Did you know homeschooling is the fastest-growing form of education in the U.S.? I didn’t until I saw recent research showing that, even post-pandemic, the number of homeschooled kids continues to climb—up to 2.7 million, according to the Washington Post!

Families from all walks of life are choosing to homeschool for various reasons, so there’s no single “type” of homeschooler. Still, anyone considering it has probably faced the same question: How do homeschooled students socialize?

As a therapist, I can confirm that socialization is crucial to every child’s emotional and cognitive growth, especially for preteens and teens whose development relies on peer relationships. So, whether you’re asking this yourself or fielding questions from curious (or nosy) neighbors, it’s a topic worth exploring.

Socialization can be challenging for all kids, regardless of school setting. Homeschooling families just face different hurdles than their public school counterparts.

In this post, I’ll dive into the importance of socialization, why not all social events are equal, and how parents can intentionally set their kids up for social success. We’ll also look at how online platforms (like our D&D games) can add valuable support to a homeschooler’s social world.

Long day of cleaning ahead? Dog itching for an epic walk? The inevitable bore of a long road trip looming into your future? Fear not—an epic lineup of fun, engaging, and intriguing Dungeons and Dragons podcasts are here!

D&D podcasts (and podcasts in general) have seen a major renaissance since the pandemic, and there’s an endless backlog of worlds and settings when it comes to choosing your next adventure. Well-produced, theatrical D&D podcasts can be a great way to pass the time as an individual or as a family, and they can also be an engaging, practical way to familiarize yourself with the rules and mechanics of the game. So whether you’re an iTunes or Spotify fanatic, it’s time to find your next epic quest!

Online gaming aficionados, we have gathered here today to discuss a potentially controversial topic: Discord for kids. If you’re the parent of a D&D-loving child, you’ve likely heard your child talking about this app. And if you’re a gamer yourself, you’re probably using it already!

Depending on who you ask, Discord is either a fun and easy way for kids to connect with friends (often while playing games) or the supreme source of internet evil. The opinions I hear from fellow parents about Discord as a therapist, D&D professional, and mom are all over the map.

So what’s a parent to do? Cave to the pressure and let your kid use Discord even if you feel a little uncomfortable? Restrict Discord entirely and risk your child missing out on quality social interaction? Go on a deep internet dive trying to figure out how to make Discord as safe as possible for your kid?

We run online D&D games for kids and teens, so internet safety is an absolute top priority around here. We use a variety of tools to play—and yes, sometimes Discord is one of them! In this guide, we’ll be breaking down everything you need to know about Discord to make an informed deicision about whether to allow it for your child.

Hail and well met, future Dungeon Masters! You’re ready to dive into the world of facilitating your own Dungeons & Dragons games. Welcome to a realm where your imagination runs wild, and you can bring your wildest dreams (or nightmares) alive for your friends and family. But wait: before you start crafting epic quests and summoning mythical creatures, you might be wondering, "Where do I even begin?" Fear not, my fellow adventurer, because we've got your back.

It’s no secret that we like to tout the mental health benefits of Dungeons & Dragons around here: we’ve talked about how it can be helpful for kids with social anxiety and depression, as well as boosting social-emotional and leadership skills. But why should you take our word for it? After all, we’re trying to convince you to enroll your child or teen in our online D&D games.

Fortunately, we’re not the only people getting interested in the mental health benefits of D&D: therapists and educators are taking notice, too. And research is starting to come in to back up the idea that tabletop roleplaying games have a lot to offer when it comes to emotional wellbeing.

Since the pandemic, the rates of childhood depression have doubled: worldwide, 1 in 4 teens report having “clinically significant” symptoms. We know that the disruption in routines, missed milestones, and isolation of the pandemic had a huge impact on kids’ mental health, and we’ll probably see after effects for years to come.

Our company, Young Dragonslayers, was founded in 2020 as a direct response to the huge wave of depression that swept through the lives of kids and teens in my therapy practice. I was looking for a way to help kids stay connected to something meaningful during that chaotic and lonely time. D&D is predictable, socially supportive, and lets kids experience “wins” every time they play. It’s a wonderful option for kids struggling with depression, and today I’d like to talk about why.

Dungeons and Dragons is a creative, immersive game that has captured the imagination of tweens and teens everywhere. In addition to being a fun and fulfilling hobby, D&D bosts an array of social-emotional benefits.

Playing as a character in a collaborative, imaginative story gives kids a chance to build skills like teamwork, empathy, and compassion. But there’s another benefit to D&D that you may not have considered: its potential to develop confident leaders.

It’s hard to meet new people when you aren’t putting yourself out there, and kids with social anxiety may quickly feel isolated from their peers. They need to find ways to meet new peers that feel safe and nonjudgmental, so they can gradually face their fears. If your socially anxious child has geeky interests, I’ve got some great news: D&D is an amazing tool for helping kids overcome social anxiety.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the ways that social anxiety affects kids, and the specific aspects of D&D that can help kids learn to navigate their social life with less fear.

The collaborative, immersive nature of D&D makes it an amazing vehicle for social and emotional learning. You’re literally putting yourself in another person (or elf, or gnome, or giant talking cat’s) shoes. How you interact with others has a huge influence on the success or failure of your game. You almost can’t help but improve your people skills!

But what exactly are social-emotional skills, and how do they get used in the game? Therapists are sometimes guilty of dropping buzzwords like “SEL skills” without really unpacking what they mean. So today, let’s get into it! We’re going on a deep dive into the social-emotional skills we see kids use over the course of a standard D&D campaign. You’ll learn what SEL skills are, why they’re important, and how they play out in D&D.

We’re all excited to see Honor Among Thieves, but did you know that before this D&D movie, there was...another? Back in the year 2000, Dungeons & Dragons, the movie, was born. Learn the strange tale of this film which unbelievably stars Jeremy Irons, and see if you should watch it, too.