Todd Wilson
Keynote Speaker
Todd Wilson
Todd Wilson is a dad, granddad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down-to-earth realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions, retreats, and churches nationwide.
As founder of Familyman Ministries and the Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind dads and moms of what’s most important through weekly e-mails, seminars, books, and products encouraging parents.
Todd, and his wife, Debbie, homeschool three of their eight children (five have graduated from their homeschool with four married) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.
CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Lies Homeschoolers Believe
Your house is a disaster, your kids seem out of control, and you wonder how you’ll ever make it through another day of school. Your “get up and go” has “gotten up and went.” You used to think homeschooling was the best thing since sliced bread, but now you’re feeling like burnt toast. Take heart – you’re not alone! No one homeschools because it’s easy. You do it because you believe it is best. But there are times when you need to be reminded again why it’s best. Join Todd as he does just that. You’ll laugh and be encouraged in the toughest job you’ll ever…love.
What’s Next? – Life After Graduation
For the last twelve years, you’ve probably felt the tension of “what’s next?” for your children. You hoped the dilemma would solve itself, but it didn’t. In fact, there are all sorts of homeschool graduates who are stuck in the “what now zone” or were discouraged from traveling a particular path.
It’s time to put your fears aside, look the cap and gown in the eye, and take an honest look at life after graduation. There is NOT a one-size-fits-all solution and the pressure from family members, peers, and experts can seem dizzying. Should they go to college or try a college alternative, do a gap year, start their own business, stay at home, get a job, travel the world…join a monastery??!!
Don’t be afraid. God has a plan for your child, and part of that plan is that He’s given them YOU to help guide them into their next phase of life. Join Todd Wilson as he takes a bold and straightforward look at “Life after Graduation.” We’ll look at the options, discuss the pros and cons, and take the FEAR out of graduation…remembering along the way that every child’s path is different.
Taming the Techno-Beast – Parenting in the INTERNET Age
X-Boxes, Game-Cubes, the INTERNET, Facebook, and iPhones have changed how we live, have fun, and interact. Children quietly glued to game monitors for hours have replaced laughter and creativity. They beg to play, whine when they can’t, and even lie about the time they’ve spent on “the gadget.” Teens and pre-teens spend most of their waking hours texting, chatting on Facebook, or ‘tweeting’ on Twitter. Today’s latest-breaking technology becomes tomorrow’s obsession, demanding more time, attention, and sacrifices.
Technology has become a powerful tool, and everyone is doing it…but maybe you feel like you’ve lost control in your home. Does the chill down your spine tell you that something is terribly wrong? Do you feel like a beast has invaded your home, but you don’t know how to handle it? If so, then join Todd to talk about the timely topic of taming the TECHNO-BEAST!
This, We Believe! (Closing general session Friday)
Dads and moms, in all the busyness of life and swell of expert advice, we’ve forgotten the fundamental truths of homeschooling and family. In short, we’ve forgotten why we do what we do. We have plenty of “how tos” but have forgotten the “why tos,” and it evidences itself in our lack of joy of homeschooling, family, and parenting.
Join funny guy and Familyman, Todd Wilson, as he sets the stage for a great homeschool convention and the best year ever as he brings us back to the basics of what we believe about family and homeschooling. You’re not going to want to miss this for the world.
The Gift (Opening general session Saturday)
Like you, when we began our homeschooling journey, we asked ourselves, “Will we be able to teach them all they need to know for success?” There were so many options and subjects to teach them. They were loaned to us to us knowing almost NOTHING, and we were expected to fill up their noggins and prepare them for adulthood. Little did we know then that homeschooling turned out to be not only what we taught them…but what THEY taught US. Never would we have believed how God would use homeschooling to teach us what He needed us to know as parents, homeschoolers, and as His children. So join me for an intimate time of sharing and laughing at the lessons my children taught me. My hope is that you’ll start to view your homeschool day less as a time to teach and muscle through but as a gift.
During our time together, we will look at the smile stealers and makers in your homeschooling world and get you smiling again. Because you have a lot to smile about!!!
Every Dad a Homeschooling Dad!
You may not crack open a book, work through a curriculum, or call it school, but it’s your job to train your children. Join me as we look at the trials, triumphs, and tribulations of teaching our children. Now don’t worry, I won’t make you feel guilty or give you a forty-six point outline, but I promise to tell it straight and to encourage you in the best job there is – fathering.
They Look to You (Support Group Leader workshop – pre-registration required)
Like it or not, when you’re a homeschool leader, people watch you. Younger moms look to you for guidance and a pattern to follow. They want to be reminded that the sacrifices they make now are worth it, that the young children who are dependent on them will grow up and be okay, and that the dark days of monotonous toiling will be replaced by sunny days of success.
There are husbands of homeschooling moms who are skeptical of the whole homeschooling idea, who need to see positive examples and be encouraged to be their wife’s knight in shining armor. These young homeschoolers need you to point them to the best materials, the most effective products, and the most encouraging speakers. They look to you for answers, affirmation, and strength, all the while longing to hear that they are normal for wanting to toss in the towel, for feeling inadequate, and for failing to do what matters most.
That’s a big order to fill, but one that God has called you to. You don’t need to be perfect, just real. So join Todd as he challenges you in the vital role you play as a homeschool leader.
An Unbeatable Homeschool Team
Marriage is hard…in fact, it’s real hard! Yet when it is right and good, it can withstand anything. It doesn’t matter what the economy does, the status of your bank account, the condition of your home or vehicles, or what your children dish out…because when a husband and wife are right, they’re unbeatable.
On the flip side, when a husband and wife feel distant or apathetic, it only takes the slightest breeze to ruffle a bunch of feathers. The truth is a mediocre marriage sucks the joy right out of life and your homeschool. The economy can swing up, your checking account can be healthy, your home and vehicles can purr like kittens, the kids can behave like angels, and life still…stinks. That’s because marriage matters.
Join Todd Wilson, The Familyman, for a time of laughter and encouragement as he shares real-life stories, problems, and frustrations, along with practical, simple solutions to having a marriage that can’t be beat!