If you want to support the channel, like, comment, share, or consider buying me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhsclub

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Join Book Club

• Grab a copy of the book "A Well-Trained Wife" by Tia Levings: https://bookshop.org/a/128680/9781250898050
• Follow for updates on the email newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/
• Join the discussion over on the Fable App: https://fable.co/club/ex-homeschoolers-book-club-with-jacob-gooden-585330795145

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On today's show, I dive deep into my personal journey growing up as a homeschool kid in Southern California. From starting out in public school to transitioning into home education for 2nd grade and going all the way through high school, this is a candid reflection on how my upbringing shaped my independence, routine, and confidence. I open up about the positive aspects (such as building strong time-management skills and thriving in unique extracurriculars like swing dancing and mime troupe) while addressing the flaws, including creationist-focused science curricula and a lack of exposure to diverse worldviews. Finally, I share my current perspective on the homeschool debate, advocating for common-sense regulations to protect children while emphasizing the need for nuanced, open conversations.

Key Takeaways

• Transitioning to homeschooling requires intentional structure, but finding the right curriculum and building a strong local community are key to long-term social and academic success.
• Experiencing home education can foster strong self-reliance, time-management capabilities, and the flexibility to pursue unique hobbies or business ventures.
• A lack of diverse perspectives in faith-based curricula, particularly around science and contrasting worldviews, can create significant knowledge gaps later in life.
• Evaluating homeschooling should be done on a case-by-case basis, with an emphasis on common-sense regulations to ensure child safety and educational standards.

Favorite Quote

"It's not as simple as yes regulation, no regulation. Like, it's not as simple as just saying, 'Let's take existing rules and slap them on this thing.' It's not that easy. It's very much a conversation that needs to continue to happen and evolve with lawmakers, with alumni, with current homeschool families, with the education systems that are building the curriculums that are being used for kids." — Jacob Gooden

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Support the Show

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Message Me On Socials

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome To The Ex-Homeschoolers Club

01:33 Support The Show and Join Book Club

03:30 My Homeschool Experience

18:39 Homeschooling Is A Privilege

19:47 Getting Into College

24:41 If You've Got Questions, Ask Them

25:12 Would I Have Succeeded In Public School?

27:24 3 Thing I Liked About My Homeschool Experience

33:17 Some Things I'd Change About My Homeschool Experience

39:55 Where Do I Stand Today With Homeschooling?

47:48 One Of The Biggest Criticisms Of The Show

48:55 Do You Want To Be A Guest On The Show?

54:13 Recap and Wrap Up

Jodie is currently looking for people to participate in her documentary, including homeschool alumni, educators, people with experience in law or politics, and anyone with relevant experience to share.

Reach out to her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodie_justice/

Jodie was homeschooled from preschool through high school in a very Christian, Independent Baptist environment. Her mom gave her a lot of freedom to explore subjects she was interested in, but often relied on textbooks and self-teaching instead of actually teaching the material. Over time, Jodie fell behind academically (especially in math) and entered college realizing just how many educational gaps she had to overcome.

In this episode, Jodie shares what it was like discovering that college was even an option, catching up academically as an adult, and realizing how homeschooling had affected her. We also talk about religious deconstruction, coming out as gay, family reactions, and the supportive role her wife has played. Jodie also shares her plans for a documentary exploring homeschooling, its lack of regulation, and the stories of people affected by it.

In this episode, we talk about...

• Growing up in a strict Christian homeschool environment
• The challenges of self-teaching and falling behind academically
• Entering college and discovering just how much catching up was necessary
• Religious deconstruction and coming out as gay
• Why Jodie believes homeschooling requires community, accountability, and support
• Her upcoming documentary about the realities of homeschooling

Connect with Jodie

Jodie is currently looking for people to participate in her documentary, including homeschool alumni, educators, people with experience in law or politics, and anyone with relevant experience to share.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodie_justice/

Support Ex-Homeschoolers Club

Have a story or thoughts you'd like to share? Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

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• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com
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If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who might benefit from hearing this story.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Jodi and the Show

00:31 Newsletter and Episode Setup

01:08 Jodi Homeschool Background

01:41 Curriculum Chaos and Sale Bins

03:50 Co-ops and the Church Bubble

05:34 Religion in the Mix

08:05 I Got To Pick My Electives But No One Was Teaching Me

11:05 Self-Teaching Lead To Me Falling Behind

16:46 Finding Motivation For College And Catching Up

22:17 Discoverying My Career Direction

24:39 The Making Of A Homeschool Documentary

26:24 Unregulated Homeschooling Reality

29:10 Realizing How Homeschool Harmed Me

30:20 Finding Ex-Homeschool Support

31:16 How Educated By Tara Westover Radicalized Me

34:06 Grieving The Past And Rebuilding For The Future

36:59 Partner Support System

41:18 What Did Coming Out Look Like For You?

49:29 Family Reactions To Coming Out

52:42 Where Do You Stand With Homeschooling Today?

56:40 Documentary Call For Help

59:41 Final Thanks And Wrap Up

If you want to support the channel, like, comment, share, or consider buying me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhsclub

Today, I'm sitting down with Rachael to unpack her experience growing up homeschooled in a deeply evangelical Christian environment. Rachael shares how undiagnosed ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia made school difficult while the pressure to be a “perfect” homeschool kid led her to blame herself rather than question the system. She also talks about purity culture, rigid gender roles, the pressure to discover God’s perfect plan for her life, and why she felt completely unprepared to launch into adulthood after graduation. Her journey eventually took her to YWAM and overseas to Thailand, where new experiences helped her begin recognizing emotions she had spent years denying (including anger). Today, Rachael is working through years of religious deconstruction and therapy while reconnecting with the creativity and artistic identity she once felt ashamed to embrace.

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who might benefit from hearing this story.

Connect with me

• BuyMeACoffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhsclub
• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub
• Newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/
• Substack: https://exhsclub.substack.com

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back To The Ex-Homeschoolers Club

00:41 Meet Rachel

02:02 How Cancer Traumatized A Family

05:19 What The Early Years Of Homeschooling Looked Like

08:28 The Struggle Of Undiagnosed Learning Struggles

11:23 How Faith Fostered An Environment Of Perfectionism

15:00 What Did Homeschool Community Look Like For You?

19:11 What Role Did Gender Roles And Purity Culture Play In Your Life?

22:11 Moving To Colorado

26:50 Finding Homeschool Friends Via Seminary

29:25 Taking Public School Classes As A Homeschooler

33:36 Homeschool Hierarchy Pressure

36:19 Preparing Your Kids To Launch Into Adulthood

37:50 Rachael Was Unprepared To Launch

41:47 Crashing After High School Graduation

43:42 What Is Gods Will In My Life

47:35 Finding YWAM And Launching Into Adulthood

54:32 Red Flags Of YWAM

58:11 Discovering Anger

01:02:41 Find Myself And Reclaiming Creativity

01:08:35 Where Do You Stand With Homeschooling?

01:14:00 Find Your Self-Autonomy

01:16:19 Thanks For Tuning In