June 25, 2025 • 20 mins
You’ve heard it before—maybe from a relative, a neighbor, or that stranger in the grocery store: Aren’t you sheltering your kids too much?
In this eye-opening episode, Christy-Faith takes a brave look at the myth that homeschooling is an overprotective, fear-based choice. From rising mental health risks to school culture realities, she lays out the truth most people are too afraid to say out loud—and why choosing to homeschool might actually be the most courageous, world-preparing decision a parent can make.
Spoiler: protecting your child isn’t the same as bubble-wrapping them. It’s building a foundation they don’t have to recover from.
The Christy-Faith Show | Ep. 71
🛠️ LINKS & RESOURCES
Free Homeschooling Resources
Find everything you need to simplify and strengthen your homeschool journey:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/links
Thrive Homeschool Community
Join Christy-Faith’s online community for mentorship, encouragement, and real friendships that last:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/thrive
Christy-Faith’s List
A curated directory of homeschool-friendly service providers, businesses, and colleges:
👉 https://christy-faiths-list.com
Christy-Faith’s Book: Homeschool Rising
📖 Includes an entire chapter on the history of compulsory schooling—and why that matters today:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/book-homeschool-rising
🎙️ SHOW SPONSORS
BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible structure, biblical worldview
✔ Built-in critical thinking and hands-on learning
👉 https://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/christy
CTC Math
✔ Online, self-paced K–12 math curriculum
✔ 50% off + free trial for Christy-Faith listeners
👉 https://ctcmath.com/how-it-works/home-school?tr_id=CF
LearningRx
✔ Cognitive skills training for kids with ADHD, dyslexia & more
✔ $50 off assessment with code HOME50
👉 https://LearningRx.com or call 866-272-4601
Azure Standard
Homeschool-family-owned company dedicated to providing affordable organic, natural, and non-gmo groceries, health, home, and garden products.
✔ All vetted to be free of: Harmful preservatives, food colorings, chemicals, pesticides
👉 Visit https://AzureStandard.com and use code CHRISTYFAITH15 for 15% off your first order
🎧 SHOW RECAP
Think homeschooling is about avoiding the real world? Think again.
✅ Why “normal school” might not be preparing kids for real life
✅ The silent toll of modern school culture on kids' mental health
✅ What real safety means—beyond buzzers and backpack checks
✅ Why homeschooling isn’t about fear—it’s about discernment
✅ How to know when your gut is right (even if no one else agrees)
✅ A permission slip for every parent who knows deep down: It doesn’t have to be this way
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing the right thing—or felt dismissed for wanting something better—this episode is for you.
📌 Like, subscribe, and share this with the homeschool parent who needs reassurance that they’re not crazy… they’re just paying attention.
💬 What’s something your gut told you about your child’s school experience? Let’s talk in the comments.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Christy-Faith (00:00):
Here's the question no one wants to touch,
(00:02):
but everyone's thinking about.Does homeschooling shelter kids
too much? You've heard theargument, right, that opting out
of the school system isoverprotective, naive, and maybe
even a little bit extreme?Here's the thing. When was the
last time you really lookedunder the hood of the school
system?
Because the data isn't lookingtoo good. Let me ask you this.
(00:23):
What if the system we're handingour kids over to isn't actually
as stable or safe as we'd liketo think? What if the school
system's normal environment isthe one that's actually falling
short? Today, we're going totalk about some very real
reasons parents make the crazydecision to homeschool.
What safety actually meansbecause we're not just gonna
(00:44):
talk physical safety. We'regonna talk emotional,
psychological, and social safetytoo. And maybe why homeschooling
parents aren't actually theparanoid or sheltering parents
that a lot of people assume.Maybe we're just paying
attention. Now this episodeisn't about bubble wrapping
wrapping kids or locking themaway from reality.
It's about what it really meansto protect your kids because
(01:06):
preparing your kids for the realworld doesn't mean tossing them
into the deep end and hopingthat they swim. Stick around
because this one's gonnachallenge what you thought you
knew about homeschooling,parenting, and what it really
means to toughen kids up.Because spoiler alert, maybe
homeschooling parents aren'traising fragile little
snowflakes. Maybe we're the onesshowing what real preparation
(01:28):
for the world actually lookslike. Before we get into the
show, hi.
Welcome if you're a first timelistener or welcome back. I'm
Kristi Faith, author ofHomeschool Rising, speaker and
(01:50):
founder of Thrive HomeschoolCommunity, which is a place
where you can learn about how tofail proof your homeschool by
following solid plans andfinding real connection,
mentorship, and support allalong the way. And I should
mention this more. Make surethat you hit my website for all
those amazing freebies that Ihave on there, whether you're
homeschool curious or you are aseasoned veteran, no matter what
(02:11):
stage of homeschooling you arein, I got something for you.
Okay.
So we all want our kids to learnhow to navigate the real world.
Right? I always laugh when anonhomeschooling person asks me
this question because when youreally look at the system, does
that really prepare kids for thereal world? Exactly when did we
all decide that preparation forthe real world requires daily
(02:34):
emotional warfare and unspokensocial hierarchies? The reality
is peer interaction is thesacred cow of the school system
and the first gotcha from anyonewho doesn't like the idea of
homeschooling.
It usually sounds like, but howwill they socialize? Kids need
to be around other kids. Okay.Sure. In theory, but in
(02:55):
practice, in schools, some kidsare learning more about survival
tactics in the group chat thanthey are in the classroom.
We have normalized schoolculture honestly and broader
culture too, but I won't getinto that soapbox today where
cruelty is expected and becomingsomewhat normalized. Snide
comments, subtle emotionalabuse, exclusion masked as just
(03:16):
kidding, all brushed off withthat's just how kids are at that
age. And maybe that was true inthe nineties when your biggest
social threat was a rumor aboutyour scrunchie or new glasses.
But now your kid's entireidentity can be wrecked before
lunch digitally, anonymously,and in real time. Let's go over
the numbers for a second.
(03:36):
According to the National Centerfor Education Statistics, about
one in five students aged 12 to18 report being bullied, and
that's just what's reported. Youand I both know that kids often
don't say a word for fear of itgetting worse or being seen as
weak. And bullying, it's notalways name calling in the
hallway. It's fake friendships,targeted exclusion, weaponized
(03:59):
group chats, and stuff adultsoften miss entirely until it's
done its damage. And the schoolsystem?
It's not equipped. Teachers arejuggling 20 to 30 kids, a full
lesson plan, and a dozen ofbehavior issues. Monitoring
every interaction like a hawk isnot possible in that environment
for teachers. But who can spotit? You.
(04:20):
Because you see the signs. Maybeyour child used to love
learning. Maybe they used tolove people. But now, they come
home drained, withdrawn, notthemselves, exhausted from just
surviving day in and day out. Ifyour kid's light is dimming
every time they step off thebus, that's not a growth
opportunity.
That's a warning sign. And no,you don't need a formal
(04:43):
diagnosis, a thick file ofincident reports, or one more
friendship week flyer to tellyou something's not right.
Sometimes your gut knows morethan the principal's office ever
will. And here's a truth thatsomeone listening might need to
hear. Homeschooling isn't aboutsheltering your kid.
It's about protecting theirability to grow into a whole
(05:04):
confident human being before theworld teaches them to hide who
they are just to survive theschool hallway. And listen,
maybe your child wasn't the onebeing targeted. Maybe they were
just absorbing, watching. Evenif your kid isn't the one
getting bullied, they're stillgrowing up in a system and a
culture where this behavior isbecoming the norm. So let's talk
(05:26):
about something that usuallydoesn't make it onto the
emergency drill list right afterthis word from our sponsors.
As a homeschool mom who values afamily together approach and
leans towards the classical andCharlotte Mason styles, I often
struggle to bring my educationalvision to life with my kids'
diverse ages and learning needs.With all our interests and super
packed schedule, bridging thatgap between the dreamy
(05:48):
homeschool I want and reality, Igotta be honest. It's a
challenge. Now, yes, I knowperfection isn't the goal. But
if you're listening and youcould use a little easing of
your mental load in your day today, I found a resource that has
become the quiet hero of ourroutine, and it could be a
really great option for you too.
BJU Press homeschool curriculum.Now many think that BJU Press
(06:08):
homeschool is solely an all inone option, and though it does
excel in that role, did you knowyou can also opt for specific
courses and tailor them to fityour family's needs just as I
have? BJU Press homeschoolprovides the perfect balance of
structure and flexibility andeasily complements my family's
mixed age family together on thecouch learning style. They are
(06:29):
second to none in integrating abiblical worldview, stimulating
critical thinking, and offeringtons of hands on activities
lessons. To find out how BJUPress Homeschool can come
alongside you in yourhomeschooling goals too, visit
bjupresshomeschool.com or clickthe link in the show notes.
I've got some news. There's anew reading curriculum that
ditches workbooks and drills forfun and games. If you're
(06:52):
thinking fun and games sounds alittle too good to be true, it's
not. 98 of children improvedtheir reading test scores in
just six weeks with the readingskill set by Lovevery. It's a
phonics based program thatfollows a science of reading,
but makes learning to read fun,motivating, and confidence
boosting because it happens byplaying games and then
(07:13):
practicing with just right skilllevel books.
Kids love it and parenteducators love it, and it works.
Visit loveevery.com/christyfaithtoday and use code Christy 10 to
get 10% off your purchase of thereading skill set by Love Every.
That'sl0vevery.com/christyfaith.
(07:35):
Welcome back. We've all seen theschool safety posters, the ones
that show a backpack, a fireexit plan, maybe a cartoon
police officer giving a thumbsup.
But what about the kids sittingalone every day at lunch
silently imploding? What aboutthe child who's mastered the art
of shrinking themselves so noone targets them? What about the
kid who seems fine but isgrinding their teeth at night,
(07:58):
crying on Sundays, or developingmysterious stomachaches right
before school? Safety isn't justphysical. And while we're at it,
fine is not the same asthriving.
We live in a time where mentalhealth awareness is at an all
time high. Every district has aposter about it. Every school
has a vague initiative, butactually meaningful support.
(08:19):
That's another story. Accordingto the CDC, rates of anxiety and
depression among children andteens have risen sharply in the
last decade.
Yet, we're still telling parentsschool is the best place for
social emotional development.Really? Because Becky over there
in second period just told mydaughter to harm herself in the
hallway, and your plan is tostick to a laminated be kind
(08:42):
sign on the wall? Make it makesense, people. And, yes, there
are great teachers.
Of course, there are. There'scaring counselors, people doing
their best within a system thatwas not at all designed for the
good of our kids. But the systemitself, it's reactive, not
proactive. It's built to managecrises, not prevent them. And
(09:02):
when your kid is the quiet oneor the sensitive one or the one
who doesn't quite fit the mold,they can fall through the cracks
so fast your head will spin.
If your child spends seven hoursa day in a place where they feel
small, anxious, or invisible,that's not a minor issue. That's
a mental health risk. And you asthe parent are allowed to say,
(09:25):
I'm not okay with this. I'm notgoing to normalize stress
induced stomach pain and labelit as character building.
Homeschooling isn't aboutpretending that hard things
don't exist though.
It's about creating a foundationstrong enough that when hard
things come and they will, yourchild has the confidence, the
tools, and the support to facethem without falling apart. And
(09:47):
maybe you're thinking right now,oh, yeah. School has its
emotional pitfalls, but that'sjust life. It's not like the
whole place is falling apart.Oh, naysayer.
Let's talk about what's actuallyhappening inside the classroom
these days, shall we? Becauseeven if your child feels okay,
the question is, are the adultsaround them actually in control?
(10:09):
Are the teachers actually ableto even be in control? Let's
start with the obvious. Teachersare exhausted.
When I was a classroom teacher,it was the most exhausting job
I've ever had, and I loved it.Teachers are managing 25 to 30
kids, differentiated learningplans, IEPs, five o fours,
parent emails, tech glitches,fire drills, administration, and
(10:31):
oh, yeah, actual teaching too?And then sprinkle in a few kids
who are physically aggressive, ahandful with severe emotional
dysregulation, and an adminthat's more concerned with
district optics than actualsupport? And what do you have?
Chaos.
Managed chaos if you're lucky.Lord of the flies with hallway
passes if you're not. In a 2023Rand Corporation survey, one in
(10:55):
three teachers reportedexperiencing verbal or
threatening harassment fromstudents, and nearly six in ten
said that they felt frequent jobrelated stress higher than
health care workers. Let thatsink in. More stressed than
nurses.
But sure, let's just keeppretending schools are safe just
because the building has abuzzer on the door. You know
(11:16):
what's really wild? In somedistricts, violence is so
common, there are entire TikTokaccounts dedicated to hallway
fights, and they're notexaggerating. They're showing
what kids see every day betweenclasses. Full on brawls, desks
flying, and teachers screamingfor backup that never ends up
coming.
And if you think I'm beingdramatic here, go ahead and
(11:36):
search your local schooldistrict on Reddit. I'll wait.
Just don't do it right beforebed or before you send your kid
back to school on Mondaymorning. And let me be crystal
clear. This is not about blamingteachers.
I don't blame them at all. Thisis a system level failure. This
is why teachers are quitting indroves. We're asking educators
to be therapists, lawenforcement, learning
(11:58):
specialists, and emotionalregulation coaches while still
raising test scores anddecorating bulletin boards. And
when it's your kid who's quietlytrying to learn in the middle of
all that, they're not thriving,they're bracing.
So when someone tells you, butisn't homeschooling just
avoiding problems? Yes. Avoidingthe unacceptable ones.
(12:19):
Absolutely. And if all of thatwasn't enough to make your
internal mama bear twitch,you've probably tried bringing
up your concerns toadministration at some point.
Most moms have. You weren'tdramatic. You weren't
hysterical. You were justconcerned. Let me ask you.
How'd that go? I can probablytell you. You probably heard
things like, we're monitoringthe situation or we're doing
(12:41):
everything we can or we haven'tseen any issues in school. Cue
the gaslighting. This one's forthe parent who ever walked out
of a meeting with the school andthought, wait.
Did they just make me feel badfor advocating for my own kid?
Yes. Yes. They did. And you knowwhy?
We'll discuss that right afterthe break. Before we continue, I
wanna share with you a programthat's been a game changer for
(13:03):
our homeschool. At our center,we instructed and helped kids
through pretty much every mathprogram on the market and know
firsthand just how important asolid math foundation is for our
kids' futures. As a careereducator with high standards,
finding the right program thatchecked all the boxes felt like
too tall of an order. Until oneday, I tried CTC Math.
CTC Math is an online mathcurriculum for k to 12 students
(13:26):
with motivating interactivelessons that allow kids to learn
at their own pace. It does allthe teaching and grading so you
don't have to and their adaptivelessons adjust so your child is
progressing confidently. WithCTC Math, your child is getting
a top notch education and youjust made your homeschool life
easier. Visit ctcmath.com tostart your free trial today or
click the link in the shownotes. You know how feeding a
(13:48):
homeschool family can feel likerunning a twenty four hour diner
with a revolving menu?
Yeah. Me too. But here's mysecret weapon for keeping
everyone fed without losing mymind or blowing the budget.
Azure Standard. Azure is ahomeschool family owned company
dedicated to providingaffordable organic, natural, and
(14:10):
non GMO groceries, health,household, and garden products.
In fact, they have over 12,000options to meet your needs as a
health minded household. Allvetted ahead of time to be free
of harmful preservatives, foodcolorings, chemicals, and
pesticides. Tired of spendingtoo much on health food? Give
Azure a try. Your body and yourbank account will thank you
(14:32):
later.
Use code Kristi Faith 15 and get15% off your first order at
azurestandard.com. That's KristiFaith fifteen at a z u r e
standard dot com. And the reasonwhy the school system is so hard
on parents is because the schoolsystem has mastered the arts of
minimizing your concerns whilesubtly implying that you're
(14:55):
overreacting. You say, my childis anxious and cries before
school. And they say, well, wehaven't noticed anything out of
the ordinary during class.
You say, he's scared to ride thebus because of that one older
kid. And they say, we'll havethe counselor check-in to make
sure he knows about the conflictresolution corner. You say,
she's falling behind and theteacher seems overwhelmed. And
(15:17):
they say, oh, we're just alladjusting post COVID.
Translation, nothing is going tochange.
But here's the thing, you don'tneed permission to trust your
gut. You don't need a folderfull of behavior logs. You don't
need a documented pattern. Youdon't need another round of
let's wait and see. If yourchild is suffering mentally,
(15:40):
emotionally, socially and yourgut is screaming something's not
right, you're not the problem.
The system is. And isn't it justso wild how choosing to remove
your child from a dysfunctionalenvironment gets labeled as
overprotective or extreme?Excuse me. We're not over here
building bunkers. We're simplycreating a better environment.
(16:03):
Let's flip the script. Okay?What's actually extreme is
sending a child to a place everyday that makes them feel unsafe,
unseen, and unsupported, andthen calling that normal or
worse, healthy socialization.And here's a misconception.
Homeschooling isn't aboutpretending the world is perfect.
Life is hard. It's about givingyour child the tools and
(16:25):
confidence to face this worldwithout having to recover from
it first. So maybe you'relistening to this right now and
you're thinking, yeah, this isexactly what we've been feeling,
but we didn't know if it wasenough of a reason to make a
change. Let me tell yousomething. You are allowed to
advocate and fight for yourkids.
You're allowed to change thatscript. You're allowed to say,
(16:48):
hey, I want my kid to have areally healthy nurturing
childhood. That's enough. Wedon't need someone else's
checklist of acceptable reasonsto homeschool our kids. It's not
their business anyway.
You don't need to apologize ormake excuses because your child
wasn't thriving in anenvironment that wasn't even
built for them in the firstplace. And if you don't know
(17:08):
about the history of thecompulsory school system in
America, I cover that in-depthin chapter three of my book,
Homeschool Rising. I'll put alink in the show notes. And you
absolutely don't need to justifyyour decision to people who
aren't showing up at yourkitchen table, helping with
fractions, drying tears after ahard day, or holding your child
close when they feel small in areally big world. Let's be
(17:31):
clear.
This homeschooling thing, thisisn't about fear. This is about
discernment. This isn't aboutescaping. This is about
reclaiming. It's aboutrecognizing something's not
working and being bold enough tobelieve there's a better way
because there is.
And if you're starting toexplore homeschooling or even
just considering what could bedifferent, I want you to know
(17:54):
that you don't have to figure itout alone. That is exactly why I
created Thrive HomeschoolCommunity, a space for real
mentorship, real connection, andreal support from people who get
it. We teach you how to build ahomeschool that is fail proof.
You'll be surrounded by peoplewho've made the jump, people who
were scared, who were unsure,maybe even a little resistant
(18:16):
and did it anyway. Brave mamabears, people who are now
watching their kids heal, grow,and come back to life in ways
that they didn't think werepossible.
I was in a consultation todayand the mom pulled her preteens
out of school and she said,there sparkles back. This has
been the best decision we'veever made for our family. And
(18:37):
you think those two boys reallywanted to be pulled out of
school? They gave her such ahard time. And now under two
years later, they are thankingher and they love their
homeschooling life.
And I gotta be honest, she iscrushing it as a homeschool mom.
You don't have to become aPinterest mom or love glitter
crafts. I am not a craftyhomeschool mom myself. You just
(18:59):
need to love your kid enough totry something different and to
fight for it and to say, may notknow everything now, but I think
I can do this and I think I canfigure out how to do this really
well because you can. So here'syour permission slip.
If something in your gut hasbeen whispering, it doesn't have
to be this way. I don't think itshould be this way. Listen. And
(19:22):
if you need a place to processall of this, learn, and grow
into this new chapter of yourlife, I would love to see you
inside of Thrive HomeschoolCommunity. Your child deserves
safety.
You deserve peace, and yourfamily deserves a learning life
that actually works well for allof you. And no, you're not
crazy. No, you're notsheltering. You are just simply
(19:45):
paying attention. And that thatmakes you exactly the kind of
homeschooling parent who's goingto be just fine.
See you next time.
Here's the question no one wants to touch,
(00:02):
but everyone's thinking about.Does homeschooling shelter kids
too much? You've heard theargument, right, that opting out
of the school system isoverprotective, naive, and maybe
even a little bit extreme?Here's the thing. When was the
last time you really lookedunder the hood of the school
system?
Because the data isn't lookingtoo good. Let me ask you this.
(00:23):
What if the system we're handingour kids over to isn't actually
as stable or safe as we'd liketo think? What if the school
system's normal environment isthe one that's actually falling
short? Today, we're going totalk about some very real
reasons parents make the crazydecision to homeschool.
What safety actually meansbecause we're not just gonna
(00:44):
talk physical safety. We'regonna talk emotional,
psychological, and social safetytoo. And maybe why homeschooling
parents aren't actually theparanoid or sheltering parents
that a lot of people assume.Maybe we're just paying
attention. Now this episodeisn't about bubble wrapping
wrapping kids or locking themaway from reality.
It's about what it really meansto protect your kids because
(01:06):
preparing your kids for the realworld doesn't mean tossing them
into the deep end and hopingthat they swim. Stick around
because this one's gonnachallenge what you thought you
knew about homeschooling,parenting, and what it really
means to toughen kids up.Because spoiler alert, maybe
homeschooling parents aren'traising fragile little
snowflakes. Maybe we're the onesshowing what real preparation
(01:28):
for the world actually lookslike. Before we get into the
show, hi.
Welcome if you're a first timelistener or welcome back. I'm
Kristi Faith, author ofHomeschool Rising, speaker and
(01:50):
founder of Thrive HomeschoolCommunity, which is a place
where you can learn about how tofail proof your homeschool by
following solid plans andfinding real connection,
mentorship, and support allalong the way. And I should
mention this more. Make surethat you hit my website for all
those amazing freebies that Ihave on there, whether you're
homeschool curious or you are aseasoned veteran, no matter what
(02:11):
stage of homeschooling you arein, I got something for you.
Okay.
So we all want our kids to learnhow to navigate the real world.
Right? I always laugh when anonhomeschooling person asks me
this question because when youreally look at the system, does
that really prepare kids for thereal world? Exactly when did we
all decide that preparation forthe real world requires daily
(02:34):
emotional warfare and unspokensocial hierarchies? The reality
is peer interaction is thesacred cow of the school system
and the first gotcha from anyonewho doesn't like the idea of
homeschooling.
It usually sounds like, but howwill they socialize? Kids need
to be around other kids. Okay.Sure. In theory, but in
(02:55):
practice, in schools, some kidsare learning more about survival
tactics in the group chat thanthey are in the classroom.
We have normalized schoolculture honestly and broader
culture too, but I won't getinto that soapbox today where
cruelty is expected and becomingsomewhat normalized. Snide
comments, subtle emotionalabuse, exclusion masked as just
(03:16):
kidding, all brushed off withthat's just how kids are at that
age. And maybe that was true inthe nineties when your biggest
social threat was a rumor aboutyour scrunchie or new glasses.
But now your kid's entireidentity can be wrecked before
lunch digitally, anonymously,and in real time. Let's go over
the numbers for a second.
(03:36):
According to the National Centerfor Education Statistics, about
one in five students aged 12 to18 report being bullied, and
that's just what's reported. Youand I both know that kids often
don't say a word for fear of itgetting worse or being seen as
weak. And bullying, it's notalways name calling in the
hallway. It's fake friendships,targeted exclusion, weaponized
(03:59):
group chats, and stuff adultsoften miss entirely until it's
done its damage. And the schoolsystem?
It's not equipped. Teachers arejuggling 20 to 30 kids, a full
lesson plan, and a dozen ofbehavior issues. Monitoring
every interaction like a hawk isnot possible in that environment
for teachers. But who can spotit? You.
(04:20):
Because you see the signs. Maybeyour child used to love
learning. Maybe they used tolove people. But now, they come
home drained, withdrawn, notthemselves, exhausted from just
surviving day in and day out. Ifyour kid's light is dimming
every time they step off thebus, that's not a growth
opportunity.
That's a warning sign. And no,you don't need a formal
(04:43):
diagnosis, a thick file ofincident reports, or one more
friendship week flyer to tellyou something's not right.
Sometimes your gut knows morethan the principal's office ever
will. And here's a truth thatsomeone listening might need to
hear. Homeschooling isn't aboutsheltering your kid.
It's about protecting theirability to grow into a whole
(05:04):
confident human being before theworld teaches them to hide who
they are just to survive theschool hallway. And listen,
maybe your child wasn't the onebeing targeted. Maybe they were
just absorbing, watching. Evenif your kid isn't the one
getting bullied, they're stillgrowing up in a system and a
culture where this behavior isbecoming the norm. So let's talk
(05:26):
about something that usuallydoesn't make it onto the
emergency drill list right afterthis word from our sponsors.
As a homeschool mom who values afamily together approach and
leans towards the classical andCharlotte Mason styles, I often
struggle to bring my educationalvision to life with my kids'
diverse ages and learning needs.With all our interests and super
packed schedule, bridging thatgap between the dreamy
(05:48):
homeschool I want and reality, Igotta be honest. It's a
challenge. Now, yes, I knowperfection isn't the goal. But
if you're listening and youcould use a little easing of
your mental load in your day today, I found a resource that has
become the quiet hero of ourroutine, and it could be a
really great option for you too.
BJU Press homeschool curriculum.Now many think that BJU Press
(06:08):
homeschool is solely an all inone option, and though it does
excel in that role, did you knowyou can also opt for specific
courses and tailor them to fityour family's needs just as I
have? BJU Press homeschoolprovides the perfect balance of
structure and flexibility andeasily complements my family's
mixed age family together on thecouch learning style. They are
(06:29):
second to none in integrating abiblical worldview, stimulating
critical thinking, and offeringtons of hands on activities
lessons. To find out how BJUPress Homeschool can come
alongside you in yourhomeschooling goals too, visit
bjupresshomeschool.com or clickthe link in the show notes.
I've got some news. There's anew reading curriculum that
ditches workbooks and drills forfun and games. If you're
(06:52):
thinking fun and games sounds alittle too good to be true, it's
not. 98 of children improvedtheir reading test scores in
just six weeks with the readingskill set by Lovevery. It's a
phonics based program thatfollows a science of reading,
but makes learning to read fun,motivating, and confidence
boosting because it happens byplaying games and then
(07:13):
practicing with just right skilllevel books.
Kids love it and parenteducators love it, and it works.
Visit loveevery.com/christyfaithtoday and use code Christy 10 to
get 10% off your purchase of thereading skill set by Love Every.
That'sl0vevery.com/christyfaith.
(07:35):
Welcome back. We've all seen theschool safety posters, the ones
that show a backpack, a fireexit plan, maybe a cartoon
police officer giving a thumbsup.
But what about the kids sittingalone every day at lunch
silently imploding? What aboutthe child who's mastered the art
of shrinking themselves so noone targets them? What about the
kid who seems fine but isgrinding their teeth at night,
(07:58):
crying on Sundays, or developingmysterious stomachaches right
before school? Safety isn't justphysical. And while we're at it,
fine is not the same asthriving.
We live in a time where mentalhealth awareness is at an all
time high. Every district has aposter about it. Every school
has a vague initiative, butactually meaningful support.
(08:19):
That's another story. Accordingto the CDC, rates of anxiety and
depression among children andteens have risen sharply in the
last decade.
Yet, we're still telling parentsschool is the best place for
social emotional development.Really? Because Becky over there
in second period just told mydaughter to harm herself in the
hallway, and your plan is tostick to a laminated be kind
(08:42):
sign on the wall? Make it makesense, people. And, yes, there
are great teachers.
Of course, there are. There'scaring counselors, people doing
their best within a system thatwas not at all designed for the
good of our kids. But the systemitself, it's reactive, not
proactive. It's built to managecrises, not prevent them. And
(09:02):
when your kid is the quiet oneor the sensitive one or the one
who doesn't quite fit the mold,they can fall through the cracks
so fast your head will spin.
If your child spends seven hoursa day in a place where they feel
small, anxious, or invisible,that's not a minor issue. That's
a mental health risk. And you asthe parent are allowed to say,
(09:25):
I'm not okay with this. I'm notgoing to normalize stress
induced stomach pain and labelit as character building.
Homeschooling isn't aboutpretending that hard things
don't exist though.
It's about creating a foundationstrong enough that when hard
things come and they will, yourchild has the confidence, the
tools, and the support to facethem without falling apart. And
(09:47):
maybe you're thinking right now,oh, yeah. School has its
emotional pitfalls, but that'sjust life. It's not like the
whole place is falling apart.Oh, naysayer.
Let's talk about what's actuallyhappening inside the classroom
these days, shall we? Becauseeven if your child feels okay,
the question is, are the adultsaround them actually in control?
(10:09):
Are the teachers actually ableto even be in control? Let's
start with the obvious. Teachersare exhausted.
When I was a classroom teacher,it was the most exhausting job
I've ever had, and I loved it.Teachers are managing 25 to 30
kids, differentiated learningplans, IEPs, five o fours,
parent emails, tech glitches,fire drills, administration, and
(10:31):
oh, yeah, actual teaching too?And then sprinkle in a few kids
who are physically aggressive, ahandful with severe emotional
dysregulation, and an adminthat's more concerned with
district optics than actualsupport? And what do you have?
Chaos.
Managed chaos if you're lucky.Lord of the flies with hallway
passes if you're not. In a 2023Rand Corporation survey, one in
(10:55):
three teachers reportedexperiencing verbal or
threatening harassment fromstudents, and nearly six in ten
said that they felt frequent jobrelated stress higher than
health care workers. Let thatsink in. More stressed than
nurses.
But sure, let's just keeppretending schools are safe just
because the building has abuzzer on the door. You know
(11:16):
what's really wild? In somedistricts, violence is so
common, there are entire TikTokaccounts dedicated to hallway
fights, and they're notexaggerating. They're showing
what kids see every day betweenclasses. Full on brawls, desks
flying, and teachers screamingfor backup that never ends up
coming.
And if you think I'm beingdramatic here, go ahead and
(11:36):
search your local schooldistrict on Reddit. I'll wait.
Just don't do it right beforebed or before you send your kid
back to school on Mondaymorning. And let me be crystal
clear. This is not about blamingteachers.
I don't blame them at all. Thisis a system level failure. This
is why teachers are quitting indroves. We're asking educators
to be therapists, lawenforcement, learning
(11:58):
specialists, and emotionalregulation coaches while still
raising test scores anddecorating bulletin boards. And
when it's your kid who's quietlytrying to learn in the middle of
all that, they're not thriving,they're bracing.
So when someone tells you, butisn't homeschooling just
avoiding problems? Yes. Avoidingthe unacceptable ones.
(12:19):
Absolutely. And if all of thatwasn't enough to make your
internal mama bear twitch,you've probably tried bringing
up your concerns toadministration at some point.
Most moms have. You weren'tdramatic. You weren't
hysterical. You were justconcerned. Let me ask you.
How'd that go? I can probablytell you. You probably heard
things like, we're monitoringthe situation or we're doing
(12:41):
everything we can or we haven'tseen any issues in school. Cue
the gaslighting. This one's forthe parent who ever walked out
of a meeting with the school andthought, wait.
Did they just make me feel badfor advocating for my own kid?
Yes. Yes. They did. And you knowwhy?
We'll discuss that right afterthe break. Before we continue, I
wanna share with you a programthat's been a game changer for
(13:03):
our homeschool. At our center,we instructed and helped kids
through pretty much every mathprogram on the market and know
firsthand just how important asolid math foundation is for our
kids' futures. As a careereducator with high standards,
finding the right program thatchecked all the boxes felt like
too tall of an order. Until oneday, I tried CTC Math.
CTC Math is an online mathcurriculum for k to 12 students
(13:26):
with motivating interactivelessons that allow kids to learn
at their own pace. It does allthe teaching and grading so you
don't have to and their adaptivelessons adjust so your child is
progressing confidently. WithCTC Math, your child is getting
a top notch education and youjust made your homeschool life
easier. Visit ctcmath.com tostart your free trial today or
click the link in the shownotes. You know how feeding a
(13:48):
homeschool family can feel likerunning a twenty four hour diner
with a revolving menu?
Yeah. Me too. But here's mysecret weapon for keeping
everyone fed without losing mymind or blowing the budget.
Azure Standard. Azure is ahomeschool family owned company
dedicated to providingaffordable organic, natural, and
(14:10):
non GMO groceries, health,household, and garden products.
In fact, they have over 12,000options to meet your needs as a
health minded household. Allvetted ahead of time to be free
of harmful preservatives, foodcolorings, chemicals, and
pesticides. Tired of spendingtoo much on health food? Give
Azure a try. Your body and yourbank account will thank you
(14:32):
later.
Use code Kristi Faith 15 and get15% off your first order at
azurestandard.com. That's KristiFaith fifteen at a z u r e
standard dot com. And the reasonwhy the school system is so hard
on parents is because the schoolsystem has mastered the arts of
minimizing your concerns whilesubtly implying that you're
(14:55):
overreacting. You say, my childis anxious and cries before
school. And they say, well, wehaven't noticed anything out of
the ordinary during class.
You say, he's scared to ride thebus because of that one older
kid. And they say, we'll havethe counselor check-in to make
sure he knows about the conflictresolution corner. You say,
she's falling behind and theteacher seems overwhelmed. And
(15:17):
they say, oh, we're just alladjusting post COVID.
Translation, nothing is going tochange.
But here's the thing, you don'tneed permission to trust your
gut. You don't need a folderfull of behavior logs. You don't
need a documented pattern. Youdon't need another round of
let's wait and see. If yourchild is suffering mentally,
(15:40):
emotionally, socially and yourgut is screaming something's not
right, you're not the problem.
The system is. And isn't it justso wild how choosing to remove
your child from a dysfunctionalenvironment gets labeled as
overprotective or extreme?Excuse me. We're not over here
building bunkers. We're simplycreating a better environment.
(16:03):
Let's flip the script. Okay?What's actually extreme is
sending a child to a place everyday that makes them feel unsafe,
unseen, and unsupported, andthen calling that normal or
worse, healthy socialization.And here's a misconception.
Homeschooling isn't aboutpretending the world is perfect.
Life is hard. It's about givingyour child the tools and
(16:25):
confidence to face this worldwithout having to recover from
it first. So maybe you'relistening to this right now and
you're thinking, yeah, this isexactly what we've been feeling,
but we didn't know if it wasenough of a reason to make a
change. Let me tell yousomething. You are allowed to
advocate and fight for yourkids.
You're allowed to change thatscript. You're allowed to say,
(16:48):
hey, I want my kid to have areally healthy nurturing
childhood. That's enough. Wedon't need someone else's
checklist of acceptable reasonsto homeschool our kids. It's not
their business anyway.
You don't need to apologize ormake excuses because your child
wasn't thriving in anenvironment that wasn't even
built for them in the firstplace. And if you don't know
(17:08):
about the history of thecompulsory school system in
America, I cover that in-depthin chapter three of my book,
Homeschool Rising. I'll put alink in the show notes. And you
absolutely don't need to justifyyour decision to people who
aren't showing up at yourkitchen table, helping with
fractions, drying tears after ahard day, or holding your child
close when they feel small in areally big world. Let's be
(17:31):
clear.
This homeschooling thing, thisisn't about fear. This is about
discernment. This isn't aboutescaping. This is about
reclaiming. It's aboutrecognizing something's not
working and being bold enough tobelieve there's a better way
because there is.
And if you're starting toexplore homeschooling or even
just considering what could bedifferent, I want you to know
(17:54):
that you don't have to figure itout alone. That is exactly why I
created Thrive HomeschoolCommunity, a space for real
mentorship, real connection, andreal support from people who get
it. We teach you how to build ahomeschool that is fail proof.
You'll be surrounded by peoplewho've made the jump, people who
were scared, who were unsure,maybe even a little resistant
(18:16):
and did it anyway. Brave mamabears, people who are now
watching their kids heal, grow,and come back to life in ways
that they didn't think werepossible.
I was in a consultation todayand the mom pulled her preteens
out of school and she said,there sparkles back. This has
been the best decision we'veever made for our family. And
(18:37):
you think those two boys reallywanted to be pulled out of
school? They gave her such ahard time. And now under two
years later, they are thankingher and they love their
homeschooling life.
And I gotta be honest, she iscrushing it as a homeschool mom.
You don't have to become aPinterest mom or love glitter
crafts. I am not a craftyhomeschool mom myself. You just
(18:59):
need to love your kid enough totry something different and to
fight for it and to say, may notknow everything now, but I think
I can do this and I think I canfigure out how to do this really
well because you can. So here'syour permission slip.
If something in your gut hasbeen whispering, it doesn't have
to be this way. I don't think itshould be this way. Listen. And
(19:22):
if you need a place to processall of this, learn, and grow
into this new chapter of yourlife, I would love to see you
inside of Thrive HomeschoolCommunity. Your child deserves
safety.
You deserve peace, and yourfamily deserves a learning life
that actually works well for allof you. And no, you're not
crazy. No, you're notsheltering. You are just simply
(19:45):
paying attention. And that thatmakes you exactly the kind of
homeschooling parent who's goingto be just fine.
See you next time.
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