#90 - Fear Not! Planting Seeds of Confidence: Homeschooling Made Simple

 In this episode of Homeschool Unlocked, Monica and Jesús chat about the unique gift homeschooling gives—it's not just about teaching facts, but growing right alongside your kids. They dive into the magic of seeds, using them as a fun way to talk about how we nurture both learning and relationships at home. With easy, seed-based activities and some great biblical tie-ins, this episode is perfect for parents who might be doubting whether they know enough to homeschool. Monica and Jesús keep it real: homeschooling isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about embracing the journey, one small step (or seed) at a time. Don’t forget to grab their free fall unit study for some simple, family-friendly fun! 

https://1lnk.page/MonicaAviles

Transcript

Welcome to the Homeschool Unlocked podcast, the show that helps parents see homeschooling as a unique opportunity. So forget fear, you can inspire, you can guide your child. Homeschool Unlocked, it's not school, it's life.We are in fall and so we are going to continue with our theme of enjoying nature and we're going to be looking at seeds today. Let's do it baby, let's do it. I like seeds.Okay, well you know what, your voice seems to have kind of like matured. That's right, I'm manning up. Man up Homeschool Unlocked, man up.Talking to the men obviously out there. Don't want the women to man up. I just have a little sinus infection that I'm recuperating from.There we go, there we go. Well, my true and false question for you today, and my name is Monica Aviles, I'm here with my husband. Jesus Aviles, we love you guys.Yes, so question number one, coconuts are seeds, true or false? That is absolutely true because we're talking about seeds and so I don't know why you would, I don't know why a coconut, I have no idea, but I'm going to go with true. It is because, yeah, because remember we had trees that we planted and then like the coconut plants. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.Yep, they are the seed of a coconut palm and question number two, all seeds are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. True. Not in the palm.Not in the palm. Because like the palm tree, the coconut, it's as big as a bowling ball. You just told me that, I apologize.Listen, that sinus, the sinuses are getting in the way of the brain here. I'm sorry about that. All right, how about this one? I'm ready.True or false, seeds can stay alive for years without being planted. True, true, true. Because I saw some announcement about they found like a 5,000 year old seed or something like that, I have no idea.Yes, yes, they named the tree Methuselah, it was a date palm. Yep, so we love questions like this because we are homeschooling parents and we are here to share the joy of homeschooling with you. That's right, that's right.And we're looking forward to today's episode. If you're joining us for the first time, Jesus and I have been homeschooling our six kids. We have two of that have graduated and four still at home.And we come to you because homeschooling provides a beautiful opportunity for you to grow and give your children a whole different experience. Well, and if you ever needed a beautiful introduction like that, where you're talking about seeds and you're talking about growing children, you know, parents, you are planting seeds in your children all the time. Yep, and what better time than fall to talk about that.I mean, right now is a great time. You're harvesting, people are harvesting, maybe you're not a farmer, but you're still seeing things being harvested. And that is the result of months of caring for a seed that was planted.That's correct. So last week we talked about clay and we have a great unit study. We would love for you to download the unit study.It is available. All you have to do is text the word pumpkin, uppercase, lowercase, it doesn't matter. Just pumpkin, no S at the end to 850-750-9575.And then that way you can gain access to this free PDF and enjoy this fall season with your kids. Sometimes you're looking for some activities that are simple, but are structured enough so that you can have some new things to do together. And that's what this unit study provides.Excellent job on that one, sweetie. Yeah. Looking at seeds, seeds are a popular, well, beep, looking at seeds, one popular fruit that has seeds during the season are pumpkins.Pumpkin seeds. So we're going to talk about pumpkins more next week. But for today, we want to stop and just have a conversation about the wonder that a seed is.Okay. I mean, it's like life contained in something. So, I mean, I love to hear that.I love to hear what you got to say, Ms. Biology teacher. Yeah. I mean, you may not realize it, but even beans, when you buy black beans, dried black beans or any kind of peas or beans and you soak them overnight, you can start seeing them sprout sometimes as quickly as just overnight.Tell me, beans come like out of the ground? Well, beans come from a plant. Beans come from a plant. But they are the seeds.They are seeds. They themselves are seeds. Okay.Now we eat them. Okay. And you know, it's such a funny thing, but sometimes the most wonderful things are the things that we overlook because we're so used to them and we forget to stop and think.Um, I probably didn't know that beans were seeds. Yeah. Or maybe, you know, in elementary school, we did an experiment or two.But Jesus grew up in... Every meal had beans. Every meal had beans. If somebody would tell me, hey, Jesus, you eating seeds, I'd be like, stop lying.I didn't, I didn't. They're the shape of a seed. They look like a seed.I never really thought about it. Right. And your dad liked plants and gardening.He did. But maybe it wasn't something that you all did together or you just took it for granted. You spent a lot of time getting your food from the store and not stopping to think about, wait a minute, where did this apple come from? Where... Bananas, you probably saw more often, but not apple orchards.Not apples. No. Mangoes, bananas, oranges, avocados.That was pretty much it. Yeah. And we see the result.Gondolas. We also, I've also seen some gondolas. Yeah.Pigeon peas. Pigeon peas. So we see the results of seeds all over.If you look at an oak tree here in Tallahassee, we have beautiful oak trees, 200 year old oak trees. And if we're not careful to make the connection with our children that this huge oak tree came from a small seed. Let's talk about it and let's think and wonder.Well, it just becomes a fact that they memorize and that they're familiar with, but not anything that would fuel their imagination. Yeah. Yeah.I mean, we've talked about this on several different episodes. You know, we take the classical approach to education here. And so if at the beginning, at a young age, they've kind of memorized these facts in terms of seeds and all that kind of stuff.Well, you know, once you start reading, once you start getting into like secondary school, now you can bring that back. And all of a sudden you're talking about good conversations. Definitely a conversation starter and ender.And this is the neat thing about homeschooling is you're learning with your child. So for example, let's say right now it's fall. It's a great time to make nice homemade chili instead of buying canned chili.I mean, instead of buying canned beans, you can go and you can buy the dry beans. And while you're making your chili, set some aside and allow those beans to sprout in like a little wet paper towel overnight. And just start seeing little plants, have conversations about that.There's so much to wonder about. And we appreciate other people's imaginations. Like, you know, you listen to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.And we appreciate the beauty of this story that was written 200 years ago or more. This young man who, in some versions, in the older versions, he's more of a trickster. And then in newer versions, he's kind of more of a hero.But still this young man, you know, you're thinking, don't do it, Jack. Don't sell your cow for some silly beans. And he does.And then you have this now beautiful plant that grows. And it goes into the sky. And it opens up a whole nother world.And there's this hen there that lays a golden egg. Now, what does that mean? I mean, now even thinking about it, we have chickens. And just the joy when our chickens lay eggs.It's this little small thing. But it brings us so much joy. And here they have, you know, whether it be a hen or a goose that lays a golden egg every day.And this whole beautiful story of about a little boy, about a young man who went and got some beans. Now, there are tons of movies like live act. What are those called? Movies like not cartoon, but when they're like anime? No.When they're actors like live action, I guess, is that what? Okay. Live action. Okay.Where you have real actors, grown people. Yeah. Action movies.Yeah. Just grown people acting like Jack and the Beanstalk and this giant. And so we want to take this time to appreciate the simplicity that a seed is.And yet all of the wonder and promise that it holds. That's correct. And you know, I mean, just to bring it back away from the biology.And if I'm not mistaken, you're creating also a study guide with this one as well? Right. And it's actually already available. So it doesn't have a strict timeline.You can start it today or tomorrow, whenever you want. Again, it's 850-750-9575. And you just text the word pumpkin.And then that way you can start getting access to the PDF. Okay, great. Well, I mean, we are going to get to the point where we were talking about, you know, we are talking about seeds, but seeds require soil to put them in.I guess at some particular point, right? So at some particular point, I'd love to just read the parable of the sower. Yeah, go for it. Why not? Let me just bring that up.And, you know, for those that are wondering where I'm at in the Bible, I'm looking at Matthew chapter 13, starting with verse one. It's pretty long, but it's a particular parable where, you know, we're having a combination, a conversation, a combination of a conversation about seeds, about soil. You know, if you are, have been involved with Homeschool Unlocked in any capacity, you know what we say about homeschool.Homeschool is a vehicle, a vehicle to just plant things, a vehicle to achieve things, a vehicle to experience things, right? And so this is what we talk about with regards to homeschool. So let me go in here. It says here, that same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.Such large crowds gathered around him and he got into a boat and sat in it while all the people stood on the shore. Verse three. Then he told them many things in parables.A farmer went out, right? Saying a farmer went out to sow his seed. As he scattered the seeds, some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on the rocky places where it did not have much soil.It sprung up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among the thorns, which fell, which grew up and choked the plant.Verse eight. Still other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop. A hundred, sixty, thirty times what was sown.What in verse nine kind of closes that up. It says here, what has ears? Let him hear. Now, obviously, there's a conversation.The disciples are like, you know, hey, listen, I've been with you, Jesus, for a bit. I don't. First of all, why are you talking to them in parables? And on top of that, I didn't understand it.So then if if if you're in chapter 13, you make your way all the way down to 18. And Jesus now has to explain the parables to the disciples. I'll read that particular piece to you.Verse 18. Listen then to what the parable of the sower means. When anyone hears this message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was owned in their heart.This is the seed sown along the path. The seed fell on rocky soil refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they only last a short time.When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Verse 22. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word.But the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But verse 23, right? Good soil, right? But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop yielding 160 or 30 times what is sown.So I know we're talking about beans. I know we're talking about seeds. We're talking about life.But in the homeschool community, the environment you create with your relationship with your child, the environment you create physically at home, the environment you create, that's just what I mean by academic is a kid feels okay, struggling and reaching levels of frustration, right? This is what gets them over. This is that soil that you're cultivating. And as a parent, you know, we have six and we have two that are now, you know, out of homeschooling.We get to see what they're becoming, right? And as a parent, sometimes you don't, you know, you know what you plant, you know, the soil that you're prepping, you know, the seeds that you're dropping and you're not too sure what fruit or what plants are going to pop up or what trees may pop up. But, you know, by God's grace, with prayer and all his power, great things will happen. As parents, as you're home with your children, as you're considering homeschooling, realize that the small things that you do, they compound, the good of it compounds.Activities like this can be some of the most memorable that you do with your children. Now we want to think, no, it has to be the kind of activity where we're on a vacation, where we're doing X, Y, Z, we're traveling and those things are beautiful and there's a place for them. However, spending time cooking together, looking at seeds, talking, listening to fairy tales together, reading fairy tales, talking about them.How would, you know, what would you, what do you think this character was going to do? How could you change? What would the story look like if he had done something else instead? Drawing, draw the black beans, plant them in the soil. Don't worry if they grow or not. Just have fun and learn, realizing all the while that those, those activities represent time.They represent your energy and your time that you spent with your child doing something special and meaningful. It doesn't have to take all day. You spend some time, whatever time of the day, maybe you're, you know, you go to bed late and so you guys wake up late because your husband works very, until very late.So that schedule fits your life, whatever it might be, but you take the time, draw, enjoy, learn and grow together, wonder and imagine and trust that all the while God is going to do something beautiful. Absolutely. As a result.Well, my love, that's super fantastic. I can't wait to review this packet that you've prepared myself. I reviewed the last one that you sent out before you sent it out and it was amazing.And as a dad that really likes to keep things simple, I think it was very, very well done. So I look forward to this next one. Have a great week.Remember 850-750-9575. Text the word pumpkin and we will get the fall unit study to you. Yeah, let's do it.Pumpkin singular. Thank you. Bye.Thank you for spending time with us today. Check out our link below and subscribe to our podcast. We hope that we helped you by unlocking a new way of seeing homeschooling.Who else needs to hear this? Only, you know, so take action and share it because remember homeschool unlocked. It's not school. It's life.