The Raising Lifelong Learners podcast helps parents — especially homeschooling parents — encourage their differently-wired kids to learn, explore passions, cultivate creativity, and become fascinated by the world around them. Join host Colleen Kessler — educational consultant, gifted specialist, author, and speaker — for interviews, audioblogs, tips, and encouragement to help your differently-wired kiddos become lifelong learners — children who know that they can find the answers to anything they want to know if they can just view their world with play, passion, and fascination.
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Why Decision Making Feels Overwhelming for Neurodivergent Kids and How to Help
We think of decisions as small things: pick a topic, select a snack, choose a class. But for neurodivergent kids, making a decision isn’t about flipping a coin or going with their gut. Every choice, no matter how minor, demands a whole host of executive function skills—those “central command” abilities that allow us to plan, […]
Creative Summer Activities to Strengthen Family Connection and Boost Learning
We’ve all had those summers—the ones that seem to flash by in a blur of sticky popsicle hands, half-started projects, and the subtle but constant tug of worry that we should be doing more. More academics, more enrichment, more organizing of the endless, scattered pieces of homeschooling life. The laundry piles up, the curriculum taunts […]
Beating Homeschool Overwhelm With Heart and Flexibility
Every homeschool parent knows that certain seasons feel a little heavier than others. Sometimes, the phrase “homeschool overwhelm” doesn’t even do it justice. Between laundry waiting in the washer, forgotten math lessons, and kids with shifting needs, it can feel like there’s not a single thing getting done—at least not in the way you envisioned. […]
Easy Ways to Boost Emotional Intelligence During Your Homeschool Day
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why your child melts down over spilled juice, flounders after a bad math lesson, or can’t seem to shake off a sibling’s casual tease, you’re not alone. At some point, every homeschooling parent faces that one moment—maybe during a spelling quiz or a family game night—where the room is […]
Busting the Biggest Myths About Homeschooling Neurodivergent Kids
It creeps up in conversations, in worried glances at the grocery store, and in uncertain late-night Google searches: the fear that homeschooling neurodivergent kids is an impossible or ill-advised task. Maybe you’ve heard it yourself—“But what about socialization?”—or, “You’re not an expert, are you sure you’re qualified?” The doubts echo, often drowning out that […]
Why Family Connection Matters Most as Kids Grow Up
It hits you in ways you didn’t expect: one minute you’re orchestrating playdough sessions and read-aloud cuddles, the next you’re standing in the kitchen, trying to tease a few words out of a teenager who would rather spend the evening locked away in their room with friends, earbuds, and TikTok. It’s a bittersweet truth—connection with […]