If you want to get started doing your own Morning Time your first instinct might be to head to Pinterest. Don’t! Instead, follow these five tips that Pam lays out to help you begin a Morning Time habit in your homeschool that both you and the kids will enjoy. Head to pambarnhill.com/ymb129 for full shownotes.

Morning Time is not something that is required by any homeschool method or governing body. Why then do homeschoolers find the practice beneficial to include in a homeschool day?  In this episode, Pam talks about five different reasons why a Morning Time practice is a worthy addition to your homeschool. She outlines the benefits of why you would want to devote time to doing this year after year. Key Takeaways: Morning Time provides an efficient way to cover multiple subjects for multiple...

We are getting close to the holiday season and that means homeschoolers everywhere are getting ready to lean into the Christmas season and enjoy doing Christmas activities -- sometimes in lieu of any other learning activities. On this episode of the podcast I am joined by Abby Stone, mom of five, to chat about how her family slows down to make time for Christmas Traditions each year -- often learning a tone of academics along the way.  For show notes and episode downloads, visit...

Snap, crackle, pop! or "my love is like a red, red rose" -- both are examples of fun word play that we can find in writing all around us. These words are what makes writing exciting. Today I am joined by special guest Megan Andrews who is a lover of words of all kind. We talk about how to introduce your kids to the beauty of words and encourage them to enjoy the language but also make the leap to using it in their own writing. For show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb126.

As moms we deal with so many struggles and fears. Are we doing enough? Will our kids turn out ok? These fears threaten to overwhelm us and we wonder what can we do about it. My guest Jen Pepito knows those same fears all too well and has found solace and help in an unlikely place -- the books she reads aloud to her kids. Jen proposes that there are lessons for moms in the books we are reading to our family and she helps connect us to those lessons and how we can use them to overcome our fears...

 It's true! It doesn't matter what "flavor" of homeschooler you are or what method you subscribe to -- Morning Time can totally work with every single kind of homeschool philosophy. I am joined today by Amy Milcic (eclectic, traditional) and Jessica Waldock (relaxed and interest based) as we chat about how we have made Morning Time work for us (I am representing the CM, classical side of things from a non-purist standpoint.) Have a listen and tell us what you think! For show notes and...

 Don't groan! Geography can be a fun and fascinating topic to study in your Morning Time. In fact, when you get a kid who is into geography they can be so excited over something as simple as locating countries on a map. It is so much fun to see. Join me and Gather co-author Heather Tully as we dig in to all the ways we have done geography in our Morning Baskets through the years and dish on all of our favorite books and resources. For show notes and episode downloads, visit...

 We've talked a few times on the podcast about how to do Morning Time with your teens, but this episode really hones in on the idea of what do you prioritize when it comes to Morning Time and the teenage years. How do you make it worth their time and energy, how does it change as they get older, and even how do you award credits for what you are doing. 

 Moms of kids with special needs may wonder what their students are capable of doing. How much should you do and what does this child need. Cheryl Swope is on the podcast today to talk about how all kids need truth, goodness, and beauty in their education. We can provide that as well as meet the practical needs that children have. For show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb121.

We are heading to the beach this January for our first ever We Gather Together Morning Time Retreat. Join me, Gather author Heather Tully, Dawn Garrett and the YMB team as we do Morning Time together, relax on the beach, and share a ton of encouragement and ideas for your Morning Time. In this special episode of the podcast we discuss all the retreat details. Register and read more at https://pambarnhill.com/retreat.

 Today we are giving you a peek behind the scenes at what is included in our ready-made Morning Time plans at Your Morning Basket. I am joined by our member success manager and mom of eight Laney Homan as we dissect what's in the plans, who are they for, and how to get the most out of using them in your homeschool. For shownotes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb120.

I am joined today by Colleen Rein who is a member of our Your Morning Basket Plus membership and a mom who has been doing Morning Time for a number of years in her homeschool. What I love most about Colleen is all the practical insights she has into making homeschooling work for her family. Today she shares insights and tons of good ideas on how Morning Time can support a diverse group of learners. For show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb119.

It is getting tougher and tougher to find good picture books that align with your values these days. How do you find ones that tell a quality story and have the kind of language and art that your family enjoys? How can you make your librarian your ally and know just which books to choose in the bookstore to add to your home library. I am joined today by Sarah Mackenzie from Read Aloud Revival to answer all of those questions and more. This was such a fun conversation. I hope you'll join us....

Every year there are new moms dipping toes into the waters of homeschooling by starting with a preschooler. Every year these same moms ask their more veteran homeschool mom friends for advice and come away disappointed by the response they get.  In this episode Mystie Winckler and I have a message for these new moms that start with "We will not roll our eyes at you!" and continues with practical encouragement and a fond look back at what we did in our early days (good and bad).  We also...

Summer is for fun and what is more fun than a summer reading program and Morning Time. In this episode Pam and member success manager Laney Homan talk about the Traveling Through the Pages FREE summer reading program that encourages your kids to stretch outside their comfort zones and read widely this summer. Laney gives a number of great ideas of how to use the program and the accompanying Morning Time plans. Don't miss this practical episode. For show notes and episode downloads, visit...

 Morning Time gives us a gift. It gives us a time in our day where we can enjoy the music, poetry, and art of a culture -- either our own or the culture of others. Today I am joined by Amber O'Neal Johnston who talks about why exploring both are important, and she has a ton of examples and ideas of how we can do that in our Morning Time. For podcast show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb115.

 So often we set ourselves up to fail when we have unrealistic expectations and expect a perfect Morning Time. Sometimes we don't even realize that perfectionism is the problem we are fighting. In this episode Pam breaks down what perfectionism can look like in your Morning Time and gives some tips on how to beat it so you can your kids can enjoy Morning Time together for years to come. For show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb114.

 Maybe you want to do memory work with your kids but you are worried that it will become a drill and kill time that nobody loves. I used to worry about that too but the reality was far from that. Today I am joined by Abby Wahl and we chat about different ways you can make memory work more enjoyable to do -- even if you don't consider yourself a "fun" mom. For show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb113.

 You enjoy Morning Time but you sometimes wonder if it will really have the outcomes that you hope. When you have little ones, how do you keep pushing through the messy moments when the results of your efforts are so far away. I am joined by Heather Tully and Brittny Bailey today to talk about just that topic and together we offer the perspectives of a newer homeschool mom, one in the messy middle, and a mom who has graduated a few as we tackle the question: will Morning Time bear fruit?...

 Sometimes history texts can be a little dry and uninspiring, but what can homeschoolers do to bring history to life? My guest Amy Sloan eschews the textbooks altogether and simply uses real living books to teach history to her kids. Worried about how to make it happen? Amy breaks down how to do it, where to find the books, and some of the benefits that can come from taking a more interesting approach to history. For show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb111.

 Today I am joined by Jeanette Pascua, homeschool mom of four, who has always used a Morning Basket as preschool in her homeschool. Jeanette and I chat about how Morning Time is the perfect way to accomplish preschool goals of language development. We also chat about how Morning Time with preschoolers looks different when your preschool child is your oldest versus when he is your youngest child. Have a listen and tell us what you think. 

. It happens to all of us. We cozy up with our kids and a good book expecting a blissful Morning Time of family learning when all of a sudden, "He hit me!" erupts from the couch. How are we supposed to focus on truth, goodness, and beauty with bickering, punching, and yelling are going on in our living room? is it even worth the effort when all our kids want to do is duke it out in Morning Time? Let's get some strategies and talk about that very topic today with our guest Lynna Sutherland....

 One of the things I love is hearing about how other families work Morning Time into their homeschool days. How did they get started? What is their journeys like? Today on the podcast veteran homeschool mom Laney Homan is here to share here Morning Time story. She started about seven years ago and she keeps adapting Morning Time to meet her needs. Enjoy! For show notes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb108.

If your Morning Time has ever fizzled or you have felt daunted by the idea of starting back in a new semester, this is the episode for you. Dawn Garrett and I chat about getting over the hump of the semester break, how to prepare for the February blues, plus we introduce our brand new Morning Time Journal and planner that we are so excited to share with you. For shownotes and episode downloads, visit pambarnhill.com/ymb107.

 Have you ever felt like you were just stuck in a rut with Morning Time? It seems like you are just doing all the same old things and you can't shake things up and make them seem new again. We are talking about exactly that topic on today's episode of the podcast. I hope there is a pointer or two in here for you! Visit pambarnhill.com/ymb106 for show notes and episode downloads.