first appeared on the site — outlining some common challenges facing gifted kids and offering real...
RLL #64 What to Do When School Doesn’t Work
School choice is extremely personal. It really comes down to what you are most comfortable with, what you can afford and what kinds of sacrifices you are willing to make with regards to this decision for educating your differently-wired kiddos. In...
RLL #63: Creating a Business with Kids with Sara Tullos
Subscription boxes are a wonderful way to add learning opportunities for your curious kids. Typically arriving monthly, they add extended play (and learning!) about once a month on topics like cooking, crafts, even inventions! But what do you do when your...
![RLL#62: [Audioblog] Why Should You Homeschool Your Gifted Children?](https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/RLL-62-feature.jpg)
RLL#62: [Audioblog] Why Should You Homeschool Your Gifted Children?
The longer I homeschool my gifted children, and the more I see and talk to other parents of gifted and twice-exceptional kids, the more I believe that homeschooling is the best educational option for our nation’s above-average...
RLL #61: Let’s Talk About Anxiety
Anxieties are high. Kids are worrying. Adults are worrying. We’re all kind of in this big ole anxiety boat together. We could really use some solidarity and support right now. While recorded before COVID-19 hit, in this episode I talk about five simple things you can do with your anxious kiddos to help them right now.
RLL #60: Raising Differently-Wired Kids with Debbie Reber
Differently-wired kiddos require a major shift in parenting philosophies and practices, and today's guest is no stranger to shaking things up. Debbie Reber, founder of the Tilt Parenting podcast and author of Differently-Wired: Rasing an Exceptional Child in a...
![RLL #59: [Audioblog] Gifted Kids Are Gonna Gift](https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/einstein.jpg)
RLL #59: [Audioblog] Gifted Kids Are Gonna Gift
I shrug a lot, shake my head with a smile, even chuckle. My kids are a blast. They’re different and difficult and quite the handful, but at the end of the day I don’t know what I’d do without the constant excitement of their excitabilities or the quick wit...
RLL #58: Why You Should Check Out a Homeschooling Convention This Year
Are you planning to come out to a homeschool convention this season? Colleen will be speaking at all seven of the Great Homeschool Conventions and several others as well -- you can find her entire calendar on her speaking page. In this episode, though, she...
RLL #57: Protecting Our Kids From Porn with Kristen Jenson
In today's highly connected world, kids are being exposed to pornography at younger and younger ages. Oftentimes, by the time we've sat down with our kids to have a conversation about what they may come across online it's too late. Filters aren't enough. We...
Have a Question?
Got a question for Colleen that you hope she answers on an episode of the podcast, a post, or a live video? Maybe you’ve got a story about how you encourage a love of learning in your kids. Or maybe your kiddos want to share what THEY love to learn about and the cool things they’re doing right now. Now is your chance to share!