The BIG Home Ed Conversations
The BIG Home Ed Conversations
The BIG Home Ed Conversations is one of the top active 'home education' podcast for parents who want to move past the myths and dive deep into what we actually want to talk about as alternative educators. Join Kelly (home ed mum of 2 and home education coach & mentor) and Ashley (ex-primary teacher & home ed mum of 3) as they debunk myths, tackle real challenges, and share honest, empowering, mindset-shifting conversations for families choosing alternative education.
The BIG Home Ed Conversations

The BIG Home Ed Conversations is one of the top active 'home education' podcasts for parents who want to move past the myths and dive deep into what we actually want to talk about as alternative educators.

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Oct. 8, 2026

Home Ed Consistency: Rhythm vs Routine (and Letting Go of the Perfect Timetable)

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 aft
Oct. 7, 2026

Season 6 is here: The Tricky Bits of Home Ed (starting with our September brain chaos)

Let's be honest for a second. Home education isn't always the sunshine-and-nature-walks highlight reel we scroll past on Instagram. Sometimes it's siblings who are sick of each other's faces by 10am. Sometimes it's the comments, the comparisons, or …
Oct. 1, 2026

Back to Home Ed After Summer: Transitions, New Systems and Too Many Hats

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
July 19, 2026

Season Finale: Screen Safety, Fake News & AI: Helping Home Ed Kids Build Digital Discernment

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 happen
July 5, 2026

State of Mind: Mental Health and Education. Guest Episode - Dr Chris Bagley

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 t
June 28, 2026

Raising Brave Kids: Activism, Justice and Quiet Protest

This week on The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast, we’re talking about activism, justice, and how to help our kids use their voice — without overwhelming them. Because so many of us are already doing something quietly radical. “We are, in a sense…

Reviews

Love it!
Thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion between two friends. Looking forward to hearing more!
Very interesting!
Loved listening to the first episode of what promises to be a very interesting podcast on the highs and lows of home educating! Both Kelly and Ashley are great speakers and it’s really fun to listen to their conversations :)
Informative and warm: agreat episode on homeschooling.
What an excellent podcast to listen to as a Mum about to venture into homeschooling. It was reassuring to hear my ethos of going at my child’s pace and following his interests aligns with people out there doing it :) I love the conversational tone - I can find it hard to listen to podcasts as I am a multi-sensory learner - but this was more like having a chat with friends. Loved it - look forward to the next one.
Honest and interesting
I have really enjoyed listening to this podcast about home ed. I’m not a home ed mum, yet! But I’m seriously considering it for my 3 and 1 year old as they get older. I’m actually a primary school teacher myself but I feel like unfortunately the realities of how overworked and undervalued teachers are it may not be the best option for my children. I feel like him ed is such an unknown world so this has really opened my eyes to all the positives that could come from it.

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Oct. 7, 2026

Season 6 is here: The Tricky Bits of Home Ed (starting with our September brain chaos)

Let's be honest for a second. Home education isn't always the sunshine-and-nature-walks highlight reel we scroll past on Instagram. Sometimes it's siblings who are sick of each other's faces by 10am. Sometimes it's the comments, the comparisons, or …
June 28, 2026

Raising Brave Kids: Activism, Justice and Quiet Protest

This week on The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast, we’re talking about activism, justice, and how to help our kids use their voice — without overwhelming them. Because so many of us are already doing something quietly radical. “We are, in a sense…
May 6, 2026

Food Around the World with Kids - Home Ed Edition

Reflecting back on this week’s episode of The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast… we pulled “Food Around the World” out of our topic-from-a-hat challenge. And I’m not going to lie, I was excited about this one. I’m a foodie. I love the stories behi…

About the Hosts

Kelly Rigg

Kelly Rigg is a home educating mum of two, neurodiversity coach, and co-host of the BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast, created to support and empower parents who are home educating in the UK and beyond. Through honest, down-to-earth conversations, she helps families feel more confident in their choices, offering reassurance, mindset shifts, and practical encouragement for raising and learning outside the school system.

Ashley Vanerio

Ashley is a former primary school teacher, home ed mum of three, and co-host of the BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast. Passionate about individual learning and child-led approaches, she brings a warm, practical perspective to home education—helping parents trust themselves, understand how children learn best, and build a family life that fits their values.