Whether you came to home ed after your child burnt out of school, or you're the parent running on empty right now, burnout is something so many of us know far too well. In this Season 6 episode of our series on the tricky bits of home education, Kelly and Ashley get honest about home ed burnout: what parent burnout actually looks like, why it creeps up on us, and how to find our way back, for our kids and for ourselves.

Kelly shares how she went hell for leather in her first year of home ed, filled the calendar to the brim with meetups and outings, and burnt out hard and fast, plus the early warning signs she watches for now, from irritability and creeping clutter to answering work emails at dinner. Ashley talks about how disrupted evenings and sleep, solo parenting and being always on as parent, educator, driver, planner and social secretary tip her towards homeschool burnout, and the small changes she's made, from cutting back activities to getting the kids making their own lunches and cosying up the house with soft lamps, candles and coffee-shop music.

Together they explore the pressure home educating parents feel to prove home ed works, the home ed comparison trap, why the well-meaning advice to just relax can backfire for families recovering from school burnout, and why home education is a marathon, not a sprint. Kelly shares a happiness hack (make the bits you hate a little better and the bits you love even better), the family meeting that transformed their car journeys, scheduling protected rest into the diary, and giving yourself permission to lower the bar on tired days.

We'd love to hear from you: what are your tricks for changing the environment or reducing the workload to sidestep burnout?

Next week: Why won't they just...? We're talking learning styles and effort, why one child flies through a worksheet while another needs to build it, act it out or argue with you about it first, and why what looks like not trying is sometimes something else entirely.

Want to go deeper this season? Visit our website and join the waiting list for When Home Ed Gets Hard, our reflection and journalling companion with questions for every episode of Season 6, releasing in December. Waiting list members will be the first to hear when it's ready and get an early-bird discount: https://www.bighomeedpodcast.com/when-home-ed-gets-hard/

And if you're navigating ADHD or neurodivergence, whether as a family or for yourself, Kelly offers 1:1 coaching. Find out more at https://www.kellyrigg.mykajabi.com.

Loved this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. It really helps other families find us.

Consistency is one of those words that can make home educating parents feel a bit twitchy. Some weeks your home ed routine flows beautifully, and some weeks the maths book hasn't been opened and someone's still in their pyjamas at 2pm. In this Season 6 episode on the tricky bits of home ed, Kelly and Ashley unpick what consistency really means in home education. Do you need a strict homeschool schedule, or is a gentler rhythm (showing up, keeping the curiosity going and coming back to things after a break) enough?

Kelly shares how a week of painting the bedroom turned into an unexpected lesson in life skills and independent learning, and the simple daily rhythm (one helpful task, three bits of learning, then screen time) that works for her ADHD and autistic kids. Ashley talks about swapping school days to fit in a new outdoor meetup, why a predictable routine helps children feel safe, and why getting back into a routine after a long summer break can be such a battle.

Together they explore rhythm vs routine, how much of our worry about consistency comes from school and society rather than from our children, whether structure and child-led learning can work together, why being consistent in how we respond to our kids matters as much as any timetable, how to scaffold child-led goals like becoming a zoologist or a vet, and the small household routines that quietly set children up for adult life.

We'd love to hear from you: what's one small thing you do consistently that makes a bigger difference in your children's lives than any curriculum could? Send us a message through our website or on Instagram.

Next week: burnout. What happens when you've been showing up and showing up with nothing left in the tank.

Want to go deeper this season? Visit our website and join the waiting list for When Home Ed Gets Hard, our reflection and journalling companion with questions for every episode of Season 6, releasing in December. Waiting list members will be the first to hear when it's ready and get an early-bird discount: https://www.bighomeedpodcast.com/when-home-ed-gets-hard/

And if you're navigating ADHD or neurodivergence, whether as a family or for yourself, Kelly offers 1:1 coaching. Find out more at https://www.kellyrigg.mykajabi.com.

Loved this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. It really helps other families find us.

Welcome to season six of The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast, where we're digging into the tricky bits of home education. Not the sunshine-and-nature-walks highlight reel, but the real, unglamorous moments that every home educating family knows too well.

After a summer apart, Kelly and Ashley catch up on what's been going on and why September always seems to bring that big "go" energy, the pressure to have new systems, new attitudes and a whole new approach. Ashley shares what it's like to go straight from a holiday in Italy into a new term with no pause, plus the realisation that her eldest is only a few years from needing to think about what comes next. Kelly talks about why transitions can feel like grinding gears for neurodivergent families, and the simple fridge chart and wall calendar that have helped her autistic kids feel settled and accomplished.

Together they explore finding the right time of day for learning, the tricky balance between child-led learning and the bigger picture, why living alongside all the mess of home ed can feel so much heavier than a classroom, and Kelly's "which hat am I wearing?" mantra for staying focused. They also talk about helping kids face that big wall of "this feels too hard", from handwriting struggles to fractions, and why teaching our children how to learn and persevere might be the most important thing of all.

If you've been feeling the pressure this September, this one is a gentle reminder that none of us are doing it wrong. We're just in the iteration we're in right now.

Want to go deeper this season? We're creating When Home Ed Gets Hard, a reflection and journaling companion with questions for every episode of season six, releasing in December. Join the waiting list at https://www.bighomeedpodcast.com/when-home-ed-gets-hard/ to be the first to hear when it's ready and get an early-bird discount.

And if you're navigating ADHD or neurodivergence, whether as a family or for yourself, Kelly offers 1:1 coaching. Find out more at kellyrigg.mykajabi.com.

Loved this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. It really helps other families find us.

In this final episode of the season, we’re doing something a bit different. (Please note, no explicit details are mentioned, but use caution if you listen with children as we do discuss things they may be exposed to as they start to use the internet more widely.) We originally planned an episode focused on internet safety and online security… and then real life happened. We were away at our annual home ed camp, the world took over, and we decided to lean into the learning that was already happening right in front of us. So this becomes a wider conversation about:

• Why “the plan” doesn’t always happen (and why that’s not a failure)
• How real-life experiences can teach safety, boundaries, communication, and responsibility in a way no worksheet ever could
• How to start age-appropriate conversations about online safety without introducing scary details too early

We also share practical ways we’ve been exploring digital literacy at home, including:

• Noticing how fast-paced videos are designed to keep kids watching (frame changes, zooms, constant stimulation)
• Comparing YouTube-style content to slower documentaries and noticing what our brains remember
• Talking about influence: how creators shape what kids think is “normal” (including illegal or unsafe behaviour being presented as entertainment)
• Helping kids question whether something is real or AI-generated
• Teaching “data safety”: what not to share online (surname, location, pet names, family details)
• Why pausing, checking sources, and doing a bit of research matters (especially with fake news and misinformation)
• A real example of a child being scammed in an online game—and what that taught about trust, risk, and due diligence

And we bring it back to the heart of home education: community, character, and the kind of learning that happens when children are given space to live, play, negotiate, help others, and grow.

Sponsor: Strew - a home education logging app created by a home educating mum and her brother. We have loved using Strew this season, loved the feed its created of the amazing adventures we've had with our kids, the learning insights it has offered and the ease of pulling these memories to the surface when we will need to produce reports for the LA in due course. Try it now: https://strew.app/r/bighomeed or use code 'bighomeed'

We’ll be back in September with a new season. Thank you for listening, and if you’ve loved this season, please leave a review—it genuinely helps the podcast reach more home educating families.

In this bonus episode of The BIG Home Ed Conversations, Kelly Rigg is joined by Dr. Chris Bagley — educational psychologist, musician, author, and co-founder of States of Mind (with B. Herbert).

Together, they unpack why so many young people are “not ok at school” — and what happens when an education system prioritises compliance, metrics, and control over human development, agency, and real connection.

Chris shares why States of Mind is “allergic” to tokenistic ideas like “pupil voice” when they’re used as a fake listening exercise — where young people are asked for their opinions, but nothing actually changes. He explains how this can mirror an unhealthy relationship dynamic: being invited to be vulnerable, then ignored.

Kelly reflects on her own experience of being a “good student” who learned to tick boxes, impress adults, and stay quiet — and how that conditioning can follow us into adulthood, shaping our self-worth, relationships, and mental health. They explore how many parents in transition to home education are realising the same thing: school was supposed to be “good for them”… so why is their child anxious, distressed, or shutting down?

In this conversation we explore:

• Why “normal” is a social construction (and why there may be no such thing as a “typical” brain)

• How labels and diagnoses can sometimes become the only route to compassion — and why that’s complicated

• The difference between genuine participation and performative “student voice”

• Why young people need space to talk about their lives and the world without being controlled or shut down

• How fear of uncertainty drives institutions to narrow, label, measure, and punish

• Why agency, belonging, and autonomy matter (for children and adults)

• Chris’s powerful reminder: you can’t have harmony without difference

Chris also shares what young people consistently ask for when they’re truly listened to: more agency, more authentic connection, and spaces to explore real life, mental health, and meaning — not just performance and compliance.

Links Chris Bagley’s book: States of Mind - https://www.statesofmind.org/

Sponsor: Strew is an online home education logging app that helps you capture what you’re doing day-to-day (photos, notes, tags), and optionally uses AI to reflect back the skills and areas of development you’ve covered — which can be especially helpful when you need to pull everything together later. Use code: BigHomeEd when you download it! https://strew.app/r/bighomeed

In this week’s episode of The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast, Kelly Rigg and Ashley Vanerio dive into a big question many home educating UK families wrestle with: how do we teach our children about activism, justice, and using their voice — without overwhelming them?

We talk honestly about:

• Why “quiet protest” (like choosing elective home education) is still activism

• How kids can learn courage, integrity, and a strong moral compass through everyday life

• Exploring activism through books, documentaries, and values-led conversations (including learning about Greta Thunberg)

• How to handle tricky conversations with people who don’t “get” home education (and the judgement that can come with it)

• Practical ideas you can try at home: writing letters to companies, researching issues together, and building confidence through small actions

• A fun evolution-inspired activity that sparked brilliant conversations about climate, deforestation, and change

Whether you’re fully in flow or just finding your feet with Home Education, these home education resources will help you to find your way through this topic. This episode is a reassuring reminder: our children’s opinions matter, and they’re never “too young” to care.

Sponsor note: This season is sponsored by Strew (the home education logging app). Strew are running a survey right now and they genuinely want your feedback on what features you want, what you love, and what you’d change. There’s also a chance to win £25 Amazon vouchers.
Survey link: https://strew.app/the-2026-strew-survey-prize-draw/ or download the app here: https://strew.app/r/bighomeed

Keyword section:

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In this chatty catch-up episode, Kelly Rigg and Ashley Vanerio reflect on what home education can look like as summer approaches — when clubs pause, routines shift, and the calendar suddenly feels wide open.

Together, they explore the different ways families plan (or don’t plan) through summer, how guilt can creep in around “what we’ve achieved this year,” and why many home educating parents eventually find a calmer rhythm — especially when they start trusting that learning doesn’t stop just because the school year ends.

Why summer can feel either freeing or overwhelming (and why both are valid)

How Strew’s tracking insights can reassure you about progress and balance

Socialisation pressure and the reality of home educated kids’ social skills

“Traditional” learning vs real-world learning (and why the distinction can be unhelpful)

Planning styles: structured curriculum planning vs going with the flow

Why boredom can be a catalyst for creativity, independence, and resilience

Gentle “check-in” moments that help you notice progress without formal testing

A reminder that home education is allowed to be sustainable (and imperfect)

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend — it genuinely helps more home educating families find the podcast.

Website: www.bighomeedpodcast.com

Follow us on socials: @bighomeedpodcast

Try Strew (our Season 5 Sponsor) We’ve loved trying Strew as a simple way to log learning and spot patterns over time. If you’re signing up, mention the referral code “bighomeed” so they know you came from us. https://strew.app/r/bighomeed

SEO keywords: home education UK, home educating, elective home education, homeschooling UK, home schooling UK, unschooling, deschooling, home education, socialisation, alternative education UK.

Welcome back to The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast with Kelly Rigg and Ashley Vanerio.

This week’s topic: Feelings and journaling (real life edition) We recorded in the middle of a heatwave, so we’re talking dysregulation, grumpy kids, and how hard it can be to “do the right thing” when everyone’s overstimulated.

What we actually found helpful:

• A feelings wheel (free printable) to help kids find more precise words than just “angry/sad”

• A simple empathy prompt: “How do you think your sibling feels?”

• Journaling alternatives for kids who hate writing: drawing feelings, scribble pages, talking, creativity, movement, baking

• A reminder that feelings aren’t just cognitive — sometimes kids regulate best through safe physical outlets

Schedule note: We’re taking a short one-week break, then we’ll be back with a general catch-up episode (summer plans and a bit of a chat). After that, we’ll return to the topic challenge with protest and social change.

Season 5 Sponsor: Strew (home education logging app)

This week we’re sharing a quick behind-the-scenes feature: Study Points settings.

In the Study Points area you can choose an education style (child-led learning, Waldorf/Steiner, Charlotte Mason, unschooling/deschooling, or general home ed) which can change how the Study Points categories are shown. It’s totally optional, but a handy way to get an at-a-glance view of what you’ve been logging over time. Use code 'bighomeed' if you try Strew. https://strew.app/r/bighomeed

Thanks for listening — subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend. Find us on Instagram and TikTok, and at www.bighomeedpodcast.com .