Leilani Garcia is a former classroom teacher and a current special needs mom to four. In this episode, she chats with hosts DeeDee and Ximena about her life of parenting and homeschooling a preschooler with Down Syndrome. They'll cover juggling multiple kids when one child has a ton of therapy appointments, how to teach critical thinking, dealing with insecurities, and finding supportive community.
Connect with Leilani on Instagram or YouTube.
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TIMESTAMPS
02:01 Help kids learn to use a planner or daily checklist.
03:51 Leilani shares her background and how she came to be a homeschooler.
07:10 How the older siblings are impacted by having a little sister with special needs.
09:56 Trust your curriculum. Don't try to reinvent the wheel.
12:06 Challenges: insecurity, being shunned, being misunderstood, lacking self-confidence.
13:57 Who is an expert?
16:30 How is homeschooling a preschooler with Down Syndrome unique?
23:59 "Do right, not be right." You want to do what's right, not always trying to prove that you're right in the situation.
25:33 The critical thinking gap. Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking
27:52 So much therapy! How to handle all the appointments.
31:11 Frontloading the details of the day with your kids.
33:16 How community has been critical in Leilani's homeschool journey.
35:30 Leilani's advice to her younger self: stop!
If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.
