This week in the clubhouse, I'm sitting down with Lydia to unpack what it was like growing up homeschooled in a large “Fundy-lite” Christian family deeply influenced by Vision Forum culture, purity culture, and Quiverfull-adjacent ideology.

Lydia shares her experience being the oldest of seven children, navigating homeschool co-ops, modesty culture, conservative Christian college, and the immense pressure of becoming the “obedient oldest daughter.” Together, Jacob and Lydia explore how homeschool isolation can exist even inside large communities, the hidden emotional burden placed on oldest daughters, and the long process of deconstructing beliefs that shaped adulthood.

This conversation dives into homeschooling culture, Christian nationalism, purity culture, social isolation, and the struggle to build an identity outside of the expectations placed on homeschool kids.

Some Of The Things We Referenced

• I Kissed Dating Goodbye
• Homeschool Legal Defense Association
• Doug Phillips
• Shiny Happy People

Connect with Lydia

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@90shomeschooler
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/90shomeschooler/

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. Follow Ex-Homeschoolers Club on Instagram and TikTok for updates, and send us a message – we’d love to hear from you!

Connect with Jacob

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub
• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

Chapters

00:00 Let's Meet Lydia

01:03 Growing Up On A Fundie Lite Homestead

03:42 Is Virginia The Homeschool Hub

05:33 Why Lydia's Family Homeschooled

09:48 Did Your Homeschool Curriculum Prepare You For College

13:12 I Went To College To Meet My Husband

14:35 What Is Vision Forum

19:00 Were Are Parents Even Reading What They Were Giving Us

22:05 Did You Have A Homeschool Community

27:17 Socialization Isn't The Same As Real Friends

28:50 Did Big Family Dynamics Lead To Parentification

33:22 Was College A Culture Shock

37:58 Why College Didn’t Change Me

40:43 Moving Out Was The Catalyst For My Deconstruction

45:16 My Therapist Made Me Start A TikTok

50:31 Today's Risks Of Homeschooling

53:05 Embrace the Weird

This week on the podcast, I sat down with Jaycie to unpack what it was like growing up K–12 homeschooled in a deeply religious environment shaped by ACE curriculum, church culture, and isolation. From role-playing public school in her bedroom as a kid to struggling with depression and culture shock during college, Jaycie shares an honest look at how homeschooling shaped her relationships, faith, and transition into adulthood.

In this episode, we covered:

• ACE curriculum often prioritized religious ideology over deep academic learning
• Homeschool isolation can make transitions into adulthood and college extremely difficult
• Many homeschoolers develop strong self-teaching and research skills
• Fear-based religious messaging can make social connection feel unsafe
• College became both liberating and emotionally overwhelming
• COVID gave many former evangelicals space to reevaluate faith and church culture
• Public school and homeschooling both have tradeoffs, but involvement from parents matters most
• Creative freedom and independent learning were meaningful positives from homeschooling

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club

00:35 Jaycie's Homeschool Rundown

01:36 ACE Curriculum Breakdown

03:09 Pros and Cons of ACE

09:45 Church as Social Life

11:02 Moving Missouri to Texas

13:59 Senior Year Depression

16:35 College Culture Shock

26:39 Gods Not Dead Mindset

30:23 Dropping Out and Marriage

32:50 Faith Shift During COVID

36:49 Homeschooling Reconsidered

40:22 Choosing Public School

44:33 Art Career and Reading

50:40 Cringey Co Op Puppets

53:04 Wrap Up and Goodbye

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. Follow Ex-Homeschoolers Club on Instagram and TikTok for updates, and send us a message – we’d love to hear from you!

Connect with me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub
• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

This week on the podcast, I sat down with D.L. Mayfield for one of the most intense and thought-provoking conversations we’ve ever had on the Ex-Homeschoolers Club. We unpacked the influence of Focus on the Family, James Dobson, purity culture, and authoritarian parenting on an entire generation of homeschool kids — and what it means to revisit those ideas as adults.

Resources

• STRONGWILLED Project: https://www.strongwilledproject.com
• Coalition for Responsible Home Education

Chapters

00:00 Content Warning

00:14 Meet DL and Homeschool Roots

02:38 Pastor Kid Life and Moving Often

03:33 Reading Escape and Uneven Schooling

06:17 Public School Transition and Doomsday Prep

07:20 Host Reflections and Shared Homeschool Vibes

09:46 Focus on the Family in Childhood

10:31 Dobson Parenting and Abuse Enablers

13:38 Adventures in Odyssey Nostalgia vs Critique

16:49 Fascism Framework and Why Dobson Matters

21:48 Dobson Origins and Eugenics Links

24:06 Deconstruction Reaction and New Thesis

27:05 Porn Commission and Ignored Child Abuse

32:26 Predator Profiles and Forgiveness Culture

37:05 Wit as Trusted Authority

39:29 Imagination Station Lessons

42:53 Parenting Against Blind Trust

44:54 Authority and Homeschool Myths

46:26 Incest Denial and Epstein Parallels

50:45 Purity Culture and Male Lust

54:40 Girls Modesty and Predators

57:21 Forgiveness Without Justice

01:02:17 Stop Hitting Children

01:06:05 Listen to Kids and Reform

01:07:45 Strong Willed Resources

01:09:48 Late Bloomer Hope

01:11:42 Closing Thanks and Wrap

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. Follow Ex-Homeschoolers Club on Instagram and TikTok for updates, and send us a message – we’d love to hear from you!

Connect with Jacob

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub
• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

Want to be alerted when new episodes drop? Join the newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/RB returns to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club to share how his life has changed since his first appearance. After years of trauma therapy, RB opens up about receiving an adult ADHD diagnosis and how it reshaped his understanding of his past, his behaviors, and his identity. From navigating burnout after a “manic phase” of newfound freedom to finding the right medication and building healthier systems, RB offers an honest look at what healing actually looks like in real life. The conversation also explores homeschooling, generational trauma, digital boundaries, and how to live in the “gray” instead of black-and-white thinking. This episode is a deep dive into growth, self-awareness, and what it really means to move forward.Connect with RB:• RB on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/flyerbrown/⁠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. Follow Ex-Homeschoolers Club on Instagram and TikTok for updates, and send us a message – we’d love to hear from you!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclubEmail me at exhsclub@gmail.comChapters00:00 Welcome Back: RB Returns to the Ex Homeschoolers Club00:46 RB’s Homeschooling “Elevator Pitch” (States, Groups, and Religion)02:00 Homeschool Accountability & Why State Rules Matter04:40 Life Update: Adult ADHD Diagnosis—Why Get Tested Now?05:32 Trauma Therapy to “Manic Phase”: Freedom, Overcommitment, and Burnout12:24 Getting Evaluated: 6 Hours of Testing + Inattentive ADHD Explained17:55 Medication Journey: Non‑Stimulants, Ritalin Fears, and Doctor Oversight23:38 Dialing In Adderall + ADHD Coaching: Sleep, Phones, and Focus Loops28:28 Digital Boundaries & Circles of Trust (Notifications, Slack, After‑Hours)37:41 Reframing Childhood Through ADHD: The Pearl Harbor Paper & Healing the Story42:12 Trauma Isn’t the Event: Validating Your Past and Tracking Real Progress46:35 Seeing Parents as People: Generational Trauma, Estrangement, and Limits49:20 Breaking the Cycle: Becoming a Better Parent Than You Had49:42 From Black-and-White Faith to Living in the Gray52:13 Political Deconstruction: 2016, Voting, and the Right to Change57:26 Reframing the Past: Homeschooling Through Trauma & Poverty58:47 Pick Your Boat: Choosing a Cause Without Carrying Every Issue01:02:04 Healthcare Access 101: The ‘Boat’ He’s On and Why It Matters01:03:39 Fixing the System: Data Portability, QR Codes, and Killing the Fax Machine01:09:57 Owning Your Health Data: Consent, Walled Gardens, and Trust01:11:15 Crypto, AI, and Creativity: Where Tech Helps—and Where It Hurts01:24:25 Real Connection in a Digital World: Friends, Touch, and Sandlot Baseball01:28:20 Wrap-Up: Gratitude, Annual Check-Ins, and How to Share Your Story

Sign up for Day of the Homeschool Child: https://crhe.org/dothc

Get on the email newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/

Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

If you've been wondering what happened to the show, I'm answering all the questions today. As well as sharing some updates for things to come.

Chapters

00:00  Where have I been?

00:15 Welcome Back to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club

00:48  Life Update

05:40  Show Update

06:59 Special Announcements

07:03  Day of the Homeschool Child

09:10  Ex-Homeschooler Happy Hour

10:19  Book Club

11:25  Wanna Be A Guest?

14:50  Sign Up for the Newsletter

16:01  Thanks for being here

Subscribe to Un•Religiously on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnReligiously

What happens when a homeschooled teenager raised in a deeply evangelical environment suddenly enters a community college classroom filled with new ideas, identities, and worldviews?

In this episode of The Ex-Homeschoolers Club, I'm sitting down with YouTuber Lauren Howe, creator of the Un•Religiously channel, to talk about growing up homeschooled in a highly religious environment and navigating the massive culture shock of entering public education and college.

Lauren shares how her family originally started homeschooling due to learning challenges like ADHD, but over time became immersed in the evangelical homeschool culture of the early 2000s. She reflects on everything from joking that school buses were “prison buses” as a kid to grappling with evolution, gender identity, and even yoga classes for the first time in college.

The conversation explores both the benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling, the influence of homeschool culture beyond parents themselves, and the complicated process of reconciling faith with new perspectives.

Chapters

00:00 Sneak Peek

00:50 Welcome to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club

01:52 Lauren’s Background

04:09 Is Public School Really That Bad?

07:11 Homeschool Culture Influence

08:35 Homeschooling Pros and Cons

10:27 What Parents Did Well

11:51 Testing Out and Dual Enrollment

13:43 Transition and Socialization

17:03 Faith vs Evolution

20:45 Yoga and Moral Panic

22:48 Four Year College Next

24:18 Pop Culture Catch Up

26:59 College Culture Shock

27:53 Hiding Homeschool Roots

29:27 Spotting Fellow Homeschoolers

30:16 Unreligiously Channel Mission

33:06 Deconstruction First Dominoes

37:26 Fear Silence And Fallout

40:09 Seeing Prayer As Love

43:00 Catching Up On Pop Culture

45:20 Homeschooling X Factor

47:38 Advice For New Homeschoolers

51:51 Religious Liberty Commission Warning

53:26 Final Thanks And Wrap

Connect with Me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclubEmail me at exhsclub@gmail.com

Want to be alerted when new episodes drop? Join the newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/

In this episode of Ex-Homeschoolers Club, I sit down with my cousin Amanda, a second-grade public school teacher with 13 years of classroom experience, to explore education from the “dark side.” Haha!

Amanda shares what it’s really like inside today’s public schools: what works, what’s frustrating, and what’s changed over the last decade. From student teaching stories to advocating for kids who need services, she offers an honest look at the realities teachers face, including funding challenges, inclusion classrooms, and navigating parents who are (and aren’t) involved.

We also talk candidly about homeschooling; the myths, the shifts in perception, and the surprising reality that even a public school teacher might consider homeschooling her own children.

Key Points

• Why Amanda believes second grade is the “sweet spot”
• What student teaching really looks like (including full classroom takeover)
• How public education has shifted in the last 13 years
• The reality of funding and where resources actually go
• Why parental involvement makes a massive difference
• The biggest myth Amanda had about homeschooling
• Why she’s now reconsidering homeschooling for her own kids
• What kids actually remember about school (hint: not the standards)

If this episode hit home, share it with a parent, teacher, or anyone who's ever wondered what's really going on in our schools. Leave a comment and tell Jacob what landed for you.

Connect with Me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub
• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

Chapters

00:00 Why She Loves Teaching the Little Ones (Kinder–3rd Vibes)

00:42 Growing Up Public Schooled: Favorite Teachers & Loving School

02:40 When the ‘I Want to Teach’ Lightbulb Turned On

05:15 College Path + Getting Credentialed (5-Year Track)

06:36 Student Teaching Stories: Kindergarten, 6th Grade & Full Class Takeover

09:43 13 Years in the Classroom: Landing in 2nd Grade for Good

10:47 Why Second Grade Is the Sweet Spot: Independence & Interests Bloom

13:23 Which Grades Are ‘Best’ to Teach? (And Why Junior High Is a No)

15:19 Homeschooling From the Other Side: Myths, Social Life & Changing Views

18:19 Homeschool Reality Check: Isolation, Co-ops, and Different Kids Thrive Differently

20:00 How Public School Has Changed: Funding, Services, and Advocating for Kids

23:14 Fighting for Students Without Support at Home

23:40 Where the Money Goes: New Schools vs. Student Services

25:32 Is Public Education ‘Broken’? Advocacy & Community Support

26:21 Parents: Get Involved, Ask Questions, Know Your Rights

29:39 Beyond Parents: Voting, Bonds, and Showing Up to Board Meetings

32:03 Has a Public School Teacher Considered Homeschooling?

34:10 Homeschool Reality Check: Space, Structure, and the Mom/Teacher Blur

36:44 How Much Freedom Do Teachers Have? Standards, Pacing, and Customization

40:57 What Kids Actually Remember: Hands-On Learning Over Test Prep

42:36 Final Takeaway: Whatever You Choose, Stay Involved

44:29 Wrap-Up, Thanks, and Call to Action

Get on the newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/

What happens when homeschooling meets full-time travel, nature-based learning, and a family determined to break out of traditional education models? In this episode of The Ex-Homeschoolers Club, Jacob sits down with Kayla Mathieu to explore her family’s roadschooling journey, how travel shaped her children’s education, and why reconnecting with nature has become a central pillar in their homeschooling philosophy.

Kayla shares how her family successfully visited all 50 states while educating their children on the road, the challenges of adapting to different learning styles, and how stepping outside conventional classroom structures helped her kids thrive. She also discusses the importance of flexibility, community, and self-grace for families navigating homeschooling.

From nervous system regulation through outdoor experiences to practical advice for parents considering homeschooling, this episode offers a thoughtful and balanced look at alternative education through lived experience.

Quick Hits

• Kayla’s family traveled to all 50 states while roadschooling their children
• How travel and experiential learning shaped her children’s education
• Adapting homeschooling methods to accommodate different learning styles
• The role of nature in supporting emotional regulation and mental health
• The realities of transitioning from traditional education structures to flexible learning
• Advice for parents considering homeschooling and finding educational approaches that fit their family
• The importance of homeschool communities and support networks

Connect with Kayla Mathieu

• Wandering Past Limits Blog: https://www.wanderingpastlimits.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wanderingpastlimits

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:56 Meet Kayla: A Homeschooling Journey Begins

01:18 Challenges in Traditional Schooling

10:44 A Turning Point: Deciding to Homeschool

11:46 First Year of Homeschooling: Learning the Ropes

14:52 Finding the Right Curriculum

19:32 Integrating Travel with Learning

21:10 Revolutionary War History and East Coast Travels

21:54 Navigating ADHD and Autism in Homeschooling

22:45 Socialization and RV Homeschooling Groups

26:02 Favorite Travel Destinations

27:12 Individualized Homeschooling Approaches

29:24 Reconnecting with Nature

34:00 Advice for New Homeschooling Families

36:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with Me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub
• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com