Category Archives: Parenting

Should I Homeschool?



E83 – During this quarantine shutdown time, many parents are faced with educational decisions for their kids including whether or not to homeschool. This is a conversation with Joelle’s childhood friend Ali, a former teacher and homeschooler of five kids here in California since 2004. She has a great perspective on the benefits and what it takes to homeschool, and talks Mouse through the whole process from her point of view. We cover why she chose to homeschool, whether to go with independent, private, or charter school education, her thoughts on ages and behaviors that are a good fit for homeschooling, which curriculum to choose, whether to use old school papers and books versus digital tools and computers, what is HSLDA and why it’s crucial, being under an umbrella school, filing a homeschool affidavit, hiring a teacher to oversee your paperwork and keep you accountable and on track, what a homeschool calendar and schedule looks like with grades, test-taking, field trips, outdoor learning, vacations, and structure, socialization and when it’s time for the kids to join outside classes, co-ops, or go back to public school, how to do science labs, language classes, SATs, taking junior college classes for credits, being on a 4-year college track, and what universities really think of homeschoolers.
Please check our Show Notes on www.MouseAndWeens.com to see a list of recommended curricula from Ali.
This episode is sponsored by www.HomeschoolBuyersCo-op.org
Sign up with referral code WEENS to get up to 90% off handpicked educational materials!
Song Credit: “Things Aren’t As Bad As They Seem” by Dan Mahony and Julianne Eggold
Voice Actor: Matt Thompson as Hank Hill
Please follow and contact us via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @mouseandweens
Behind the scenes info on our private Facebook Group
You can get bonus content like outtakes, and hear this episode ad-free on www.patreon.com/mouseandweens


Going Crazy, Near Death, Comedy & Celebrities



E82 – Anyone else going nuts? Julianne talks about the film industry shutdown and then Joelle tells a wild, near death story that happened to her and the kids, all started by being stuck at home and going sort of crazy. Ok, maybe that’s being dramatic. But Weens gets into real Near Death Experiences and talks of speaker and author Nancy Rynes who died twice and came back to talk about it. NDE’s are fascinating and people can learn great lessons from them. Hey, what’s keeping us busy? Summer camp, distant get togethers, planning a documentary!, and lots of comedy, including talk of actress and comic Martha Kelly from Baskets and an awkward family Don’t Mess With the Zohan moment! Parenting is stressful, but Mouse is trying to teach kids important lessons like black lives matter, especially in a city that is dealing with racism. What can you do as a parent to help when everyone is locked down and you feel helpless about activism? Get people to vote with PostcardsToVoters.org! We do lots of name-dropping throughout this episode especially in our ‘Celebrity Stories That Go Nowhere’ segment, so listen for Adam Sandler, Carol Channing, Woody Allen, George Wendt, Will Ferrell, Kid Rock, Gabriel Byrne, Michael Landon, Nellie Oleson, Alison Arngrim, Joe and Kevin Jonas, Anita Moorjani, Ethel Merman, Katherine Hepburn, and Zach Galifinakis mentions. We just can’t help ourselves!
@BlackInPUSD on Instagram | www.MealsOnWheelsAmerica.org | www.PostcardsToVoters.org
@MarthaKelly3 on Twitter | Podcast shoutout Unpredictably Us

This episode is sponsored by www.HomeschoolBuyersCo-op.org
Sign up with referral code WEENS to get up to 90% off handpicked educational materials!

Voice Actor: Matt Thompson as Mr. Burns
Song Credits: “Mouse and Weens Country Dan” by Julianne Eggold, guitar by Dan Mahony
and “Keep It 98 Plus 2” by Rage

All information and links will be in our show notes on www.mouseandweens.com
Please follow and contact us via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @mouseandweens
Behind the scenes info on our private Facebook Group
You can hear this episode ad-free on www.patreon.com/mouseandweens