This Golden Hour

63. Comfortable in Your Own Skin with Tisha Calhoun

• Timothy Eaton

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In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Tisha Calhoun from North Carolina. Tisha shares her experience facilitating different educational paths for her kids, including public school, private school, and homeschooling, and she emphasizes the importance of parental involvement and customizing education to fit each child's unique needs. We discuss the flexibility homeschooling offers, especially during the high school years, and the benefits homeschooling can offer to both parents and children in terms of quality time and tailored learning experiences. Tisha offers valuable resources and advice for parents considering homeschooling, and she stresses the importance of asking questions and being involved in a child’s education, regardless of the education route people choose to take.

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Tisha Calhoun:

a big thing, which I think is probably true for all parents is it's super important for our kids to be comfortable in their own skin. That is like a value that we want them to feel. This is who I am. This is, you know, very comfortable because I feel like when you come from a place of I'm comfortable in my own skin, it's easier to live the life that you want to live without being concerned about other people

Timmy Eaton:

Hi, I'm Timmy Eaton, homeschool father of six and doctor of education. We've been homeschooling for more than 15 years and have watched our children go from birth to university successfully and completely without the school system. Homeschooling has grown tremendously in recent years and tons of parents are becoming interested in trying it out. But people have questions and concerns and misconceptions and lack the confidence to get started. New and seasoned homeschoolers are looking for more knowledge and peace and assurance to continue homeschooling. The guests and discussions on this podcast will empower anyone thinking of homeschooling to bring their kids home and start homeschooling. And homeschoolers at all stages of the journey will get what they need and want from these conversations. Thank you for joining us today and enjoy this episode of this Golden Hour Podcast as you exercise, drive, clean, or just chill. You're listening to this golden hour podcast. In today's episode, we get to spend time with Tisha Calhoun from North Carolina. Tisha shares her experience facilitating different educational paths for her kids, including public school, private school, and homeschooling. And she emphasizes the importance of parental involvement and customizing education to fit each child's unique needs. We discussed the flexibility homeschooling offers, especially during the high school years and the benefits homeschooling can offer to both parents and children in terms of quality time and Tisha offers valuable resources and advice for parents considering homeschooling, and she stresses the importance of asking questions and being involved in a child's education, regardless of the education route people choose to take. Welcome back to this golden hour podcast today. I'm excited because I get to reunite with a friend from college. So Tisha Calhoun is with us. I know her as Tisha Rudd, but thanks for being here, Tisha.

Tisha Calhoun:

I'm happy to be here. Thanks, Tim.

Timmy Eaton:

It's it's going to be weird to try to be anything formal, so I'm not even going to pretend. I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna talk to you. This is awesome. before we were starting right now, we hung out with She and her husband and a couple of kids for a half an hour. So we were just catching up, but why don't you tell everybody, just give a bio and where you're at and whatever you want to say about you and your family.

Tisha Calhoun:

Perfect. So I have been really enjoying this golden hour podcast, so it's exciting to be on it. So we live in North Carolina, right outside of Raleigh, and I have five kids, ages 18 down to nine. And they're doing all kinds of different. Schooling situations. I just a background. I do have a background in education. I have a master's degree in education. So thinking about learning and education has always been something that's been important to me. I have homeschooled a couple of my kids for different times, and we try to approach every year as a fresh new year. And what are we doing with schooling and education? That's a little bit about me and my family.

Timmy Eaton:

Awesome. Awesome. Yeah. In my memory, I just think of you as the most academic human. Cause I feel like you were like always studying when we were in Provo there.

Tisha Calhoun:

I do love learning. Absolutely. Still true. Much to my kids chagrin sometimes. We're not going to Disneyland on it. We're going to a national park. We're going to a historical site for vacation. So

Timmy Eaton:

it's to learn, man. It's to learn. That's so good. So tell us about I like the eclectic kind of way that you've gone about education. Tell, how did you come upon, what was your first exposure to homeschooling? Like, how did you get into that? And then what was the circumstance that you chose the route?

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah. I, when I was teaching middle school, I taught middle school back in, in Utah a long time ago. And after I had that experience, I don't know if it was sometime after that, I just had the feeling of Middle school is just a hard time. Kids are just going through a lot developmentally. And it felt to me as much as I love my kids, but it did feel like it's really hard to learn in this environment. So at that point I had in my head, I want to homeschool my kids for middle school. I don't know why I don't know. I honestly don't know where I got the idea. I don't remember. I just remember thinking like that'd be a good time to just homeschool them and so that's where the idea started and then fast forward we're living in North Carolina and like I said before, education is just Important part. My husband and I, one thing that was always important to us with our kids is just being really deliberate and having deliberate individualized Educative experiences for each of them. They're all very different. My husband and I are really different. And so genetically they come out really different temperaments, all of that. And so one thing that I had learned in graduate school, so I was interested when we moved to the North Carolina area was magnet schools, and I don't know how familiar people are with magnet schools, they're not really a thing all over, but magnet schools came out of the civil rights movement, and then it was a way to look. Instead of busing inner city kids out to the suburbs as a way to incentivize suburban kids to come into the inner city schools. And someone told us about magnet schools here in Raleigh. And so we started down that path, but always with the idea that I was gonna homeschool middle school

Timmy Eaton:

right

Tisha Calhoun:

when oldest got to fifth grade. So the end of. The elementary school, we toured the magnet middles just for fun. I wasn't planning on sending him. And after the tours, he said, mom, I really want to go to school. And that was really sad for me, but I felt that was the right choice for me at a specific school that he just fell in love with. And I felt like the right school for him. And so he went to school that year and it was. Fine. And I didn't, I just didn't think about it again. I, our daughter went actually to a different middle school because the, how old

Timmy Eaton:

was he at the time?

Tisha Calhoun:

Sixth grade.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh, okay.

Tisha Calhoun:

And then our daughter's a year younger and she chose a different middle school. So I homeschooling fell off our radar. And then the following year, our third grade son so we had talked about homeschooling a lot at home, but it was our third grade son. Probably around January of that year. I said, mom, I really want to homeschool next year. And I was like, Whoa, I didn't like we hadn't that wasn't a part of what I had approached. And so we talked about it a little bit. And so we said, okay, sure. So he homeschooled that year. And that was the year we ended up. So he was homeschooling. Covid

Timmy Eaton:

like when Covid happened. So it was like it was the fall of 2019

Tisha Calhoun:

nine. Yeah, exactly.

Timmy Eaton:

Or 2000. Yeah, 2000.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah. Thousand 19. And then COVID hit and so everybody came home and that was a really neat'cause we already were moving into that

Timmy Eaton:

Wow.

Tisha Calhoun:

Experience that was

Timmy Eaton:

convenient.

Tisha Calhoun:

I know it was very interesting, but like why

Timmy Eaton:

did he what was his thing? What why did at third grade, how did he even know to even desire that

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah, I know. It was really interesting. He is of all he is a very unconventional learner. He likes to do things a different way. I actually wish that he always homeschooled after that he, he did a year, he did two years because of that and COVID. And then he went back to school and actually he homeschooled again last year. Cause we thought it was the thing, but he wanted to go anyway. He's his plan is to go back to homeschooling sophomore year. Through, but we'll work that out. It's a wild ride.

Timmy Eaton:

That's so cool. No, say more about that. Cause that's interesting. Cause parents listening are like, one of the, one of the biggest fears is, in, in even sarin, I have this, like where are, at least for our family, like the idea of putting them in and out is like a hard thing, like it's it, especially because of the pull socially and everything else, how do you, how did, how have you navigated that with him?

Tisha Calhoun:

So I feel like the first time, so when I first pulled him out in third grade the school that we, that actually all of my kids went to elementary, we've loved the school. So another thing to back up, is when I was in grad school, and this was in New York City, I really felt. It was a really diverse environment and I love that. Like I felt like I learned more in that kind of environment than I'd ever learned in my life. Just hearing people's perspectives and differences that, and that's, that was a huge thing that drew us to the magnet schools was the diversity that our kids would get. And so the elementary school that all of my kids have gone to has just, it's been a great spot. And at this point, we've. My oldest is a senior. So we've had kids there. My youngest is still there now. So we've had kids there for 13 years and we know a lot of people there. We love, and so the principal, when I contacted them to say, we were going to pull out my third grader, like he called me right away, cause I sent an email and he said, Hey, I just want to make sure everything's okay. So he set up a meeting and we talked about it and he was very supportive.

Timmy Eaton:

Cool.

Tisha Calhoun:

Which was really great. And so I feel and then actually the next year, when when, that fall of 2020, when it was still COVID, my son just under him, who was now, then in fourth grade, he was really struggling with like the online. And so I met with the principal and he was totally fine. He said, it's a magnet school. So you have to save your seat. It's a lottery to get in and all of that. He's Oh, see for him, which was so nice. Like it was just very, we got a lot of support from the school. And I've always felt from the school that they really just want the kids to have what's best for them, which is

Timmy Eaton:

awesome to hear because that's not always the case. And so that is so cool to hear. And I feel like it's better, it's getting better that way. Like just more focus on what's best for this kid and what, what's the family deciding and then supporting that decision.

Tisha Calhoun:

Absolutely. So I feel like that empowered me. to feel like this is okay. It is okay. I should feel that anyway, but I, it was nice to go in feeling like that. I didn't have to have my backup that people were, cared about my kids and our family,

Timmy Eaton:

my thoughts go to how is it, a hard, the challenges for the kid going in and out cause the questions are just constant from the kids and kids. And I get it. Like people think it's funny that you're homeschooling and some kids don't care and others rip on it and just have fun with it. And I've seen the whole thing, obviously but how did he do with that going in and out? Or is he just like resilient and whatever.

Tisha Calhoun:

So he did struggle. So seventh grade, we um, that was more parent driven when we pulled him out. Um, Seventh grade, we just felt like. one of our, one of a big thing, which I think is probably true for all parents is it's super important for us, for our kids to be comfortable in their own skin. Like That is like a value that we want them to feel. This is who I am. This is, you know, very comfortable because I feel like when you come from a place of I'm comfortable in my own skin, it's easier to live the life that you want to live without being concerned about other people and developmentally. It's very normal in middle school for kids to start to. struggle with that. We hadn't seen that in our older two really. We saw that with our third and sixth grade and it was, we felt like something's the, this isn't the best situation. So we've decided to pull them home and we didn't really have a game plan, a long term game plan. We're like, we're just going to bring them home. And that ended up being the same year that my daughter decided to homeschool too. So then they were both home. But a funny story on that, my fourth started school at the same school. So everybody was asking him where Sam was,

Timmy Eaton:

tell

Tisha Calhoun:

your brother, he said, so we still, we can still joke about that. Everyone's wondering where Sam is. He didn't, he actually didn't go back to that school. So it's anyway

Timmy Eaton:

so then, so if I have it clear, so it was like, so how many times have is any, is anybody homeschooling right now?

Tisha Calhoun:

Annika is my, so my daughter, who's a junior in high school. So

Timmy Eaton:

she made that decision because we were talking previously because she's into violin and rowing and she wanted more attentive, more time for those activities that she's pursuing and excelling in and just didn't have the time to do that. And then, so that was how long has she been doing it consecutively? Oh, cool. And then your third son has done it a few, a couple of times or

Tisha Calhoun:

a couple of times. Yeah. Yeah. He's currently, so he's currently at a at a private school just here locally.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh, okay. Yeah. Cool. So like when you did, so then when you did homeschool or, and then I do want to get to the point where you're describing like what's going on, like, how do you guys, how do you do it basically with Annika, but like, how did you do it initially, like the first time when your son wanted to come home and then everybody came home for COVID, like, where did you find materials and like, how did you know what you were doing and where did you go for mentorship and support and that kind of stuff?

Tisha Calhoun:

When my son was a fourth grader, that year was and I've heard this on different podcasts too. You're doing a lot of reading and pulling from different things. And, we did math, we did some reading stuff. It was pretty, he was young. It was a chill year. We did a lot of nature stuff. He actually, there's a, I was just researching what was available because it was our first year.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah. I think of you like SAR that way. Like you would be, you'd be so good at do you know your Enneagram number by the way?

Tisha Calhoun:

No, I don't, but I have had people ask me that. I

Timmy Eaton:

have, I have assumptions, but SAR is like classic five, like total classic five. But anyway, We can get to that some other time.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah, I need to, I actually need to take the test. Cause I've had people ask me that before.

Timmy Eaton:

Be careful. Cause you'll probably get into it. Sara has been into it for three months, like deep which is totally Enneagram five.

Tisha Calhoun:

That's exactly what happens. Anything happens at our house. I am researching. That's

Timmy Eaton:

how I would assume that about you for sure.

Tisha Calhoun:

I tell Curtis, I'm like, we, I'm in the middle of a deep dive and he knows he's going to be hearing a lot about the title.

Timmy Eaton:

The title for a five is the investigator.

Tisha Calhoun:

Okay. That's me.

Timmy Eaton:

But you have to, but there's more to it. Like she's classic introvert too. And so I don't know if you're a classic introvert but I'm definitely

Tisha Calhoun:

an introvert. But I would say probably, I fake it well, because people are always surprised.

Timmy Eaton:

And that's Sarah too yeah, for sure. But anyway, carry on. So you were researching stuff, finding stuff, and just, and I like that you were, I like that you were chill, that it wasn't, you didn't feel like a bunch of stress and pressure?

Tisha Calhoun:

No, I think really I wanted to find, like I've said before, I or earlier, that I wanted to figure out, What was best for him? What's the best. So we found this it's called school of the wild and it was fantastic.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, I've heard of that.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah, it's homeschool program outdoors and it was once a week and he did that. And that was really fun because I remember dropping him off one day and it was like 30 degrees outside, which is cold in North Carolina. Nothing for Canada that it's cold in North Carolina.

Timmy Eaton:

30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tisha Calhoun:

And he was thrilled to be outside all day long, could care less, how cool. And he's just, the outdoors. He loves the outdoors.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, man.

Tisha Calhoun:

So that was really, it was fun to just figure out what he was into. And and it was a good year and then COVID hit, everybody came home. And there was a lot of, everybody experienced COVID. There was a lot of highs and lows with that for sure. Awesome. And then it was really terrible. But. My daughter, I guess, because that's kind of she decided to homeschool after she told you before, but The end of her freshman year. So she started high school and that was in 2021. So it was the first year that school was a little bit normal. North Carolina was pretty shut down for COVID. And she started that high school year and she is a classical violinist and she also rose competitively. And it was a lot and I started to, she also has ADHD and that takes her, things take her a lot longer to do more takes longer. And we started to see just that glaze. Probably around November in her face. And my husband and I were just like, this is

Timmy Eaton:

just like burning out kind of thing. Or burning

Tisha Calhoun:

out. Yeah. And we were really worried she wasn't getting enough sleep. She was just running. She just didn't seem like something was amiss. we just started talking to her a lot, having little conversations like, and she was feeling it for sure. And I feel like it was probably January, February, she just came to it. She is like. I don't want to give up my violin. I don't want to give up rowing. She's the only thing that we could try to give is school. And there's a lot of, there's not a lot of flexibility with the school day, unfortunately. So we looked at that and she's like, I want to homeschool. Which honestly, I was terrified because homeschooling a sophomore is different than a fourth grader. And so thankfully going back to, I've heard you talk about this in other podcasts. I have a great friend who has been a fantastic mentor. So I called her immediately. Onika, different than me, like she just goes with a feeling and she's just good.

Timmy Eaton:

So

Tisha Calhoun:

I'm freaking out. Like I really want to do this. I don't know how to do this. I've never done this before. And she's you're gonna be great mom.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh, that's so cool.

Tisha Calhoun:

You've got this. Which is reassuring but also terrifying so I called my friend that lives in Chapel Hill so she lives close and I said. Bye bye. I told her that Anika wanted to homeschool and she's let's meet for lunch. And so we met for lunch two times and she laid everything out what she had done. She has three daughters to her out of the house. Now she's got one left that have gone all the way through homeschooling.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah.

Tisha Calhoun:

And and after the second lunch, I felt This is going to be, this is going to be fine. Like I felt enough to like, let's do this. And withdrew her from school that summer. And so she started homeschooling the beginning of last year. And by the end of the year, of course, the beginning is hard and there's a learning curve. But that's one of my biggest things. I know you've talked about high school and I really tell people, I'm like, it is honestly not that hard to homeschool high school. It is a fantastic option.

Timmy Eaton:

It is. And it's intimidating at first. And I totally get why. Cause you, you think of all the things you did in high school and all the stuff and getting ready for post secondary or career or whatever, but then as soon as you get into it, you I guess the longer you're into it, you just chill. I'm probably too much the other way now because I'm like, ah, whatever, pull them out. It'll be fine. But I have to be, empathetic to like, or sympathetic to what people are feeling because it is intimidating because you're like, what's gonna happen, especially this late in the game or something, but it's really not that late in the game.

Tisha Calhoun:

No. What did you guys

Timmy Eaton:

do? What did you end up doing? Like as far as, To study. And like, how did you organize stuff and what did you decide that to, to emphasize and whatever?

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah. So once again, you've said this a million times on the podcast, but we did exactly the, look at the end goal and then work backwards.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah.

Tisha Calhoun:

So she her top college choice is UNC Chapel Hill, which is a really highly selective school. So that's a little, daunting a bit. So I went and met with the admissions people and told them what we were doing. They said, this is what we look for, which was really helpful. And, she knows that we're going to have some plan B's as well, but if we're shooting for the plan A, like this is what we need to do.

Timmy Eaton:

How did you get the idea to go meet with the admissions? Was that somebody's suggestion? My friend has common sense, but it like, it, it like evades the majority of us. Cause we just go like, how did, what do people do in this situation? But it's just ask. Just ask them.

Tisha Calhoun:

Exactly. Yeah. So she's been, incredibly helpful. Like it just, cause she's done it before she went through the process. She actually. One of those first lunches, she brought her her daughter's transcript, how she did that, how she like wrote out all the class. She brought everything that she, her oldest daughter's at UNC Chapel Hill. Her second daughter is finishing up a gap year and then it's going to be. So they didn't have a

Timmy Eaton:

diploma.

Tisha Calhoun:

They, so you have a transcript. It's not like a diploma, but you have a transcript from your home.

Timmy Eaton:

Right. But UNC does not require like a trans or like a diploma from from it's funny when you read certain books, they give this the term accredited. And it is like, when you read about that accredited is like the loosest. If that's a word, the loosest word ever when it comes to because it, it depends state to state, but people love if you use the word accredited, Oh dude you are so important but it's so depends on the state and their requirements. So it is like very it is not a universal thing at all. And so I'm just, I'm curious about UNC. How did, what did they require?

Tisha Calhoun:

So you need a transcript and and then you also need a record of a detailed explanation of each class and what that looks like. So that will say so you do need, like what books did you study as a part of that class, what the class was called, how much time that you spent on it on each of the classes. So that's a part of that. And, we haven't written the transcript yet. We'll be doing that. I do have part of it. I try to update it every semester, but, I haven't written descriptions yet. There, there's so many. Resources though that make it easy. So we've done we had, there's a lady actually in Chapel Hill that teaches a bunch of classes in person once a week, and then you do the work. So she did three classes. She did Spanish and AP psychology and then British literature with her last year,

Timmy Eaton:

which is

Tisha Calhoun:

and that's with other kids. So she goes once in person once a week, and then she would do the work during the week. We've also, she's this year, she's doing American literature with her. Which is an AP literature.

Timmy Eaton:

And what is the, what is she through this lady? What is she through?

Tisha Calhoun:

It's her own thing. That's her own. She's like independent contractor, which you're seeing a lot of people do that, which is great. So she has her own credentials. And one thing that's interesting. So this year, actually I'm teaching AP U S history. So I got certified through the college board, which is not a difficult process. So you can become AP certified through the college board so that you can put that designation on your child's transcript.

Timmy Eaton:

What's the college board?

Tisha Calhoun:

The college boards who's runs all of the AP, the advanced placement classes, and that's in

Timmy Eaton:

the, that's across the U S wow. So you're accredited or whatever you're certified to do that to any student.

Tisha Calhoun:

Wow. Which is really neat. So then I have access to all of their resources as well online. And I have an AP classroom, just like Adley, my son's high school teacher does at the public high school that he goes to.

Timmy Eaton:

I love it.

Tisha Calhoun:

It's amazing. It's amazing. These things that you uncover as you do it. Yeah, that that's a little, I guess that's a little added thing that I didn't know that I've learned through the process.

Timmy Eaton:

And that's your thing, man, us history.

Tisha Calhoun:

Oh, it's awesome. It's the best. And I already told her, I'm like, next year we're doing AP US government, because this, it's so fun. So that's the only class I actually teach her that, you know and it's, our family. That's our requirement. As we're. I love history. So doing history is just a part of our family culture. So it's really fun to do the, to be able to do that together. Have you

Timmy Eaton:

guys looked into for Annika and whoever else might do it? Just dual enrollment. Has she looked into that?

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah. So that's another thing I was going to say, North Carolina, and I know this is state by state, but North Carolina has a thing called college and career promise. Which, what that means, and they do this at the public high school as well. So when you're a junior and senior in high school. school, you take classes at the local community colleges for free and their direct transfer, like any North Carolina university will accept the credit from them. So you take it

Timmy Eaton:

for free

Tisha Calhoun:

or free. Yes.

Timmy Eaton:

That's so cool.

Tisha Calhoun:

It's amazing. So a lot of the public high schools are doing this where you have to take two classes at the high school and then you can take two classes at the community college. So that, so dual enrollment has become a really common thing. I'm sure they're getting more and more every year as the homeschool student, you have the same privileges. So registered at the community college here in Wake County is where we're at. And so she does the dual enrollment classes as well. And we'll get the college credit. So my son, that's the one that the third son that's homeschooled a couple of times, is his planet. Sophomore year, he wants to homeschool because he wants to get his associates done

Timmy Eaton:

before.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yes.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh, that is so cool. So that makes sense why he's planning that. Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah, no, that's, we ran that by him and his eyes lit up cause he's thinking, then I only have two years of college and that is really exciting to me.

Timmy Eaton:

That's awesome. Oh, I love that. I can't, if there, if I if I were to sum up our talk so far, it's I like the combination of like deliberate parent involvement is what you guys have done, but then the truly open to the options of education, this idea of one size fits all, or there's one way to do it. Like the majority still think that way. The majority still think Oh, there's just one way. And that's changing. But, and that's why you've heard me say it on a ton of these episodes. Homeschooling doesn't really fit because that's not really what it is. And it depends on, if somebody said what's traditional homeschooling, some people would say it's where the parent it's parent led, but that could look so different in people's different family circumstances. And so what you've been saying is so much like you've been uncovering the options and then discovering things just your own certification with the college board. There's so many ways to go about this. And the principle is learning and living and it's unique to every family.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah, no, absolutely. Absolutely. And that, and I think that's the thing too, is that there's so many options that you can tailor your kids education with homeschool. So for example, one thing that we found through the To the community college. So my daughter wants to, she wants to be a physical therapist. So she wants to major in exercise science and also do music. But she can become a personal trainer, get a certificate in personal training through the community college. So she's also taking those classes because she thinks it would be personal training while she's in college to get some hands on skills where my son, who's the eighth grader, He saw that you can get like an entrepreneurship certificate at the community college, along with your associates. And he was excited about that because he wants to go into, he wants to start his own business. That's more his thing, which is so neat. And sure, you can do some of those classes at the public school, but you don't have the time or flexibility to do all of them. Like it just don't. Yeah.

Timmy Eaton:

So he's in eighth grade, you're third. So what did you and Curtis do to have them thinking about stuff like this early? Like, when I was in, when I was at, when I was a freshman in university, I, I didn't have these thoughts going on. Like, Honestly, I didn't. My sister, Jenny, seriously did my, she totally created my first semester. At BYU, like she just made my and did all my classes like I was that clueless is it just that you guys have been talking about this stuff with their, with your kids, just that's just how they grew up kind of thing, or like, how do they know to even think about these things at this stage?

Tisha Calhoun:

First of all, I was gonna say, Tim, that's because you're at the end of the family. That's exactly Curtis's situation.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh, yeah.

Tisha Calhoun:

His sister like helped him do his application, totally registered him. Which may happen with Truman, our youngest, who knows, but when all these opinions come in I

Timmy Eaton:

doubt it though, because they've probably been exposed to these discussions. It's the same thing with like finance. I didn't even know what a mortgage was or how it worked because our family didn't talk about that stuff. And so like families that are constantly talking about, that kind of thing. And I find that with homeschool families, and I know this isn't like unique to homeschool families, but it's common among them. Is this the learning that takes place just in family discussions, whether it's about subject material or just life. And I always say the economy of the home, like what's going on with finances and I imagine that's similar to what you, but what would you say? Like, how why do Anika and your other kids, how do they know to look into this stuff ahead of time?

Tisha Calhoun:

I think probably so when I was little, my grandpa would like when you're eight years old, you have this talk with your grandpa and he would you sit down and all I remember it was like a circle that he drew out on a piece of paper and he said, this is like a wheel. Your life is like a wheel and it needs to always be in balance. And he drew like four quadrants and he's these are your four areas of your life and spiritual intellectual, physical and social. And if one is flat, then your will is going to not go right. And he taught us about each all of his grandkids how to set goals with those four quadrants. Quadrant. So I've done it ever since. So with our kids, it's we started really young, like setting the goals. And we actually usually do it twice a year because it's like January, but then we always end up doing it in like August at the beginning of the school year kind of thing, and then talking about it. So I think that's where it started because when you're, you're setting the goals you're talking about, and as they get older, you want your goals to be. Directed towards bigger goals, like what you're, what you want to learn, what are you most interested in? What are your strengths? What do you see as some of your talent? So I think it probably starts in just those little conversations with goal setting and then like prodding them a little bit more on that because they can easily go Oh, I want to, my nine year old, I want to run faster. It's

Timmy Eaton:

just

Tisha Calhoun:

basic. I want to have a friend over every week or, it's like desert. But then you start to tap in a little bit what do you see as your strengths and your gifts? And and then talking about those, because you see those as a family. And we, I think we talk about them a lot, probably because and this is probably to, in every household, you said this, but you and Sarah, it's like, Curtis and I are so different. So the fact that we're bringing different strengths and weaknesses, so good for them. Yeah. And everybody sees that they have to, it's a known thing. And then when you tie that to like your interest and what do you see yourself doing? Just a lot of conversations, I think.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah. Yeah. I, I had a, I had an interview earlier this week and I was, I noticed is this and the point that this person brought up was, she was saying, it's nice to do that thing where like you and I've talked about starting with the end in mind and going, okay, I'm likely to pursue this in a career or studies or whatever. But the fact is a lot of kids aren't there with they're seriously like, Yeah, I might like math and science over English and reading or something like that, but kids are so unique. And so the, her point was, and it was a good point, like you, you can't always do that with every kid because they don't know exactly what they want to do. In fact, probably the majority don't. And so beginning with the end in mind, I don't think it's futile, but I think it's difficult. And so what we came to, and I was just, I want to get your thoughts on this, but we came to the idea that. The cool thing about either homeschooling or, parent led type involvement with their kid's education is the emphasis on how to learn and the love of learning. And so if, even if kids don't know exactly what they're going to pursue or even have an idea. Our job as parents is to help the kids really love learning and know how to learn, especially in a world like we have now, it changes so quick, you've got technology and all this, all these concerns. So they need to know how to learn and they need to love learning or else, because the kid that's what I love about Anika's story, because it struck me when she said, no, I was rowing and I was doing violin and I wasn't getting the time I needed with that. And she on her own volition was going. I'm going to, what's the other option? Let me homeschool so I can have more time with that. See, to me, even just that awareness at that age is huge for the future. Cause she, she's self aware. And so anyway what do you think about that?

Tisha Calhoun:

No, I think that, I think you're absolutely right. That's a huge thing is just the world is changing so much. There's probably jobs that some of my kids will do that aren't even

Timmy Eaton:

invented

Tisha Calhoun:

or jobs that they may be interested in. That are going to be obsolete by the time they get there. So I think you're absolutely right. That it's just so much of it is learning and then having the grit and the problem solving skills to, to adapt and to flex and to there, and I'm trying to remember who it was, but I, I read a lot of random books for fun. It was like a book that we need to adapt. I mean, There's so much, you've heard this a million times, like the way that our schooling structure is so outdated. Like it's just, So outdated and we're not focusing on the things that we really need. There's a big, like 21st century skills, like that's a giant thing right now, but it's such a behemoth that I just don't think it's going to change. And then here are my kids. Not anytime

Timmy Eaton:

quickly.

Tisha Calhoun:

Not quick enough for my kids. So I feel like we have to be actively engaged in helping our kids and making sure they're getting the learning. So some of the things that struck me is really, it was like, instead of the three R's, we need the five C's and I'm going to forget the five C's, but it was like communication, creative problem solving. I'm trying to remember. Community maybe?

Timmy Eaton:

I don't know.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah, I was like, I can't even remember. But a lot of it was like basically. Critical

Timmy Eaton:

thinking is for sure.

Tisha Calhoun:

That was it. That was definitely the C. I should have looked it up beforehand. But so it changed the way that I Think about the skills that my kids are getting. And some of it depends on their personality and their interests. I'm like, do they know how to speak? Do they know how to engage with someone else? Do they know how to write well like, you know, these things that, because writing is really a demonstration of their thinking in so many ways and how they. So just thinking about rethinking education, I feel like and being deliberate about that is probably the most important thing because then hopefully, and then the critically thinking and problem solving that when they go into the workforce they'll be able to adapt. I also think, one thing that I always say with my kids is it's not really about finding the right door, it's about knowing which doors to shut. So just things like. When I passed out in seventh grade, when we're dissecting frogs, that was assigned to me, the medical field was not suited for me. And it really sucks. So I shut a whole bunch of doors right there, which is totally fine. I was happy to shut those doors, not where I needed to go down, but it saves me time. So as a 12 or 13 year old, I know, yeah, that whole giant area is not what I'm interested in, so then I narrow down a bunch of other areas. So like shutting doors instead of Just trying to find one door.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah. Yeah, no that's wisdom. And again, everyone can do that differently. Cause that might be one experience if you completely shut it and you could have been this crazy doctor, I don't know. But I do, I get what you're saying. You do, you have to make decisions and you have to and you have to move on. I was interviewing a guy recently, his name is Nephi Zufelt. And I loved the interview. he said that. Teaching skills is important, but he said skills have a, an expiration date. He's cause if you know how to do, something with a computer or whatever a specific program, it could be obsolete. Soon thereafter, and his, so his whole thing was to focus on principles of learning so that it can be adapted to any any situation, but I, so it was interesting just to hear oh, yeah, like they, they might have an expiration date. And so we need to equip kids with abilities to learn. And like you said, adapt and flex. Oh, man, I like the direction. So your situation is unique in that you've got kids in school, in different kinds of schools and then homeschooling, what would you say is, what are the challenges posed with that kind of different situation? What would you say is the biggest or the biggest challenges with that type of situation? Because there's people in those types of situation for sure.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yes. So it is nuts. So sometimes I'm like, man, we're, when I listen to your podcast, I'm like, we are not the stereotypical homeschooling family, everybody's home. And sometimes, Curtis and I have this running joke basically since COVID because there was a lot of that time that we. Really loved in the beginning, everybody just being buckled down and we're like, when are we going to go off the grid?

Timmy Eaton:

I know.

Tisha Calhoun:

It's just, it's tough, right? Because you have so many, there's seven people in our house with different, interests and things. So it is, it definitely requires, we have a Sunday planning session every Sunday. We question all the time, like Curtis and I are like, okay, what are we doing? And like I said, it's like. All right, year by year. Like I used to, I felt like I used to feel like, Oh, okay. This is the path that we're going to be on for the next 18 years. And I don't feel like that anymore. Yeah. It feels like every year. Okay. So what's best for for our kids. And we just, we actually just barely found out that it wasn't a surprise. I knew before, but our. Our youngest has dyslexia, which is okay. So that's so we've been doing a deep dive. I've been doing a deep dive into that right now, but, and that's probably going to adapt hugely what that means for his schooling and what that's going to look like. Yeah, it is a lot. I feel like we always go back to, it was really important to us in the beginning to make sure that each individual kid was getting what they got. And we have a lot of conversations about that. And sometimes at the expense of, Curtis and I have to connect and make sure that we're getting, keeping track of everybody.

Timmy Eaton:

Yes.

Tisha Calhoun:

But we feel good this year of what we did this year. Yeah,

Timmy Eaton:

no, it's awesome.

Tisha Calhoun:

And

Timmy Eaton:

you're like you said yeah, there might be this idea of what is a stereotypical, but man, I'm just finding every family so unique and it is hard to compartmentalize because everyone's situation is different. We come at it with different personalities and different priorities. One of the things that I talk about a lot is. Is if I was starting with a family and I was talking to them about getting into their thing about homeschooling, I would just really spend the first bit talking about their purposes and their priorities and their family, what do they care about the most and what do they care about in their lifestyle and their learning and then go from there and then let that family customize their own plan because it's hard. It's hard. There's such a different situation. Kids are different. Oh what have you seen specifically as challenges to the homeschooling, like what, like specifically to that, what are the, what's the hardest part?

Tisha Calhoun:

I think, yeah. So one of the hardest part is when kids are resistant, I think that is really hard, navigating that. So my daughter, it's been. Difficult in the way of figuring out everything, but it's been easy in the way that she's very driven. This is what she wants to do and and she chose it. And so that it's been very much like easy in that way. Like she's, we joke, cause I, I'll be like, Oh, are you on track with that? And then she's mom, so I drive her crazy. She's does her own thing and it's really been great. But my son that we pulled out a little bit, like he was pretty resistant. The 7th grade year, 4th grade year is fantastic. The 7th grade year. It was really, it was he's going

Timmy Eaton:

through some changes too, man.

Tisha Calhoun:

Absolutely. We decided to send it back in eighth grade. He's at a private school. That's here. That's very small and structured and he's been doing really well and he's been learning good skills. But like I said, he's now planning sophomore year. He's, he sees that there's another option. So I feel like that's good. So I feel like the hardest thing is when kids are. Resistant and not on board. That makes it

Timmy Eaton:

hard.

Tisha Calhoun:

We've tried lots of things, but I don't have great answers for that, but I think that's hard.

Timmy Eaton:

No, it just is. And that's, and it's good for people to hear that so they can go, okay, this isn't like this. I'm not crazy. This is this is hard for everybody. It really is. What about benefits? What would you say? What would you say are the benefits that you are most grateful for in choosing that option for those that have homeschooled?

Tisha Calhoun:

Oh, I feel like the flexibility, the time together is really awesome. Especially. That's the thing with the high school too. We haven't done too much in the younger, which I think would be great and fun in its own way. And, our experiences in fourth grade was great, but they get so busy in high school and they're, even when they just think of their driver's license and they're just so independent, it's Fun to see them a lot. So I've really enjoyed that. I think the time together is really awesome and it's helped build our relationship.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, no, I, and that definitely, it resonates that was our initial reason when it started. Like, I mean, Sarah's. Sara is, well when she, I mean homeschooling did not come across my mind at all until Sara said, So are we, we like sending Jane to school? She's six, like she's gonna go all day? And she was just like, No I like having her here and we're doing stuff with the other kids. And so it was definitely about time and it still continues to be our number one reason. And then there's been tons of other reasons since, we've been doing it for, we've been doing it 16 years, but I wanted to shift a little bit and then I'm mindful of the time. So I just want to start winding down, but What would you say, just like rapid fire, what are some resources that you're like, Oh, that was, this is a great resource or like a website, a blog a particular book even, or a curriculum, like anything like that, that you would suggest for anybody and everybody knows like people are people. Sarah's whole thing is she takes a look at it. Does it fit our style? And then, discards and then keeps whatever she wants and and melds that into what we do. But what would you say for you guys?

Tisha Calhoun:

So we have done Derek Owens, who is on, he does online and in person. He's out of Atlanta, and he does math and science classes. So Anika did physics with him last year, and then she did. And she also did Algebra II, and then she did Precalculus, and she says he's like the best. So I haven't even

Timmy Eaton:

heard of him. That's so cool, man. I want to maybe have to reach out.

Tisha Calhoun:

I got his name from, I think, two people that I talked to, and they both were like, Oh yeah, Derek Owens is awesome. So he, if you're in Atlanta. He's

Timmy Eaton:

out of Atlanta?

Tisha Calhoun:

So he does in person classes in Atlanta, and then he does online. So anyone could access them and it's like videos. So he has videos of the lessons. It's like Khan Academy style that you submit, you actually, you do the work and then you then you scan it and you email it to him and then he grades it and sends it back, which is really nice. So it's a great second, I'm not a math science person. So it's nice to have somebody else that's grading their work. So he's great. I've heard great things about blue tent. They're actually out of North Carolina, but that's also online classes. And they do they do a bunch of different subjects, but Anika's plan on doing anatomy physiology with them next year. And we've heard great things. Say

Timmy Eaton:

the name again, it's blue tent.

Tisha Calhoun:

Blue tent. Cool. Blue tent. And I can send you like the links.

Timmy Eaton:

No, we'll put this stuff in the show notes for sure.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah. And then AP homeschoolers, which I know a lot of people are familiar with their stuff. I know people have already referenced this before, but IEW The writing curriculum has been Monica started that this year and we actually have an in person place where they teach it, which has been great. And she's, this is her first year doing it. And I, all of my younger kids are going to do it now because she's it's been so great. So that's been a great resource. I'm trying to think

Timmy Eaton:

do you guys get into read alouds ever?

Tisha Calhoun:

So we have always done that because when we, when my younger kids went to school at the magnet school in Raleigh, that's what we would do to and from school. So we read so many books. I still like E. B. White reading Trumpet of the Swan. We have to do that every few years because it's so good. We love read alouds.

Timmy Eaton:

What's your, this is this is random, but what's your, because I just know how into books you are. What's like your favorite book recently? What book are you excited about?

Tisha Calhoun:

So I just read Lisa Miller's The Awakened Brain and it was really good. It's all about, it's called The Awakened Brain and it's about the, she's a Columbia professor. That's where you went. Yes. Yes. And she has done a lot of research on the brain in relation to spirituality and the impact that a strong spiritual core has on people. And it's fantastic. Like

Timmy Eaton:

has on like brain health type thing or?

Tisha Calhoun:

As on mental health. So they've done, yeah, so that, that's a great book. That's funny because I

Timmy Eaton:

just finished a book by Jim Quick Limitless. Have you read that one?

Tisha Calhoun:

No, I'll write it down.

Timmy Eaton:

Limitless. It was excellent. And I loved it. I just finished it last week and thought it was great. And then what about with your kids? Do you have, do they have favorite books or like books that you've, like you, you mentioned E. B. White, any others that you're like, Oh man, such a good book to read with your kids?

Tisha Calhoun:

There's, yeah, there's, I know,

Timmy Eaton:

I know when I put people on the spot, it's like, there's like a million, but

Tisha Calhoun:

I always go to,

Timmy Eaton:

I always go to like little britches for us, like the little britches series. I don't know. I've never

Tisha Calhoun:

read that one. I have not read that one.

Timmy Eaton:

And I just have the ones it's probably because they're the ones I read aloud to the kids. I probably love anything. Those are the ones I read, there was like a season where I would read aloud to the kids at night, every night. And I dunno, once they hit high school, they ruin the flow like kids but just cause when they're all little biscuits, like 13 and under, it's just Oh, you can, like when we lived in Edmonton, we had a log house up there at one of the houses that we had up there, like we moved three times, but, and in the upper floor was just this big room. And so all six kids just were in the same room. So there are what my favorite children's book is seven silly eaters. I don't know if you've read that but Oh, it's so good. But it reminded me of that cause they were all in the same room and it was like, we were fulfilling with that book. We just didn't have well, actually we had a little pond. We didn't have a lake, but anyway.

Tisha Calhoun:

That's so awesome. Yeah, I, we used to call it when the kids were all little, we would call it snuggle stories. And it was always like the afternoon thing and they would get a big stack and Truman will still do it now. And sometimes Ezra will come in, but you have an

Timmy Eaton:

Ezra too. Cool.

Tisha Calhoun:

Yes, my 12 year old's Ezra.

Timmy Eaton:

Awesome. And he's 12. Oh,

Tisha Calhoun:

really?

Timmy Eaton:

Ezra just turned 12 in January.

Tisha Calhoun:

That is awesome. Yeah, our Ezra was 12 in June. So they're close in age. That's so fun.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh.

Tisha Calhoun:

So they'll sometimes they'll come in but we'd get like a whole stack and we do snuggle stories and it's the best so we one thing that I try to do I've tried to build up my sister in law her mom actually and then she inherited it and then I've just modeled it but she has the most amazing children's book collection like all these amazing children's books so for the last like You 15, 18 years. I'll just go see. And she sets them up for every holiday, seasonal, whatever, and gets them out. And so I would just, get whatever books she had because she had some great treasures. So right now we have it's the president's day. So we have a bunch of, there's Abe Lincoln. Yeah. Children's books that we try to read according to the season. It's also black history month. So I pull out all of those ones and But yeah,

Timmy Eaton:

Sarah does that a lot too in themes like and like we are classic. I just picked up a load of books for her today. And it's just it's almost it's not embarrassing, but I'm definitely self conscious a little bit because I'm like, I'm bringing in like a bucket of books and then I take a bucket of books out like it and it's every time and the librarians are always mad at us because we have fines. And anyway, but we have, we've had so many fines waived. Sorry. Sorry. I was like, they shouldn't give fines. Like I'm using the library. I don't know. She's I don't want to hear about it. I had a couple more. I wanted to ask you, I have a ton, one that just occurred to me. I just, and you can say whatever you want on this, but what has been like your guys philosophy on screens and like screen time and stuff like that? Like, how have you navigated that with your kids, especially in the different, they're all in different kind of arenas, right? You have so your oldest is in school.

Tisha Calhoun:

He's in a public high school here in Apex. And

Timmy Eaton:

then, and then it goes Annika that is homeschooled and then everybody else, and then a private school. Yeah.

Tisha Calhoun:

And then a private school. And then the youngest two are in a Magnus or in Magnus school.

Timmy Eaton:

Okay, cool. Wow. That, that, that's such a range. So yeah. How have you done, how have you dealt with screens, technology, that kind of stuff? Yeah,

Tisha Calhoun:

yeah. So we have I, I would say like one thing is we have a strong family culture of this is, and like I said before, a huge thing for Curtis and I is like helping you just feel comfortable in your own skin. And so part of that is there's just things that we do and don't do in our family. And that's just the way our family does it. And of course we talked about it, but it's just the way that our family does it. Our Anika and Adley both have a phone, but neither of them have internet on it or social media or anything like that, it's just like a phone so they can text and call. And are they pretty

Timmy Eaton:

cool with that?

Tisha Calhoun:

Yeah, they've been great with it. And a big thing is it's, we've always It's our phone. This is a tool to use and it's very open. Like you can access it and they know that. And it's been, it's actually been, we haven't really had problems. So we don't have any video game machine. Any like video, we've never done that. I just feel like there's a time. Yeah. Never really with Onik. I think girls are different, but I feel like there was like a small time. I don't even remember too much with Adley, but definitely like our third that was like, Oh, why don't we have video games probably like in fifth grade. And they were like, Oh, we'll do that. And then I'm like, You're at a friend's house. You can play that. And then it just they're just busy. Like they do sports, they all do sports and they all do music. And that's one thing we've said, I'm like, when do we have like time where we're just sitting around and wondering man, I really wish we had something to do. It really is

Timmy Eaton:

what you make time for because and to each his own it's just, but cause some, like even some couples that were really good friends with, their thing is like at night, they just watch their show or whatever. And. And it's just that just never has been a, again, it's not a better or worse thing. It's just, that's just, has not been our thing. And so unless you make time for that kind of thing, your time's filled up with other things. And but again, I have my own biases, but I'm just, I'm really glad that hasn't been a part of our, Life either. I just feel like that's, it just introduces other potential issues, the gaming thing and stuff like that. So we just taken on not a hard line, but just a clear one. There's just never been an option. This has never been, and we've never had a television in our home. Which is annoying when we watch movies, cause we're always looking at a computer. They've actually been such good sports. We'll go to an Airbnb and that's like where they get there. They're like, Oh, sweet. Like a TV.

Tisha Calhoun:

We do watching family movies and we have very like. Like with all of that, I wouldn't say maybe in some ways, like we care about good films. So it's pretty like deliberate. We want to watch something that's a good movie and that we've, that's interesting and has something not like cotton candy. That's like my thing. You don't want something to just

Timmy Eaton:

Charlotte Mason calls it twaddle. And I think I always use, I always refer to it as bubblegum. Yeah, we're not doing bubblegum stuff, man. There's too much good stuff out there.

Tisha Calhoun:

The same with books too. Yeah. Yes.

Timmy Eaton:

And music too.

Tisha Calhoun:

And music. Absolutely. And we haven't been

Timmy Eaton:

awesome about that with our kids because they get, they'll like, anyway, it's funny. We have my, our next door neighbor is one of my best friends. And our kids are very the same. Like he lives on three acres over there. We live on three acres right here. And his, there's kids have this old Corolla, which is actually what I drive right now. I've had a Corolla for 10 years, a 99 Corolla. I love it, but they have this old Corolla. They just drive around their field car. And so the kids will hear like all the radio tunes on there. And I'm like, where'd you get, how do you know the words to the song? Anyway, but my message is always there's so much good stuff, man. Why spend time with the stuff that's mediocre and stuff. Anyway, but

Tisha Calhoun:

it's true. Yeah. Yeah, no, actually my my oldest, which was great. He did a a speech class this year and last year with this. Those teachers that you're just So grateful. He's a great mentor. He's been teaching for 30 years and he's just awesome. So he got at the speech with this teacher. And one of his speeches that he did was like, how to have good taste, really great talking about, music and film and just, all fashion and all of that, of just like having to be thoughtful and something that you're deliberate once again,

Timmy Eaton:

I remember my first, when I was my first semester at university and I took this humanities class and it was like the first time I had been exposed to this type of thing, like classical music and independent films. And I was just like, I, that, that had the most lasting effect on me just to slow down. And it taught me like, Oh here's what big, box office stuff is, but And here's an independent film. I remember watching several of them and going to the opera and it was like, so enriching, man I like came away that first semester, I felt like I had been educated. Like it was just, it was awesome. So good. So maybe another question is about your counsel. And a lot of time I, you probably have noticed as I'll say, what is your counsel for newer homeschool families or people, but maybe what I would, how I would tweak that for you, Tisha is to say, what would be your counsel to just parents in making decisions about the education of their children?

Tisha Calhoun:

I would say I'm trying to think of the best way to to say this, but that I feel like, and so I'm not going to give a succinct answer here, Tim, but

Timmy Eaton:

a

Tisha Calhoun:

lot of people, I see, it seems like a lot of people assume that, okay, my kid needs education. I'm sending them to the school. They're going to get educated. And like anything, when you have, when your expectations are different from reality, there's going to that's not a good place to be. I feel remember that as that it's as your parent like it's really in your hands like your kids education what they're going to get out of it is really in your hands and the home really matters more than the school in so many ways like what you're doing at home, how you're reaching out at home and then how you're Even working with the school, if you choose to school or whether you, what school you choose, or whether you choose to do it in your own home, like it's really the parents that matter and the family culture, that's going to make the difference with your kid and their education.

Timmy Eaton:

Oh, no, that is so well said. And I love that. It just resonates because like you said if you, I guess if I were to give one message and I did this in my defense of my dissertation as well, like it's not necessarily about getting Disciples for a particular way of educating. It's more about, do you know the options? And then are you deliberately choosing the option? So if you know the options and you choose a particular school or public school, whatever. That's fine. That's your choice as a family and as parents and with your, with your kids, but I just want people to know the options like in that, I I wanted to go to a local post secondary institutions and just say, Hey, can I just teach a course on just the options? Because I don't think people know that there's those options. And if you, and if, and it's a bummer to go, What? Like afterwards, Sarah's mom, for example, if she really would have known more about homeschooling and how she would have definitely done that. It's weird. Cause like all 18 of her grandkids are being homeschooled right now. And she's I w I wanted to have done that. It just totally matched their lifestyle. Her dad worked shift work up North and in Alberta and anyway, but know the options make a deliberate choice. And so I love what you said too. I appreciate that. I'll give you, yeah, go ahead.

Tisha Calhoun:

I'd say and just, question, be okay to question anything. So if you're choosing the public school, that's fine but question what's going on, question the classes and be involved. Yeah. Not any way. Like we've had fantastic experiences with the school and they're good people. The teachers are good people, not in any way that you're creating conflict but just know what you're getting. So for example one thing that, that we've definitely. In our house is like we have summer reading, like we have a sign reading that they read in the summer that I come up with that's like classic books because they're not getting enough of that in the public schools for sure. So like they do that at home. And so that's worked out. Okay. And sometimes they read a book and then they get it again in school a couple of years later. And I'm like, Hey, this is great. Reading a book a second time, you get new insights.

Timmy Eaton:

Totally.

Tisha Calhoun:

So be okay with being a part of your kids education outside of school at home and question what's what's happening at school and to determine what is best for your child and ask them questions too. Yes.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah, awesome. So good. So the last thing I'll ask you and then I'll give you the final word to after you respond to it is Like when you tune in what's your favorite stuff to listen to what do you what are you like? Oh, dude, I love hearing this kind of stuff because it benefits me or what do you look forward to what kind of either topics? Or Guests, what do you like?

Tisha Calhoun:

I have liked a lot of them for lots of different reasons. So I like the variety. I really liked and I forgot her name, but it was the professor at temple university.

Timmy Eaton:

Yes. I'm a

Tisha Calhoun:

Masama. Yeah, she was fantastic. And I liked that. She talked about balancing work and home. And I love that she talked about she felt like this was the right option for her kids and they figured out a way to do it. That is just. And I feel like with how our society is now, so many people can work from home and so many people, there's ways to do it in different times. And I love sharing the flexibility and I'd like lots of different stories, but it is so nice to hear the unique ways that people have worked it out. So you can say, Oh, it's not just one thing. And you have to have it this way in order to homeschool that there's really lots of different ways you can do it.

Timmy Eaton:

Cool. I you just mentioned Black History Month and that she'd be a great one because she she's in Africology and, and uh, African American Studies and then African American Homeschooling. But she was so pleasant to talk to, man. I, that was such an enjoyable, she was, and she was coming from Guadalupe and I And I spent two years in the Dominican Republic and it just in the background, I was like, this looks like where I was. And I just, Oh, that was such a pleasant conversation. Well, I'll give you the final word, anything you want to say. And thank you so much for, and then if you want to, I don't know if you have some kind of a website or anything that you do or whatever, but, and then, so you don't have to say anything, but I'll give you the final word. And then we'll we'll wrap up.

Tisha Calhoun:

I'll give you my email. You can include that in the show notes if anybody wants to reach out, but I don't have a website. I'm just a, I'm just a mom doing,

Timmy Eaton:

no, just that's it's the best right now.

Tisha Calhoun:

I would, yeah, I would say if anyone's, especially with the high school, cause I know that's something that's come up a lot is that it is a fantastic option to homeschool your kids. And particularly in high school, it is a great way. My. Doing it this way, which is fantastic. So it's a great option for your kids and yeah.

Timmy Eaton:

Yeah. We found the same thing. Excellent. I think I think the thing that was most enjoyable for me, this whole discussion was just hearing your laugh again, it's so familiar. I love it. So thank you so much, Tisha. Thanks for being with us. I hope it's probably getting late there in North Carolina. So have a great night. Say thanks to your family.

Tisha Calhoun:

Thank you so much.

Timmy Eaton:

Bye. Bye. That wraps up another edition of This Golden Hour podcast. If you haven't done so already, I would totally appreciate it if you would take a minute and give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps out a lot. And if you've done that already, thank you much. Please consider sharing this show with friends and family members that you think would get something out of it. And thank you for listening and for your support. I'm your host, Tim Eaton. Until next time, remember to cherish this golden hour with your children and family