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The Homeschool How To
I don't claim to know anything about homeschooling, so I set out on a journey to ask the people who do! Join me as I chat with homeschoolers to discuss; "why are people homeschooling," "what are all the ways people are using to homeschool today," and ultimately, "should I homeschool my kids?"
The Homeschool How To
#116: "Behind Who?" — Challenging Traditional Timelines and Expectations with Jackie
Dive into a refreshingly honest conversation about homeschooling with Jackie from @RealRaisingCubs, a tattooed, outspoken mother of four boys who's been homeschooling for over a decade. Jackie shatters the stereotypical image of homeschooling parents, offering a perspective that's both liberating and practical.
This episode explores the core concept of freedom that drives Jackie's homeschooling approach. We discuss her evolution from structured curricula to her current unschooling methods, and how her philosophy has adapted to meet the changing needs of her children. Jackie shares the startling statistic that average parents spend just one hour daily with their children, highlighting how homeschooling reclaims precious family time.
One of the most powerful moments comes when Jackie recounts being told her son was "behind" in reading, and another mom's perspective-shifting question: "Behind who?" This story exemplifies how homeschooling frees families from arbitrary timelines and expectations, allowing children to develop at their natural pace.
Jackie doesn't sugarcoat the challenges—she admits to doubting herself regularly and losing patience with her children. Yet she emphasizes that these real moments create opportunities for character development and authentic learning. Her practical advice includes not trying to replicate traditional school at home, focusing on character development before academics for younger children, and trusting your instincts as a parent.
Whether you're a veteran homeschooler, just beginning your journey, or simply curious about alternative educational approaches, this conversation offers valuable insights into creating an educational environment that honors children's natural development while preparing them for a meaningful, self-directed life.
Follow Jackie:
https://www.freethinkology.com/
✨ This episode is brought to you by Excelsior Classes — live, online courses for homeschoolers taught by passionate, Christian instructors. Whether your student needs support in core subjects or wants to explore exciting electives, Excelsior offers rigorous academics in a nurturing environment. Learn more at excelsiorclasses.com!
The Tuttle Twins - Do you want to help your children learn about true history, personal freedom, responsibility, and individual rights? Then check out The Tuttle Twins books by clicking the link below.
Use code: Cheryl15 for 15% off the age 5-11 series!
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Welcome to this week's episode of the Homeschool How-To. I'm Cheryl and I invite you to join me on my quest to find out why are people homeschooling, how do you do it, how does it differ from region to region, and should I homeschool my kids? Stick with me as I interview homeschooling families across the country to unfold the answers to each of these questions week by week. Yet, but probably like you, my loud mouth gets me a lot of people messaging me like hey, thanks for speaking up about this thing or that thing. So I assume do you get those messages all the time too?
Speaker 2:Yeah, always. Are you in New Jersey or North, somewhere up there, new York, new York, okay, yeah, yeah. So my husband and I are originally from New Jersey, born and raised, and I feel like for sure, especially because we speak up about things that people are thinking but they don't actually say them out loud, especially during 2020. I feel like a lot of us found each other. Yeah, needless to say, you know so thank you for reaching out yeah kind of being like hey, I got your back.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, we let's chat and kind of empower other people that maybe don't want to speak up either, but you are also a homeschool mom right I am.
Speaker 2:I am a homeschool mom, um, born and raised as far as like public school, college educated. My husband and I and I have four boys ranging from 14 down to six, and we've been homeschooling for over a decade. So my boys have never been in any kind of conventional schooling and that has really impacted our family dynamic and just like different opportunities we're able to take on because we homeschool and all that. So, yeah, I reach out to you because I just love what you're doing for the homeschool community and you're just a powerful voice and light and I'm just honored to be here.
Speaker 1:So let's do this. Oh, thank you so much. Well, and so yeah, when you reached out, I was excited because I was watching some of your videos.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like they are hilarious. You have a podcast as well, right the sister Yep.
Speaker 2:It's the sister show. It's my sister and I. We have a 16-year age gap and we just kind of talk about everything you would talk about with your sister, but we let people in on it.
Speaker 1:It's hilarious, and one of the things that you had said on there which really struck me was that you were like I don't understand why people are saying their happiness depends on who's in office and it's actually changing the way that they're living their life. Like it doesn't change anything about the way you live your life with who's in office. Um, yeah, maybe a law might trickle down, but even at the presidential level, it's like it's hard for that to really be part of our day, maybe if it's a local office or whatnot. But people are like, really like their lives are flipped upside down depending on who's in the presidential seat, and so what you said made so much sense Like people are actually changing their demeanor, losing friendships, which I have as well, you know there's a lot of people Same.
Speaker 2:I think that comes whenever you do things outside of the norm. Unfortunately, it's like what is that mirror effect where people it's just by you living and me living people get paranoid as if we're judging them when we're not. And it's just by you living and me living people get paranoid as if we're judging them when we're not. And it's just. You know it's crazy, but yeah, I think we've all lost family, friends and loved ones a lot of people, unfortunately, into the 2020 circus, for sure yeah, so all right.
Speaker 1:You have been homeschooling for over a decade, so this was well before 2020 hits so yeah, there's not a reason. Yeah, and you don't have that traditional homeschooling sense about. You know, we all kind of think of like oh the Amish, or they're like sitting down whittling together all day long, like you. I mean, I'm just judging right now, but you don't strike me as the type that's like gathering the family to whittle every morning, even though I kind of do want to know how to whittle now.
Speaker 2:So I'm not even oh yeah, I mean, it's not to say we don't want to learn those skills, but that seems like a useful trait right now. Yeah, so actually, my original mommy blogging social media started because the reason why I went semi-viral was because people were like, first off, she's not Amish. Second of all, she's got tattoos and says the f-word and wait a minute, she homeschools and people are kind of like this doesn't make any sense and, yeah, so my oldest is 14, which is crazy, um, and the thing that people are always shocked at, because I am the wild child and my husband's the calm, and I feel like all amazing partnerships are like that where you're complete opposites. But my husband, who was public school raised, you know, and and graduated, started kind of leaving little ideas in my head when my oldest was one. He would start saying you know, why do they? Why do they make us put our kids in this pre K or whatever it is? You know, people will call their kid when they're six months old, I'm dropping off at school and it's like no, that's daycare babe.
Speaker 2:But I, thankfully, because of him, I was able to stay home with the, my first son and my second and I, honestly, girl, I told him I'm like you're crazy, I'm not a teacher, I don't want to do that and it's not happening. And then the more I looked into homeschooling and then when my kids started getting to the age the age, whatever that may be I was like, hmm, maybe I do want to look into this a little more. And so, yeah, I give Sean God first, but Sean all the glory and credit, because I would have my kids absolutely in regular old school if it wasn't for him even bringing up the idea. So that's actually how it started.
Speaker 1:Wow, and were you in? You're in Florida right now, right.
Speaker 2:Yep, we were in South Carolina. So one thing that I get all the time when people ask me because of course I know you know this, the how to Homeschool podcast is well, what are the laws in my state and what can I do and this and that? And so you always want to make sure you are looking up specifically your state. The craziest thing that I learned and I know you already know this because you're from the North is these Northeast, more liberal states actually have the most freedom with homeschool. What I've found, compared to I'm not saying I mean Florida is amazing, south Carolina was amazing, but I'm pretty sure even in New Jersey, because I do have a lot of people I know there that do it, there's literally like no, there's no testing, there's no. I could be wrong. I haven't checked it in a while, but yeah. So we originally started our homeschool journey in South Carolina and now I do it in Florida with the boys. But one of the main things why we choose and chose and continue to choose homeschooling was number one, my favorite, second favorite F word, which is freedom, and that is what brought me to it the freedom to do things our way.
Speaker 2:And you know, everyone's journey looks so different and for us, like at first I was doubting my ability completely, which I think is normal All of us are like, wait a minute, can we really do this? And so originally I had my first son. My first two are Irish twins, so they're literally a grade apart. So I was like, oh my gosh, how am I gonna do this? But that actually works out really good for homeschool when your kids are close in age, because you just bunch them together and do the same thing with each of them. But when, when I looked into it, I had them first in a co-op, so there was a Christian co-op and I had them involved in that and girl. Throughout 10 years, I mean my homeschool journey has gone a little crazy and wonky. We're more on the unschooling spectrum now that I have four boys.
Speaker 2:Average American family parents in 2023, it was called the American Time Survey, if you want to look it up the average amount of time that parents are spending with their kids daily is one hour and I'm like, look, I lose my patience, ok. And I'm like, get the frick away from me. And I'm hiding from my children right now, not even at my house. But that's insane. That's crazy that you know on average. But that's insane. That's crazy that you know on average what it was like 9.5 hours a week we're spending with our kids, and especially when they're little, and then really much so in their teen time. We need to plug back into the nucleus of family, and so the freedom has always been what drawn drew us to homeschooling, for sure has always been what drew us to homeschooling for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, New York. We have strict laws in New York. That doesn't mean New Jersey, is you know? I agree that it's probably around us, that don't, but New York's one of the strictest. But even at that it is. I worked for 16 years in government. It's no different than what I would have to report for my employees. Like they're you know, this is what I intend to you know have you do for the next year.
Speaker 1:And then every quarter. This is what we've done, so that's the extent of it. And then there is testing. You know, once they get to a certain age, every other year. But, you can request that test come to your house.
Speaker 1:And like I'm not saying I would do it, but like the test is at your house, you can practice. Yeah, nobody, nobody wants anything better for your kid than you exactly. So, if you're, you're not going to do them a disservice by, you know, filling out the whole test for them, but you're not going to let them fall behind either. You know, because we love them, we want them to do well. That's why we're homeschooling them. And I totally believe that statistic because when you add in you know they're going to before care, a lot of them are going to after care. So there, you've got at least 10 hours.
Speaker 1:And when I think about my work day, I would drive down to Albany and back. So that was eight hours plus two hours of commuting. And then, yeah, you've got sports in the evenings, birthday parties and whatever else, activities that you feel inclined like you have to do or you're missing out. You're missing out. Yeah, it probably is one hour that you're actually together. You know, not sleeping. That's crazy. How are you going to instill anything in your kid for one hour a day? I mean, you want to spend that time enjoying them.
Speaker 2:I'm not. I don't want anyone listening because I realize, especially I try to put myself back to Jackie 10 years ago and I hold space for anyone who, you know, is thinking they can't do it or they're like. You know, this is not shade. This is not me judging those other parents at all. It's just I think we need to take a harder look at the time that we are spending with our children. And when we look around at this upside down world, it starts at the family, it starts with the family, it starts with the parents, it starts with your kids. And so, honestly, girl, all parents and all mothers were homeschooled. We're homeschoolers and I think that's the thing that more women need to realize.
Speaker 2:And if you are in a situation where homeschooling look, I know people that work full time, that homeschool so I will say, if you make the excuse which most people don't want to hear it's just not a priority to you and that's OK. But if you're in, if you're thinking of homeschooling, if it's on your heart, I say go for it. And this is not a marriage at any time. If I saw any of my children would do better in a regular school setting, I would absolutely put them there, but so far, so far, taking it day by day, we're kicking ass. And another thing I'm glad you brought up the whole government stuff is that in 2020, you want to know who didn't skip a beat was the homeschool families, which I felt so bad for those, the kids doing virtual school and with the masks and everything, and there's a lot of, a lot of mind effery that was going on, and you know, my kids didn't skip a beat and I'm so grateful for that and it was so funny.
Speaker 2:People would reach out to me and be like, how do you do this? And I'm like, babe, virtual school is not what we do. It's not, we are not the same and I don't know how you do it. You know, cause it's, it's close to impossible and I know, you know this and you've talked to so many amazing people is, even the teachers are like we cannot do what we need to do with these kids. Can you see, with your, your children, they're so different and learning styles are so different. It's like I feel teachers need to be paid. You know, way more than six figures in my opinion, and I think that would bring back some good teachers, but it's never going to happen, unfortunately.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, the intention isn't to produce a nation full of free thinkers, which kind of leads back to what I was going to ask you was do you the whole? We're only with our fan, our children, one hour a day on average. Do you think it's by design?
Speaker 2:of course. Of course. I mean who founded, you know, the school system in general? Jay, whatever his name is rockefeller. They want to make employees and when I here's my shot, I'm shooting it.
Speaker 2:What the hell does school look like? Prison, jail, I mean, I know it's dramatic, but I'm a dramatic kind of girly, you know, stay in line, don't raise your hand to pee, don't think outside the box. I'm an entrepreneur through and through and none of the things I learned in school I use. I'm a college educated person and I don't use any of that shit. And I'm not saying that we need to raise up illiterate children, but true, and my progression of homeschool.
Speaker 2:I sat there with my boys when they were little again. But here's why the societal pressure of, yes, every state has different hourly requirements and that's just not. That's not how you raise, like you said, critical thinking, free thinking, entrepreneurs that learn a trade and, and you know, aren't these little worker ants out there? And, by the way, I don't. I'm not saying that we, the world means all kinds of people, but if you take a hard look at our school system in the last hundred years, it has not changed. Every other thing that you look at has evolved and grown and come up with the times, except for school. Like kids should not be sitting in a especially, boys should not be sitting in a desk for six hours a day. That's just not how God made them. So yeah, it's absolutely by design. And there's the conspiracy tinfoil hat I'll put on.
Speaker 1:Is your child interested in aviation, chemistry, maybe even podcasting, but you have no time or desire to teach it yourself. I've talked to over 100 homeschooling families on the Homeschool how To Podcast and one name keeps coming up Excelsior Classes. They're a fully accredited online program for 5th through 12th grade homeschoolers, offering live classes in everything from filmmaking to economics to architecture. It's flexible, affordable you only pay for what you need and it gives your kids valuable online learning experience. Check out their course catalog by clicking in the link in the show's description Excelsior Classes live online learning for homeschooling families.
Speaker 2:And also think back to when our society was thriving was when we had one room schoolhouse. It was when families were together more Again, like I said to you that hour a day, how much are you able to instill in your kids if, at four years old, they're already out of the house? Please tell me Also a four-year-old still naps and might even still wet the bed. Like that's a baby, in my opinion. So, yeah, no, it's all by design for sure.
Speaker 1:Well, and it even goes down to six weeks old, cause they, you know, want you back to work at six weeks. If you're a working mom, you know. I was lucky to at least take six months with my son, which is great. It's crazy, though, because now that I've been home with my daughter since she was born, I see all the things that I missed with him, and it's not even just like the first time. They walk or crawl or say mama, like those are yeah, okay, those are bad to miss, but it's like all the times she needed a hug from mom, like she was just feeling and she just needed mom.
Speaker 1:Um, my son didn't have me there. He had the daycare ladies and I'm sure they're nice people, but it's not family. They weren't mom and and you know just all. It's crazy to me too, because it's like I don't know. I just look at the things, little things that he does, and I'm like, oh, I wonder why he does that and I can't even tell you because I haven't been there every day with him since he was born.
Speaker 1:Like something could have happened to him at daycare and I wouldn't know about it. The daycare providers might not even know about it. It might've been between a kid or anybody walking in their house. Well, like, it's crazy to me to think that I'm like, yeah, I couldn't tell you if anything serious happened or something that maybe traumatized him in any sort of way because I wasn't with them and you don't think about that stuff. Until now I have the second and I've been for two and a half years. I've been with her every single day and I'm like, wow, like seeing the difference. I just I feel bad, but also it's a perspective I can give to someone who is especially someone who's been a stay-at-home mom forever, and they're like, oh, I'm missing out on the real world.
Speaker 2:Like no, you're not those people don't care about you there.
Speaker 1:You're replaceable there.
Speaker 2:But don't beat yourself up with that mom guilt. I mean, look how you've evolved and you're a kick-ass mother and wife and all the things. So I'm definitely a. Let's not live there. And you know, god will use that experience for your son to refine him. I mean, my first kid was like my guinea pig, right? So there's a lot of mistakes we all make as mothers and so don't, don't, don't be. You know you're amazing and what you're doing is amazing for the homeschool community.
Speaker 2:But it's crazy because you think about to what's a hot take, because I'm a nutritionist and I work with clients every single day and it's like everyone's talking about their nervous system and cortisol. Think of that morning time rush, which, thankfully, I've never really been in that rat race and I was a stay at home mom but which, again, you know this is the hardest job in the world. But, with that being said, when we did have him in a Christian co-op in the beginning that running around it was only two days a week I was like how do these mamas do this five days a week? It was crazy and it's not a situation you know. I see the school bus leaving here in the Keys. We live in Florida, on an Island, and these kids are out there when it's dark, and then you know I'll, I'll get my homeschool done in an hour with all four kids and you know, then I see them back at 5, 6 PM.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh my gosh, like I don't even want to do that, you know. So, um, it's just a lot of running around and rushing around all by design, like you said, and you know I just I want to empower women and families. You know, if it's on your heart, try it, do it and you will not regret. The one thing I always say to people that reach out to me is you will never regret the time you spent with your kids. And they are only and I'm going to get emotional, but, like you know, my oldest is 14, he's six, two, and it's like I feel like time is just on fast forward. I blink, and it's like another year just passed us.
Speaker 1:And so, really being able to know that, like I, not perfectly, there's F-bombs and patients lost every day, but you know, I spent all of my time I could with these kids and it's, it's what a gift that is, you know, so um yeah, and and I lose my patience too a lot and I come from that like that mother that's always rush, rush, rush, rush, rush, rush, rush, and even at 77, she's retired and like has nowhere to go, she's still rushing places and it's like, oh my gosh, mom. And so I'm trying to remove that from, but I do it with my son, even like I can't even make it to an 11 o'clock play date on Tuesdays by 11, like yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm right with you like we're there an hour late every week, but it is that rushing them out of bed, away like awake, when they're not ready. Their bodies might be fighting germs or whatever, whatever we believe in, terrain, fear whatever, but their bodies are doing something and you know, especially as young kids their brains are connecting synapses and you know they might need that sleep like they, just they need it.
Speaker 1:And then to be rushing them out of the door by jeez, yeah, like you said, when it's still dark out, putting them out in the cold, and I know the school down the street from me like they won't even have the kids go outside if it's under 40 degrees so. I'm in upstate New. York I mean it's always under 40 degrees. So yeah they're never outside. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah and um and okay, you're a nutritionist so the other aspect of this is the free breakfast and lunch program that like pretty much all schools have it now for all kids, because we don't want to discriminate against the kids that need the free and reduced lunch, so I think it's pretty much universal. Everybody gets. So I could send my children to school with all organic food. You know that we source locally. No hormones, antibiotics in it, make it all for them and then they'll just throw that away for pizza. Yep, I mean, how how does that impact a child throughout their day when they're, when they're getting the toxins from the food in that program?
Speaker 2:Right. And the other thing is, which is so unfortunate? I mean, I, I promise you, I'm pretty sure every boy out there, including my husband, has some form of ADHD or autistic something spectrum. I feel like you know we're constantly trying to put labels on childhood or a boy. You know, and again, I know that there's very there's situations where you know there's different learning, disabilities and all these things.
Speaker 2:But you know, just recently I read a study that was published and I can send this to you when we get off of here that literally they took away processed food and all the stupid red dyes and everything which I know everyone this is a hot take right now that people are talking about and 80% of these kids no longer had ADHD or hyperactivity. Now I'm not saying I won't shoot my shot of saying you know we can cure autism, even though I do believe and I know people that have done that before through many different ways. But you know so you're feeding them the processed garbage in the morning. They're coming in whatever, from all different backgrounds and that's the beauty of school is, you get to be around a melting pot of different people usually and then're giving them the red dyes. We're giving them the sugar and the processed foods. And then you're the teachers having 30 plus kids, or 20 plus kids. Yeah, those kids are going to go on adderall because now we need them to sit down and shut up for the next six hours, and so I'm like we need to take a hot, hard look at that nutrition and all of it.
Speaker 2:It's like I said to you in the beginning of this why hasn't the school system changed in 100 effing years? Someone, please tap in for me and maybe, maybe we'll get someone. That's like no, it has. We're evolving. No, no, no, we're not. And there are very small situations that I see, you know, models of schooling that I'm like, oh, I can get down with that, that's cool. You know, I would love to put my sons in something like that, but I don't know, it's crazy and it's all connected, as I know. You know, I see your total twins back there. They're my favorite for homeschool they're awesome.
Speaker 1:They're awesome. Um, yeah, you're right, though, and the only way school has evolved in the last hundred years is getting longer, like taking our kids younger, because when I was younger, I'm 41, 41. When I was in kindergarten, it was half a day. Now that's mandatory full day where I live and there's the option to send your kid to preschool in the school system. Like preschool used to be a separate like in a church or something every other day.
Speaker 1:It is now full day from like 8 a 3pm. Preschool at four years old. So yeah, the only thing that's changed is they've added more time to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and it's just, it's wild. And you know, half the time now, with these free thinking teenagers I've raised, I'm like maybe I raised you a little too much with those critical thinking skills because you kind of look down them like, oh my gosh, like I'm a little worried about that. But yeah, so for my journey as far as that goes, with homeschool, it's like we did the co-op. I have literally girl. I'm very unique because I've done everything with them. I've done, you know, out of the box, full-ass curriculums, we've done co-ops, we've done Montessori situations and right now we are definitely on the unschooling spectrum. I don't, I barely will do.
Speaker 2:I don't know if you've heard of the five hour school week, but I really love that book. If you haven't heard of it, it's really. Yeah, I'll have to text you that the five hour school week and then another one that I read once a week a year not a week, that'd be funny Is a book called Homeschool. Bravely, very short, easy read. And that book, man, it really kicks me in my butt when I'm kind of, you know, doubting my ability. I think that's the thing that people need to realize is on a daily basis. I doubt if I'm cut for this, and I think even down to my youngest, who's six, and my oldest to 14, I'm sure I'll be doubting myself until he turns 18, the youngest, because this is a huge call, this is a huge deal, and you know when, when, when you drop your children off and this is obviously what the norm for society you can blame the principal, you can blame the pastor, you can blame everyone else, but you know what here, if I'm raising a serial killer, I can only blame myself at this point because I'm not. But you know, it's like, yeah, that's a big deal, and I I will say this too, although my husband was the one that was like we're going to do this, he doesn't do it, I do it. I'm not saying, you know, when it comes to the life skills and, oh my gosh, the things that my sons are able to learn because they can go to work with dad or you know, real life, hands-on things that boys actually want to learn, like I've seen your son all the time in the backyard. I love that. That's school, in my opinion, but when it comes down to sitting down and teaching a kid to read, it's me, yeah, and you know, one of the one of the best things I would say, though, too, because I've done so many different kinds of homeschool with them, is just allow your homeschool journey to grow with your family and change.
Speaker 2:I'll never forget when I had my oldest, who's 14 now, in his co-op homeschool the tutor and she was amazing because they had a tutor back then in this co-op and she's like, if it wasn't for his younger brother coming up right behind him, we should have him stay back. He's not at the reading level. And, man, that was my first year homeschooling and I was like I'm failing. I called up my husband and he got so pissed off. He's like, first of all, he's homeschooled, so there's no grades. He's like, second of all, he's perfect. You're doing, you know, and it's. It's always the best thing I ever heard from this veteran homeschool mom. She did it like literally. She was probably Amish. She had like eight kids. I'm being mean, but anyway, you get the point. She fit the mold of what homeschool was. And Jamie Tworkowski, she's not listening to this live Lillian.
Speaker 2:Lambert, she's not listening, she doesn't have the internet, you know. No, and I'll never forget. I was like you know he's behind. And she looked at me and she said behind who? And I was like, well, now that you say that I don't know who is he, who is he behind? Because the thing is, is our kids? They catch up and look like anything else in any other trade. You learn, or anytime you go live for the first time. How bad was your first podcast episode? I'm sure it was bad, terrible, as you grow, as they grow.
Speaker 2:The other thing is my son. He's going to here on the island and marathon in the Keys they have a pilot school for homeschool kids. This kid's going to be flying a jet plane maybe not a jet, but a plane as a teenager. Now, find me one school that will allow your 14, 15-year-old to learn how an airplane Like? No, what are the Hollywood celebrities that we can't stand do their kids are homeschooled Like? They're not sticking their kids in this rat race BS. And I'm not again, I'm not saying I'm a public school grad over here and I think I'm pretty cool and I you know that's the other one that comes up a lot and I know you didn't ask this, but I think you'll laugh because we hear it all the time. It's the social socialization thing. Right, you would have to lock your kid up in an effing closet and actually be raising a serial killer. Um, for your child not to be social, seriously, like, think about it. The weird kid in public school in New Jersey or New York is the weird kid in homeschool. It's the parents, it's not the freaking socialization. No, I'm all about child led and again, I'm not saying that I don't throw it like my kids have never, ever gotten a grade and people are like how? And I'm like, we take the test, I look at it, I look it over, you got these three wrong. Then we relearn it and then we move on from that once the concept is learned.
Speaker 2:One thing that works for us too is is from the 14 year old down to the six year old. Let the six year old sit in on these lessons. I'm a I'm a one table kind of girly and I'm not saying that that works all the time. I have to separate the teenagers from the younger kids a lot when I'm doing like a new concept and there's lots. I'm a yeller because I'm from North Jersey and Greek, and you know. So I'm not over here like, okay, fam, like I'm not her. If you think I'm the, the homeschool teacher, that's like. You know what I'm talking about. They, you see this, some of these accounts on Instagram you're like, wow, I'm not that great, I'm not her. But you know, I let my savage Luke sit in on a lesson that no school would let a six year old in on.
Speaker 2:And, by the way, from the top down, the kids, the older kids, are learning patience. They're learning you know how to slow down and talk to their six year old brother. And then the six year olds, you know learning to, to be more mature. And that's another thing. I can't tell you how many times people will walk up to us and they're like your kids are so well behaved and I'm like I don't know because I'm not really around that many other children on a daily basis, but it's because I know that, it's because we allow our children, as homeschooled kids, to be in adult situations that a school wouldn't let them be in, and so they can have these conversations with like an 80-year-old.
Speaker 2:You know whoever you think is successful. And there's no disconnect, because I've never talked to my kids like they were. You know, I mean like a kid, but you understand what I'm saying. They're in these adult situations where they're able to use their brains and they're not told to shut up and sit down and you know, just it's. It's impossible for you to really get gauge every child in the classroom. I feel so bad for these teachers because you have gifted children, you have kids that take a little more time and it's like did you see that study? I shared it to you know, talk my, you know what, a couple weeks ago, and it was like I don't remember the state and don't quote me, maybe Ohio, I don't know. And it was like 90% of the kids aren't at their reading level.
Speaker 1:And here we are as homeschool parents, like doubting ourselves all right, and again going back to what I said, their days are long.
Speaker 2:I know school for water, so why are the?
Speaker 1:reading levels going down, but they're not teaching kids to love reading. They're teaching them how to read so that they can pass a test, so that they can stop reading once they've graduated. That's what you know kids. That's how kids in school look at it.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:And I do. I love that like that you're just being honest about, yes, I yell, or yes, you know it doesn't always go as planned, but I mean I think, when you think about the school, do you think the teachers are not yelling at the kids? I mean they'd have to be, I mean should I go get some tinfoil.
Speaker 1:Because, like I, I can't. I mean, my two make me go crazy, so I can't imagine a classroom of 30, like you'd have to literally be a saint to never yell at these kids. So what I? The way I look at it as okay, I yelled at them, but now we have the opportunity for me to either, if I was in the wrong, to apologize.
Speaker 2:That's a lesson.
Speaker 1:Teach my kids what being sorry and apologizing and moving forward is. Or you know, maybe they really did do something wrong and you know, I'm there to see it, to witness it and to correct their behavior for next time. And you know, I'm there to see it, to witness it and to correct their behavior for next time. Exactly. But or you or you, just you have this stranger Like I still remember. I don't remember much from school, but I remember our chemistry teacher just losing it and he just took a ruler and started smacking the desk.
Speaker 1:You probably need more teachers like that. I still feel bad for that guy because he probably is still like mad at himself for that, but I'm like I really know, I know well, think about it too.
Speaker 2:I'm sure you've seen that meme on TikTok or something, where it's like I would never die for my kids or kill for my kids which I think you and I are those moms that absolutely we would and you think about how we would walk through fire for these children that God gave us, and then we also lose our complete shit on these children that God gave us, and then we also lose our complete shit on these children that God gave us, and so, of course, a stranger is not going to have the fortitude and the patience If we don't have it. These are our hearts living outside of our body, and no one knows your kids better than you no one. You don't need to have your college education, you don't need to be have a special education. You know doctorate to be able to school your kids. And the other thing is we're in 2025. All right, we have chat, gpt, we have AI, we have all the like. There is no excuse. Youtube, I believe, is the future of all education. Name one person that doesn't search a video up on YouTube and learn something from it. And so we need to, like I said to you in the beginning, take a harder look at, use the resources, find your village, whether it's a co-op.
Speaker 2:Right now I'm like a real big rebel and I don't do any of that, but like I feel like a mad scientist. I like this math. Okay, we're going to keep this one. Oh, this English is not working for my 10 year old's. Try this one. Free resources like khan academy and total twins youtube channel and just all these different beautiful places. You know, think, think back to like.
Speaker 2:I said to you 100 years ago where I always joke with a lot of my clients and people that I mentor with business, like these housewives didn't have the ability to go live and find a community and talk to other women. They felt, felt so alone. You are not alone. The homeschool tribe is out there. You just need to look a little harder for them and use the resources, maybe for a period of time.
Speaker 2:Right now, my 10-year-old kid does not want to learn from me. Right now we're in a stage I don't know. I never had any of my other ones. It's tough on me. I will use something like out school. If there's a concept that you know I suck at math, girl, I suck at it. So, between my husband and tutors. My kids will. They'll figure, we'll get there, you know. But another funny thing and I kind of go off the beaten path with it is like when do you use, unless you're an engineer, there's very small specific sub. You know algebra and the square root of this and all this I mean, unless that's the route you and you'll know as you go with your kid and learn their learning style and all that. We don't. There's so much fluff, there's so much wasted time and I know you talk about this all the time. I'm able to get through what a teacher with 30 kids would take her the whole day. I could do that in an hour, easy. And you're talking six to 14 years old.
Speaker 1:So what does your day look like? With your kids, with your boys?
Speaker 2:So right now, what we are doing is we have two solid days of homeschool. As far as you're going to sit down and you're going to shut up no, I'm kidding, I'm not really kidding, though You're going to sit down and when you have your kids, once they can learn to read and write, you're able to hand them this and be like sit over here, I love you Do that. One hack is you know, get headphones. So the older boys I'll give them headphones. Whether you play Beethoven or you know, little Wayne, that's up to you. Use your discretion. But like I let my kids the older ones put headphones on and draw out the little kids, cause it can be a little frustrating, especially my six year old. So I'll sit down, I'll hand the older boys 13 and 14, their work, whether they put headphones on or not, whether they go, crawl back in bed and do their work, it's totally up to them. And then round table once and honestly, it's phonics. That is the hardest when you have a bunch of different age groups. You want to really just like dial in with your kids as far as that goes. But we'll do that. Let's say 45 minutes, and then, when the boys are done, the older ones and I'm done with the concept. With the younger boys we come back to the table and we'll do total twins together. Constitution work. We'll do a science you know project. We'll do total twins together. Constitution work. We'll do a science, you know, project yesterday.
Speaker 2:Another thing is when, if you're pushing it and pushing it and it's just not happening, just stop, just go find, go find a recipe and have the kids that are driving you, bonkers, go cook. That's what we did yesterday. I was like I'm going to this is not working. So but because I've been doing it for so long, I realized I'm behind, no one and they're going to get it Just like. When a new mom comes to me and says I can't get my kid to give up his passive or his you know potty, train him, I'm like they're not going to be 21 walking down the aisle with a pacifier. I promise you that.
Speaker 1:You guys know I am a big fan of the Tuttle twins. I had Connor Boyack, the writer of these books, on episode 24. I reached out to his company asking to let me be an affiliate because I strongly believe in their books and their message. In the H5-11 book series, which I read to my son all the time I mean, he actually asks us to read these books with him.
Speaker 1:Book five, road to Serfdom, talks about what happens to a local town with local businesses when corporations start moving in. Book six, the Golden Rule, talks all about Ethan and Emily's experience at summer camp through a series of cheating and manipulation on certain races that they're required to complete. It talks about how the golden rule of treating others how we want to be treated ourselves is how we all should be conducting our lives. Education Vacation talks about John Taylor Gatto and the creation of the school system and what it was actually intended to do, which you get to learn about by following Ethan and Emily on a trip to Europe. And book 11, the Messed Up Market, takes you through the journey of kids trying to create small businesses as they learn all the laws and rules that government has put in place to actually make it very difficult for them. You learn all about interest savings versus borrowing, low interest rates versus high interest rates, and supply and demand, and these are just some of the books in that series.
Speaker 1:I also want to let you know about some other books that the Tuttle Twins have out America's History, volume 1 and 2, which teaches all about the inspiring ideas of America's founding without the bias and hidden agendas that's found in other history books for kids and most likely in the schools. There's also books on how to identify fallacies, modern day villains all stuff that we want to be talking to our kids about. Whether you homeschool or not, these books bring up important discussions that we should be having with our children. Use the link in my show's description or at thehomeschoolhowtocom under listener discounts.
Speaker 2:So you know, not that we don't do hard things, but when you have days like that, I'm definitely the woman that like closes the book and I'm like screw this, like go, go, do your thing. But so once the older kids do their concept the younger ones, you know then we'll do some round, table something together and then that's it. That's the whole day. And when I say to you, I only do it two days a week, Every day that your child is awake, their eyes are open, they're learning. They might be learning really shitty behavior of what their marriage is, or they might be learning you know politics from listening to the freaking podcast or news you have on in the background, but they're learning. And so I would challenge you to rethink not you but anyone listening to this your kids' eyes, they're open, they're learning, and so that's the whole mentality of child led and unschooling. Is, you know, being able to realize that? My kid, he went to school. If you really want to know, they do 12 hours a day of school because their eyes are open, and that should make you and whoever's listening to this feel so much better.
Speaker 2:Going back to the 14 year old, when he was six in the co-op and that tutor she was a sweetheart said you know, he needs to stay back. Do you want to know what I did? You're going to laugh. I took both boys because I had them in um, it was kindergarten co-op and then they said he should stay back and my husband was like no, and the following year I was pregnant with our fourth and I'm I'm not a cute pregnant person, I'm dying, basically and I was like I can't drop these boys off. This is not working.
Speaker 2:I pulled my six-year-old and my five-year-old out of this Christian co-op Girl. We did zero, zero worksheets, zero work that entire year. Now, where I am in my homeschool journey, now my six-year-old, I don't even make him sit down for any work. I told you he'll listen to the older kids, but I've evolved as far as that goes. I don't think children and this is an unpopular opinion should be sitting down. Trying, especially boys until seven years old, is what I've learned with four boys that I've homeschooled. That doesn't mean they're not learning.
Speaker 1:That's what Finland does.
Speaker 2:Seven years old, unschooled. That doesn't mean they're not learning. That's what Finland does. Seven years old, yep. And that is like someone said to me the other day isn't Luke in first grade? And I kind of looked at them like no, no, he's not, he's not, but he anyway. Going back to what I was saying, I took that whole year off and guess who was reading at a third grade level by the end of that year? The kid that they said stay back. And that was literally just from daily life. It was from. You know. I'm not saying I didn't read to him every day, I'm not saying he wasn't.
Speaker 2:Another funny one is put the closed captions on when you watch a show. Yeah, such a lazy homeschool hack. Because their little eyes are watching as the people are talking and they're seeing the words. Because so much of frickin school is memorization yeah, memorizing facts that are useless. But obviously we need to learn how to read. But yeah, no, we took the year off. Kid was on third grade level, but by the time he went into second grade and we didn't even we didn't do any sit down school. So God does these little forehead flicks or nudges in my life and I can only speak with confidence because I've messed up so many times and I have the proof in the pudding of a 14 year old now, whereas you know, a new homeschool mom's like, oh my gosh, I'm going to screw this kid up or I'm pulling my kid out in second, whatever it is, um, I, I, I sound confident because I have my Guinea pigs. That I've, I've, I see the proof. You know, um, and yeah. So that that's one story I always like to tell people when they're doubting their ability. And if God has called you to it, you got this and rely and find your tribe.
Speaker 2:Listen to the homeschool podcast. Ask the questions. None of us have this figured out, none of us. So, yeah, and we don't do any. My children have never taken one standardized test. I don't give them grades. I do spelling tests because you need to learn how to spell, but you know, when it comes to, you know, as the mother like, you know if your kid got it, and that's when we move on about homeschool.
Speaker 2:Freedom is when you have a child my 10 year old, the one that's giving me a run for my money right now with phonics and reading and everything he's creative. He's like going to be the next. You know, I don't even know what he. He gets a lot of that for me. So I'm I handed him a camera the other day. I have an extra vlogging camera. Um, I make all my money and everything from social media and editing and I'm like here's a, here's a camera, go do something with this thing. And he's like, really. And I'm like, yeah, so you know, he's running around and he'll my 13 year old. He'll be 13, he's 12.
Speaker 2:He started a whole ass YouTube channel with my permission and I will never name drop it because I don't need crazies going to watch it. But it's a gaming channel because he has more free time, because he's homeschooled and you never see his face or anything. He taught himself how to edit the videos, how to put captions over it, hashtags. This is the future of all marketing and all businesses. And he's teaching himself this at 12 years old because he has the time. That's the other thing. When you homeschool, then your kids are able to figure out. One thing that traps my ass, girl is why are we asking 18 year old children what they want to be when they grow up?
Speaker 1:Like bro, your brain isn't even it's not even developed.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:But again going back to that, but no one's laid out all the jobs for them that are going to be available in five to 10 years and say which one would you like? Yeah, just give us $200,000 of your money. In fact, we'll just, you know, we'll just put it up. The taxpayers can actually pay it, but you know we'll, someone's going to pay that debt. For you to decide right now, without knowing all the jobs that exist, what you want to be, and it's, and we're all just okay, We're're all like.
Speaker 1:I got a four-year degree for what same same, and I am learning like your son how to edit videos right.
Speaker 2:And I'm not saying, by the way, I mean I I'm very unconventional. I'm like, oh yeah, because youtubers literally are billionaires out there, but like I'm not saying that he's going that will be his profession. I'm not saying that, but that is a again, just like your son in the backyard doing what he's doing with your husband. These are life skills that an 18 year old that graduates from the best private school in New Jersey or New York they don't have. They don't have them, they don't have them. And so the truly well-rounded child is the ones that have the are bored and they get the opportunity to figure out and try different trades and all that. And again, going back to me being so unconventional with my tinfoil hat, I absolutely can't stand the whole college push down everyone's throat thing. By the way, homeschool kids are scouted by all the Ivy league. If you want to go there, if that's important to whoever's listening to this and you're like, okay, four-year degree, want to go there. If that's important to whoever's listening to this and you're like, okay, four-year degree, whatever, get their PhD. But you know, learn a trade, learn a trade. And if one of four of my kids that I don't really want to go to college end up going to college. I fully support that and I will make sure that they do all the tests and have all the SATs.
Speaker 2:But again, going back to every we know our kids best and again, again, not to get emotional as the mom guilt we all have and share is like I blinked and I have a 14 year old, 6'2 man child and I can't even imagine if I have been dropping them off five days a week for six hours, how much more I would be like, not not if that's all you know, it's all you know, but like going back to never regretting the time you spend with your kids. I don't have any regret with that. These kids are with me through and through. And just like you were saying, when we lose our patients, of course we lose our patients. We're with them 24 damn seven. I'm over here hiding from my kids to do this and so you know I'm able. Like you said, there's lessons. When I said to you, if your eyes are open, you're learning. When, when you screw up, if I drop an f-bomb to my 14 year old and I'm wrong in that situation I'm not always wrong, but if I was wrong, there's so many valuable character lessons and, like you said, asking for forgiveness, saying I'm a human um, watching because my husband works from home a lot like watching. They watch me do my editing my videos. They watch me lead a zoom on a podcast like your kid. You're setting such a beautiful example and you don't even realize it and teaching your kids these life skills that they wouldn't learn. And who knows them best? Us, and there it's not. It's not the Amish homeschool, even though I would love. I want to go hang out with the Amish because they got it all figured out over there.
Speaker 2:Seriously, like in 2020, did you see the meme where the guy's like so the Amish were right all along? You know, but listen, it's not like that. This is not. You know, I'm not in my apron. I know trad wives is trending. I am a trad wife, I just don't look like one in. I know Tradwives is trending. I am a Tradwife, I just don't look like one.
Speaker 2:But at the same time, like I said, there's so many different resources. My bigger page was hi, we're on Freethinkology. Real Raising Cubs is my actual page that I'm on all the time and because of 2020, I'm banned from going live. But over there on that page, like've always shared, um, just the realness of just like. You can do this if you, you have to be a little delusional, but um and, and there's hard days, but it's always worth it. I'm sure you, I love that you're able to compare both versions of who you are and how you show up for your family and you'll be able to see the difference. You know, I saw you did a post or maybe it was your, your um story when you were saying, like, in the morning, I think it was the cuddles or something and I'm like it's so true, we take these things for granted and you know it's amazing and I'm just again, there's bad days, but just, you'll do what's a priority and if you feel like it's not working as far as conventional school, try it out. It's not, like I said, a marriage. You can. You can use so many. What about these hybrid schools that they do? Or with online, like I said to you, out school I think it's called, I'm pretty sure, out school you have a million tutors and teachers at your fingertips for a great price if you, if you're struggling with one of your kids, um, but yeah, no, like one of my.
Speaker 2:The other thing is my 14 year old. At 14, even though he is a man child, he's still a child. Yeah, like he and again, I know it's gonna happen I know he's gonna want a girlfriend and I know all the but like he's, he's very innocent. He's still like as someone that I don't feel like. My childhood was protected and I went to public school and went to college. I take pride in that that he's still a kid and I understand that that's not for everyone, but I'm, like, so grateful for that. You know he's, he's not, he's not.
Speaker 2:Um, you know, I don't need to say the things that I'm thinking that we see. And then the other thing that we haven't mentioned, which we don't need to say, the things that I'm thinking that we see, and then the other thing that we haven't mentioned, which we don't need to go here if you don't want to, is what kind of freaking values are they shoving down our kids' throats? You know, especially in these more liberal cities. You know, and I'm not saying, oh, conservatives, we have it all figured out perfectly. I'm not saying that because I know of Christian schools that are like cults. So I'm just saying in general, like what I teach my kids we also show up and the values of that are the main thing. And one other thing I'll say to you is, with the whole seven year old thing that I get canceled all the time for saying I don't make Lukey sit down for school, which he does a little bit, is I lost my train of thought? Where was I going to go with it? I don't know. You don't make the seven-year-old sit down.
Speaker 1:You don't make the seven-year-old sit down for like formal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I forgot they might come back.
Speaker 1:But the conservative schools I mean any school, public schools, private schools they're all getting funding from some sort of government thing.
Speaker 1:Our school down the road I mean yes, I'm in New York, but it's kind of like a more country area and there was a pamphlet or a flyer and it said make trans dreams a reality, in the hallway of the middle school and I thought a student like painted it in art class and I was like, well, I mean, yeah, I guess they're not going to not hang it up. You have to honor that. But I did take a picture of it and my friend said there's a logo in the bottom of that and it was, yeah, a logo from a nonprofit organization, from a government, but that they I don't know if they're nonprofit, but they were giving money to the school. So therefore the school was putting up their agenda and it's this whole cyclical thing and same with the testing. It's like if you're accepting funding, you have to do what they say.
Speaker 1:And private school is no different, private schools are masking too during COVID, because they're accepting funding from the government. So the only way really to get out of that. Like you said, there are hybrid schools popping up. I see some in our area. We've got learning centers. They can kind of beat around the bush from, you know and avoid having to do the restrictions that New York might make them do by being called a learning center or a space. I think that's what it is. It can't be a learning center, but it can be a space.
Speaker 1:So, now it sounds like a cult because of the word the space, but that's essentially. Yeah, they're finding different ways to educate kids in group settings, or you know moms and dads that both work and you know want you know someone to take hold of of a little bit of that responsibility. I I see that being the future of education and and and public education is going to end up being like the welfare of education.
Speaker 2:No, literally. Yeah. Yeah, I remember now and I'll forget, so let me tell you what I was going to say. With the seven-year-old thing or this, you know, not doing sit-down school is, honestly, until double digits. All I care about is your character. That's the only thing I really care about. And if you have that mindset with your son or your daughter I'm not saying that the you know let your daughter, if she's like, oh, I want to learn math and this and that, but like if we could, as parents, focus more, not on the tests and grades and SATs and what do you want? You know all that pressure, but I want to raise a good human. So if you're being a little shit with your brother, I always tell my boys if you can't be a good brother, you can't be good at anything. This is the first relationship that you have, so figure it out. I love it.
Speaker 2:But yeah, and going back to what you're saying with the schools, you wouldn't believe. I mean, I get a lot of trolls, but I get a lot of women teachers that are leaving their public school situation and pulling their kids out, the whole furry thing. Like, do we want to go there? They're giving kids adolescence being a five-year-old being a teenager. I have two teenagers, man. Boys are emotional If you think that the girls are the only ones. Boys are too. They get their period, but not really.
Speaker 2:Okay, think of how confusing it is If we tried to go back to our that time of our life. Yeah, and now you're going to say you could be a dog, you could be like. I mean, yeah, no, use your imagination, but I'm like there. I had a teacher reach out to me six months ago on my DMS. I screenshot it, I have to find it for you. They had litter boxes litter boxes for the fricking eight year old.
Speaker 2:Yes, we're confused enough, right? So you don't need to be like fostering that with children. You know, whatever your belief system is where I'm not here to, I know what I believe, I know what the Bible says and my kids are not little jerks. I mean, I'll go as far. I don't want to say it on here, but you know the jolly fat man. We don't even do that Like um and I don't, and that's because my husband and I, our outlook on parenting from day one was why did we do that? Why did they do that with us? How did we feel when we found out the jolly fat man was a hoax or whatever it is, and we kind of just looked at each other like not doing it, yeah, no you're so right, and I have a homeschool family that I'm friends with and he goes well.
Speaker 1:if I'm going to teach my kids that there is a God and no, and just to preface, we do do, yeah, yeah, like it's like okay you get one gift and I'm I feel guilty about it every time.
Speaker 2:No, no girl, do you? That's?
Speaker 1:me he goes. I'm not going to teach my kids that there is someone that they can't see, that they need to believe in, that is gonna reward them for being good. And then also tell them there's a Santa, and then one day tell them Santa doesn't exist.
Speaker 1:And I was like, oh, that makes so much sense that I said to my sister-in-law this year at Christmas, cause I am the conspiracy theorist that like ruins everything for everybody all the time. And she was like saying how you know, like I think I was. Oh, they were making fun of me because we only have our son get one present from Santa on Christmas. And and um, they were like how can you do that? You're ruining his Christmas. And I was like, well, it's satanic anyway. And they're like what?
Speaker 2:no, oh my gosh, yeah, I mean let's come around, it's satan no, I mean, I'll never forget when my first son was uh, you know, when we were figuring this all out, because obviously we grow as humans, and I was a child who had a child, basically, and my mom, she cried so hard and she was like you're gonna ruin his this and that. And I mean we didn't do Halloween either. And again, this is not shit, by the way my kids get a million gifts on Christmas. So, like you do it better than me, you do it more modest than me.
Speaker 1:We give, we give him gifts from parents and then, like Santa, left one.
Speaker 2:So yeah, but what's the beauty of us being in 2025 as women and and, like I said, with this live, being able to communicate and connect like this is. I have friends that do do the jolly man and I respect them and love them and they look at me and my kids are able because, again, going back to focusing on character, not one of my sons have ever ruined that surprise for another kid, because I'm not raising little a-holes like you. Don't like, no like. Let let the kids have their dream, their imagine. You know all that.
Speaker 2:Um, we did Snoop on a stoop this year because we never did like the elf thing and it was the funniest thing and the young kids thought it knew that we were moving him around. But, going back to what you said about the friend local, when I found out the fat man wasn't real, it it ruined me and I think that was because and I don't want to speak for you, but I didn't have the cookie cutter upbringing and I almost felt like he was like my dad, yeah, or something, and and so when I found out, when I found out, it really rocked me, it did not rock my husband um, for my husband, like no christmas was ever the same ever I had children.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah yeah, and man, that magic of it, like I would love and you can still I I guess I would challenge anyone listening to this just really think through why you do what you do. I think there's way too many lab rats that are just doing it because, oh my, my parents did this or my family did that, and you know I fully support, like if my son's one day because you know, if you've seen anything I share my oldest son was injured from a well visit and so it really, and I went to nursing school and it put my whole worldview not to go off topic, but we can do that for another day on your podcast of you know the medical system and pharma and everything, and I don't want to get you unable to go live, so I'll shut my mouth now, but every everything I was taught, whether it was from college or my upbringing, you know I'm I never take anything at face value and I I'm raising four other sons who will treasure their wives and cook for their wives and also know how to shoot a gun and also, if they want to do Santa Claus, I'm going to fully say I just just think, use your brain and and and don't do it because everyone else is doing it, and I think that's what we're doing in raising these, these, this next generation of homeschooled kids. And the beautiful thing that happened in 2020 is I saw a revolution before my damn eyes where I was like the 1% that shared her life online and homeschooled and people followed me because of that. Then it was like a homeschool revolution, just like people going, you know, buying Bibles again and and going to church. You know, I am seeing the trajectory going in the direction that I would love to see it.
Speaker 2:And look, the beauty of us being free in America is we all don't have to agree and we all can learn something from each other. So, if you are someone that has your kid in school, try to put your phone down when they get home. If homeschooling is not for you but I'm assuming you're listening to this because you're intrigued, or you you're like these crazies over here um, put the phone away. Connect with your kids. If it's not something that you you want to do, um, but yeah, no, I, a full circle moment is my advice.
Speaker 2:I know you said it and I don't know if we have to cap this at a certain time yeah, if I can head out at one yeah, if I could give any advice to you, to anyone, whoever who might be looking at me, one thinking that I'm a badass and I got it all figured out is I don't. I don't have it figured out, girl, I'm winging it in my business with my kids and my marriage, but it's working out for me. But also, do not make school your homeschool look like school. Do not make school your homeschool look like school. Do not do that. I had I built a custom home in South Carolina with a whole ass.
Speaker 2:It had like a library for the homeschool room. We never used it. We never used it. Okay, if you have a little, a little tote and you put all that like you don't have to have money to do this, you don't. You know you can do this and stop trying to make it look like conventional schooling.
Speaker 2:And homeschool is about freedom. It's not about making school at home look like school you know, at public school or private school. And trust yourself, trust yourself, trust, trust the fact that if God put it on you that you can do this and that's that's all I would. I would like to tell Jackie from 10 years ago is you got this put on your headphones and just ignore the rest. Like we, we are badasses, all, all moms, homeschool moms, working moms, trad wives, not trad wives, and it's hard enough. So we need to stop joining in on this cancel campaign of like, oh well, they homeschool so they can be my friend or they have their kid. No, no, it's hard enough. Being a mom like we can unite and so, yeah, if your kids eyes are open, they're learning, and I don't know it's, it's, it's a journey for sure, and I can get on here another 10 years when I have like a 20 year old, which is petrifying and we could talk about it some more.
Speaker 1:Well, hopefully we'll touch base before then, cause I've had so much fun and I just want to touch on too. You know and that was a big thing, a big fear of mine what are my kids going to miss out on? But you know what? We didn't celebrate Halloween this year for the first time, but you know what we did? We had probably seven homeschooling families over our house and the kids I said wear a costume if you want, don't worry if you don't want.
Speaker 1:We did in the woods, I did a little storybook. There was things for them to find in the woods. They played manhunt when it got dark, like it was so much fun way more fun than I've ever had on Halloween, even in my college years, I would. You know it's like. So you don't you think about the prom and the football games? Oh, they'll be missing out, but that's only because that's what you know.
Speaker 2:Think about all the things you can create for your kids that are even more special Thank you so much for being here today.
Speaker 1:Um, I am going to save this um on my Instagram. I'm going to collaborate with you on your Instagram pages and I'm going to release it as a podcast episode probably YouTube as well, but where can people find you if they want to like?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah. So my main account is real raising cubs, which they're getting older now, but it's cause I'm the lioness and their mama whatever you want to call me over here, so it's real raising cubs. And then I have a coaching page. It's free thinkology, that's what we're live on today. And then I do have a podcast, but it's not for homeschooling, it's for girl, yeah, and so you want to.
Speaker 1:you want to wear your earmuffs. If you're Amish, don't walk in there, yeah no, Amish will not like it. Or like, if you just want, like super entertaining and and talk and not for kids creative thinking yeah, not for kids.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not for kids. But yeah, thank you so much for having me on. I'd love to come back. I mean, yeah, I'm here anytime you guys want to talk more about this.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Thank you so much, of course. Thank you. Thank you for tuning into this week's episode of the homeschool how to. If you've enjoyed what you heard and you'd like to contribute to the show, please consider leaving a small tip using the link in my show's description. Or, if you'd rather, please use the link in the description to share this podcast with a friend or on your favorite homeschool group Facebook page. Any effort to help us keep the podcast going is greatly appreciated. Thank you for tuning in and for your love of the next generation.