September 17, 2025 • 17 mins
He thought college would guarantee success. It didn't.
In this eye-opening episode, Christy-Faith challenges the myth that a diploma automatically equals a bright future. With more than half of recent graduates underemployed and working jobs that don’t even require their degree, she pulls back the curtain on a system that promised stability but delivered stress, debt, and disappointment.
The Christy-Faith Show | Ep. 83
🛠️ LINKS & RESOURCES
Free Homeschooling Resources
Simplify and strengthen your homeschool journey:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/links
Thrive Homeschool Community
Mentorship, encouragement, and real friendships that last:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/thrive
Christy-Faith’s List
A directory of homeschool-friendly service providers, businesses, and colleges:
👉 https://christy-faiths-list.com
Christy-Faith’s Book: Homeschool Rising
📖 Encouragement and strategy for starting strong or starting over:
👉 https://christy-faith.com/book-homeschool-rising
🎙️ SHOW SPONSORS
BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible structure with a 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 plus a 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, and more
✔ $50 off assessment with code HOME50
👉 https://LearningRx.com
or call 866-272-4601
👀 REFERENCES IN EPISODE
Study: Many new grads are landing jobs that don’t require a degree
Study: Many new grads are underemployed
🔗 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/college-grads-jobs-underemployed/
Thrive Homeschool Community
🔗 https://youtu.be/-BKUMq4y7zo?si=FVgVVn_WKHxgXWdm
🎧 SHOW RECAP
Too many parents believe success requires following the school-to-college conveyor belt. This episode shows why that’s not true.
✅ Why more than half of college grads end up underemployed
✅ How the conveyor belt model fails to prepare kids for real life
✅ Why homeschooling gives kids time to explore, fail, and grow
✅ How skill building beats box checking when it comes to success
✅ Why homeschoolers are often more appealing to colleges
✅ The mindset shift that frees parents from replicating the system
If you’ve ever wondered whether homeschooling “counts” without looking like school, this episode will remind you: you’re not just raising students, you’re raising future adults.
📌 Be sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a parent who needs this encouragement.
💬 What’s one real-life skill you want your child to learn outside of the classroom? Share your story in the comments.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Christy-Faith (00:00):
More than half of recent college graduates are
(00:03):
underemployed. Let me repeatthat. More than half. Not
struggling to find their dreamjob, not working in a different
field, but straight upunderemployed. As in,
congratulations on your degree.
Here's a job that only requiresa high school diploma and pay
$17 an hour. That mountain ofdebt you've taken on, oops. But
(00:25):
make sure you start making thosepayments right away. And by the
way, it'll only take you thenext forty five years to pay
off. This is the part whereeveryone gasps and clutches
their pearls and asks, but howcould this happen?
We told them that if they justfollowed the steps, sit still,
do your homework, go to college,success would magically appear.
(00:47):
Well, it didn't. So today, we'renot gonna talk about how to get
your kid a 6 figure job by theage of 22. No. Today, we're
gonna talk about why the systemdoesn't work, why it's not your
fault for questioning thisoutdated advice, and why your
homeschool doesn't have to mimica conveyor belt to be
(01:08):
successful.
Oh, and also that kids don'tneed to have their entire life
figured out by the age of 18.Man, that's so much pressure.
But homeschooling homeschoolingis not about reproducing the
same old broken system at yourkitchen table. Right? That's why
we're doing this.
It's about giving your kidstime. Time to try, time to
(01:28):
learn. Yes. Time to fail, andtime to explore what lights them
up and to define success outsideof the factory mold. So today,
we're gonna get into whatunderemployment really says
about our current system and howhomeschooling might just be the
most future focused educationalpath out there.
(02:01):
Before we get into this, hi.Welcome if you're a first time
listener or welcome back. I'mChristy Faith, author of the
book Homeschool Rising, speaker,homeschool mentor, and founder
of Thrive Homeschool Community.A lot of people find me because
I'm a funny face on socialmedia, but there is so much more
to what I do and why I do it,and it all is encompassed in
(02:23):
Thrive Homeschool Community.It's something I created because
I saw a problem in thehomeschooling community.
I saw eager and motivated momstrying to build the best
possible education for theirkids, but they were left to doom
scrolling and internet searchesto try to make it all happen.
And I don't know about you, butI'm pretty sure giving your kids
a world class education doesn'tinvolve piecing together advice
(02:47):
from Karen's blog and a randomReddit thread. And I was really
sad about this becausehomeschooling is the answer to
so many problems kids are facingtoday socially, emotionally,
academically, more. And I'vebeen homeschooling a long time.
And what I discovered along theway is that true homeschool
success is built on six keypillars.
(03:07):
And if you're missing even oneof these and most moms are
missing more than one, you'relikely to hit a lot of
roadblocks and feel completelyoverwhelmed in your
homeschooling. Is that you rightnow? Are you feeling
overwhelmed? Thrive is youropportunity to stop trying to
piece together scattered adviceand lean on a process and a path
that works for you, your kids,and your family. So if you need
(03:29):
partners that also want yourkids to have the best education
possible, Thrive HomeschoolCommunity is where you will find
it.
It is proven, it is effective,and we are pretty darn cool in
there. I'll put a link in theshow notes. Okay. So back to the
show. So what does underemployedactually mean?
It's not just that these gradsdidn't land their dream job at
(03:50):
Google. According to the InsireHigher Ed article, it means
they're working in jobs thatdon't even require a college
degree. Jobs they weretechnically qualified for at age
18. And this is not just a blip.This isn't one bad graduating
class.
The numbers show that this is aconsistent pattern going back at
least a decade. Some reportssuggest only about 45% of four
(04:14):
year college grads are workingin jobs that require a degree
even five years aftergraduating. And here's the
kicker. The odds of a graduateending up underemployed actually
go up the longer they've beenout of school. So we're not just
talking about just give it time.
We're talking about a systemthat is cranking out diploma
(04:34):
holders and then just crossingits fingers. But sure. Let's
just keep telling 17 year oldsthat if they just pick a major
right now before they've evenlived outside of their parents'
house besides summer, thatthey'll be set for life. See,
this is what happens when schoolbecomes an assembly line. People
stop thinking.
They just go one step afteranother. Kindergarten, first
(04:56):
grade, fifth grade, SATs,college apps, then what? It's as
if the last stop on the conveyorbelt is college, and after that,
the machine just shuts off. Noone in the system is really
teaching kids how to explore,how to pivot, how to build.
We've trained them to sit, obey,complete worksheets, and chase
gold stars.
And now we're shocked that theygraduate, feel a ton of
(05:19):
pressure, and feel lost? Yeah.No kidding. Here's the thing.
Homeschooling isn't just someshortcut to perfection or a
guarantee that your kid willlaunch a startup by the age of
19, but it is a way to step offthe conveyor belt and say, maybe
we should rethink this wholeprocess.
And that process, thattraditional system, we're gonna
take a deep dive into how thatwhole system works right after a
(05:42):
word from our sponsors. As ahomeschool mom who values a
family together approach andleans towards the classical and
Charlotte Mason styles, I oftenstruggle to bring my educational
vision vision to life with mykids' diverse ages and learning
needs. With all our interestsand super packed schedule,
bridging that gap between thedreamy homeschool I want and
reality, I gotta be honest. It'sa challenge. Now, yes, I know
(06:04):
perfection perfection isn'tisn't the the goal.
Goal. But if you're listeningand you could use a little
easing of your mental load inyour day to day, I found a
resource that has become thequiet hero of our routine, and
it could be a really greatoption for you too. BJU Press
homeschool curriculum. Now manythink that BJU Press homeschool
is solely an all in one option,and though it does excel in that
role, did you know you can alsoopt for specific courses and
(06:26):
tailor them to fit your family'sneeds just as I have? BJU Press
homeschool provides the perfectbalance of structure and
flexibility and easilycomplements my family's mixed
age family together on the couchlearning style.
They are second to none inintegrating a biblical
worldview, stimulating criticalthinking, and offering tons of
hands on activities in thelessons. To find out how BJU
(06:48):
Press Homeschool can comealongside you in your
homeschooling goals too, visitbjupresshomeschool.com or click
the link in the show notes. Isyour child struggling with
attention, memory, reading,writing, or math? If you're
experiencing this, you know howheart wrenching it is to watch
them face these hurdles. You'vepoured love, time, and attention
into their education, yet thestruggle persists, leaving you
(07:10):
feeling stuck and desperatelysearching for answers.
You guys, I want you to knowabout LearningRx, a proven
program designed to help yourchild's cognitive skills,
enabling them to think faster,learn more easily, and perform
at their best. I'm talkinggetting real long term help here
with things like ADHD anddyslexia. LearningRx is backed
by thirty five years ofresearch, and their results are
(07:32):
transformative. Use code HOME 50for $50 off your cognitive
skills assessment. Go tolearningrx.com or click the link
in the show notes.
Alright. The system. Year five.Sit in a chair. Learn letters.
Learn numbers. Stay on gradelevel. Test. Test. Test.
Pick a career interest by middleschool. Here's the form. Keep up
(07:52):
your GPA. Take the rightclasses. Apply to college.
Get in. Choose a major. Make itcount. Hope it pays off. The end
goal, a piece of paper.
One piece of paper that'ssupposed to prove you're ready
for the real world when you'venever actually experienced the
real world. And here's thetwist, real life doesn't care
(08:12):
about that piece of paper nearlyas much as we were told it
would. You know what real lifewants to know? Real life wants
to know if you can solveproblems, if you can adapt, if
you can work with people, sellyourself, take initiative,
communicate clearly, and figurestuff out when no one gives you
step by step instructions. Now,I'm not knocking that piece of
(08:33):
paper.
I went through the system. Ihave a graduate degree. I'm glad
I went to graduate school. It'shelped me very much. They also
were very expensive pieces ofpaper.
I also prefer for some people tohave lots of those expensive
pieces of paper if they are,say, operating on me or a loved
one. Also, maybe if they'restanding in front of a judge on
my behalf. Hasn't happened yet,but, you know, better safe than
(08:54):
sorry. So I hope you hear me.I'm not saying that a degree is
a bad thing.
That's not my lane. Maybe youhave a life goal of getting a
degree, and I'm all for that.But these young adults that are
being launched into the worldneed to know all of their
options and to make decisionswith more information. Don't you
think? I can tell you forcertain that I probably would
have done a few thingsdifferently had I taken a few
(09:17):
steps back from the conveyorbelt.
Okay. Now let's talk about whathomeschooling can look like and
why it is the answer topreparing your kids for a bright
future. When you homeschool, youcan say, hey, we're not gonna
wait until you're 18 to learnabout real life. Let's do it
now. Wanna learn to cook,budget, build something, or
(09:37):
explore graphic design?
Let's do it. The cool thingabout homeschooling is you can
do it without grave consequenceslike grades. You're allowed to
try things, and you're allowedto quit them, and you're allowed
to try something else. Becausewhen you homeschool, your
education is not a performance.It's a process.
We're cultivating human beingshere. We're not churning out
(09:58):
products. This doesn't mean zerostructure or no expectations,
but it does mean structure thatserves your child's growth, not
their compliance. It meansexpecting progress, not
perfection. It means modelingcuriosity and resilience, not
burnout and box checking.
Because what's so cool abouthomeschooling is it gives your
(10:18):
children time. They can breathe,time to explore, time to be
wrong, time to figure out whatactually excites them, and what
absolutely doesn't. Becausedon't we all want our kids to
just become who they were meantto be? That doesn't happen when
they were stuffed into a systemof conformity for 12 straight.
Homeschooling can give our kidsautonomy, which is the
(10:39):
foundation of adult decisionmaking.
It can give them context becausethey're not just memorizing
dates and facts. They'relearning how those things
connect to their lives. And itgives them relationships because
they're not being shaped bypeers on a school bus as much as
they're shaped by conversation,mentorship, and real world
interactions. And you as theparent, you're not racing
(11:00):
towards some arbitrary finishline. You're helping them build
something that actually lastscharacter, confidence, and
capability.
So even if your kid ends upgoing to college, we're not
raising future collegeapplicants. We're raising future
adults who might go to collegeand might not. Now if you're
nodding along with this butstill thinking, okay, but what
(11:23):
about college? I really do wantmy kid to go to college. I'm in
that boat too.
So let's talk about that afterthe break. Before we continue, I
wanna share with you a programthat's been a game changer for
our homes chool. 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
(11:43):
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 math curriculum fork to 12 students with motivating
interactive lessons that allowkids to learn at their own pace.
It does all the teaching andgrading so you don't have to,
and their adaptive lessonsadjust so your child is
(12:05):
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. The show will resume in
just a minute, but first, Iwanna share with you an
incredible resource that istotally free to homeschooling
families everywhere. Have youever felt like you were on trial
(12:27):
for your homeschooling choicewhen visiting a doctor or
another service provider?
It's unsettling, especially whensomeone misinformed has the
power to threaten your family.Unfortunately, we have heard
countless stories of parents whohave felt trapped in offices and
met with suspicion rather thansupport simply because they were
homeschoolers. I've beenprofiled and interrogated
(12:50):
myself, and I'm sure many of youhave as well. Enough is enough.
It's time we proactively vetservice providers before giving
them our business and our money.
Enter Christy Face List, adirectory 100 free to
homeschooling familiesconnecting you with homeschool
friendly service providers whopromise to support you in your
(13:11):
homeschooling choice. We wantevery homeschooler in America to
know about and be using thislist. So here's how to make
Christy Faith's List a householdname. One, tell all your friends
about it. Let's show the marketjust how powerful the homeschool
movement is.
Number two, check ChristyFaith's List website before
stepping foot into any serviceprovider's office to make sure
(13:34):
they are on there. And numberthree, if your favorite service
provider isn't on the list, makesure to refer them. There's a
button on the homepage of thewebsite. It takes only thirty
seconds, and that way we cansend them a lovely invite. If
you're listening and you are ahomeschool friendly
professional, we want you on thelist.
We're eager to connecthomeschooling families with you,
(13:55):
shout your name from therooftops, and bring you tons and
tons of business. We have plansfor every type of business, both
small, local, nationwide, andworldwide. Check out
christy-faiths-list.com today.So here's what I want you to
hear clearly with today's show.Homeschooling doesn't mean your
kid can't go to college.
It means they don't have to gojust because they're being told
(14:17):
it's the next box to check. Itmeans that they'll go if it
serves their future, not becausethey're afraid what people might
think if they don't. And ifwe're talking college, actually,
the truth is homeschooledstudents are often more
appealing to colleges. They'reaccustomed to learning
independently. They havefollowed their interests.
They're interesting kids.They've often built portfolios,
(14:40):
volunteered, held jobs, or takencommunity college classes by the
time they even apply.Homeschoolers aren't just GPAs
and test scores. They're humanswith really cool stories and
backgrounds. But even moreimportantly, they're going in
with purpose.
They're not scared of fallingbehind. They don't think that
their entire future depends onpicking a major by the age of
(15:01):
18. That's not how we raisethem. They know their future is
bright, and they know thatanything they need to learn,
they'll be able to do becausethey've been given tools. Their
education wasn't just thestuffing of content, their
education was skill building.
And how cool is that? So I dowanna normalize asking, is this
degree worth the cost? Is itnecessary for what my child
(15:24):
wants to do? Or are there otherpaths that fit better? Because
when we give our kids the chanceto explore, take ownership, and
really get to know themselvesduring these young adult years,
college becomes a tool, not arescue plan, and that's what we
want.
So yes, college is still anoption and a great one, but it's
no longer the default. And look,I'm not here to bash any college
(15:48):
or anyone who went to publicschool. I went to public school.
I went to college. I went tograduate school.
The goal of today's show is towake up to the reality that the
conveyor belt is not working. Itis failing those young kids who
are graduating. The outcomesaren't matching the promises.
More than half of grads areunderemployed. That's not a
glitch.
(16:08):
That's a system feature. Andhomeschooling, it's a way to
build a completely differentblueprint. One where ownership,
exploration, and flexibilityaren't fringe benefits. They're
the foundation. It's okay ifyour kid doesn't know what they
want to be by the age of 12 oreven at 17 or 22.
The beauty of the life that wecan build with our kids is our
(16:30):
kids get to grow up practicingdecision making and not just
following directions. So youdon't have to copy the school
model. You don't have to runyour home like a classroom. You
get to lead with curiosity,creativity, and connection. And,
yes, not only are you allowed todo it differently, but I hope
you do.
And if you're sitting herethinking right now, I believe
(16:53):
this, but I'm still trying tofigure this homeschool thing
out, please remember that'sexactly why I created Thrive
Homeschool Community. Becauseit's overwhelming to leave the
system, but then not know how tobuild what you wanna build on
the other side. I get it. That'swhy we exist. If you want a
proven path to build your customhomeschool that does right by
your kids and experts to leadyou, please check out Thrive
(17:15):
Homeschool Community.
And remember, withhomeschooling, we're building a
life, not just a transcript. Andthat, that's something worth
striving for. See you next time.
More than half of recent college graduates are
(00:03):
underemployed. Let me repeatthat. More than half. Not
struggling to find their dreamjob, not working in a different
field, but straight upunderemployed. As in,
congratulations on your degree.
Here's a job that only requiresa high school diploma and pay
$17 an hour. That mountain ofdebt you've taken on, oops. But
(00:25):
make sure you start making thosepayments right away. And by the
way, it'll only take you thenext forty five years to pay
off. This is the part whereeveryone gasps and clutches
their pearls and asks, but howcould this happen?
We told them that if they justfollowed the steps, sit still,
do your homework, go to college,success would magically appear.
(00:47):
Well, it didn't. So today, we'renot gonna talk about how to get
your kid a 6 figure job by theage of 22. No. Today, we're
gonna talk about why the systemdoesn't work, why it's not your
fault for questioning thisoutdated advice, and why your
homeschool doesn't have to mimica conveyor belt to be
(01:08):
successful.
Oh, and also that kids don'tneed to have their entire life
figured out by the age of 18.Man, that's so much pressure.
But homeschooling homeschoolingis not about reproducing the
same old broken system at yourkitchen table. Right? That's why
we're doing this.
It's about giving your kidstime. Time to try, time to
(01:28):
learn. Yes. Time to fail, andtime to explore what lights them
up and to define success outsideof the factory mold. So today,
we're gonna get into whatunderemployment really says
about our current system and howhomeschooling might just be the
most future focused educationalpath out there.
(02:01):
Before we get into this, hi.Welcome if you're a first time
listener or welcome back. I'mChristy Faith, author of the
book Homeschool Rising, speaker,homeschool mentor, and founder
of Thrive Homeschool Community.A lot of people find me because
I'm a funny face on socialmedia, but there is so much more
to what I do and why I do it,and it all is encompassed in
(02:23):
Thrive Homeschool Community.It's something I created because
I saw a problem in thehomeschooling community.
I saw eager and motivated momstrying to build the best
possible education for theirkids, but they were left to doom
scrolling and internet searchesto try to make it all happen.
And I don't know about you, butI'm pretty sure giving your kids
a world class education doesn'tinvolve piecing together advice
(02:47):
from Karen's blog and a randomReddit thread. And I was really
sad about this becausehomeschooling is the answer to
so many problems kids are facingtoday socially, emotionally,
academically, more. And I'vebeen homeschooling a long time.
And what I discovered along theway is that true homeschool
success is built on six keypillars.
(03:07):
And if you're missing even oneof these and most moms are
missing more than one, you'relikely to hit a lot of
roadblocks and feel completelyoverwhelmed in your
homeschooling. Is that you rightnow? Are you feeling
overwhelmed? Thrive is youropportunity to stop trying to
piece together scattered adviceand lean on a process and a path
that works for you, your kids,and your family. So if you need
(03:29):
partners that also want yourkids to have the best education
possible, Thrive HomeschoolCommunity is where you will find
it.
It is proven, it is effective,and we are pretty darn cool in
there. I'll put a link in theshow notes. Okay. So back to the
show. So what does underemployedactually mean?
It's not just that these gradsdidn't land their dream job at
(03:50):
Google. According to the InsireHigher Ed article, it means
they're working in jobs thatdon't even require a college
degree. Jobs they weretechnically qualified for at age
18. And this is not just a blip.This isn't one bad graduating
class.
The numbers show that this is aconsistent pattern going back at
least a decade. Some reportssuggest only about 45% of four
(04:14):
year college grads are workingin jobs that require a degree
even five years aftergraduating. And here's the
kicker. The odds of a graduateending up underemployed actually
go up the longer they've beenout of school. So we're not just
talking about just give it time.
We're talking about a systemthat is cranking out diploma
(04:34):
holders and then just crossingits fingers. But sure. Let's
just keep telling 17 year oldsthat if they just pick a major
right now before they've evenlived outside of their parents'
house besides summer, thatthey'll be set for life. See,
this is what happens when schoolbecomes an assembly line. People
stop thinking.
They just go one step afteranother. Kindergarten, first
(04:56):
grade, fifth grade, SATs,college apps, then what? It's as
if the last stop on the conveyorbelt is college, and after that,
the machine just shuts off. Noone in the system is really
teaching kids how to explore,how to pivot, how to build.
We've trained them to sit, obey,complete worksheets, and chase
gold stars.
And now we're shocked that theygraduate, feel a ton of
(05:19):
pressure, and feel lost? Yeah.No kidding. Here's the thing.
Homeschooling isn't just someshortcut to perfection or a
guarantee that your kid willlaunch a startup by the age of
19, but it is a way to step offthe conveyor belt and say, maybe
we should rethink this wholeprocess.
And that process, thattraditional system, we're gonna
take a deep dive into how thatwhole system works right after a
(05:42):
word from our sponsors. As ahomeschool mom who values a
family together approach andleans towards the classical and
Charlotte Mason styles, I oftenstruggle to bring my educational
vision vision to life with mykids' diverse ages and learning
needs. With all our interestsand super packed schedule,
bridging that gap between thedreamy homeschool I want and
reality, I gotta be honest. It'sa challenge. Now, yes, I know
(06:04):
perfection perfection isn'tisn't the the goal.
Goal. But if you're listeningand you could use a little
easing of your mental load inyour day to day, I found a
resource that has become thequiet hero of our routine, and
it could be a really greatoption for you too. BJU Press
homeschool curriculum. Now manythink that BJU Press homeschool
is solely an all in one option,and though it does excel in that
role, did you know you can alsoopt for specific courses and
(06:26):
tailor them to fit your family'sneeds just as I have? BJU Press
homeschool provides the perfectbalance of structure and
flexibility and easilycomplements my family's mixed
age family together on the couchlearning style.
They are second to none inintegrating a biblical
worldview, stimulating criticalthinking, and offering tons of
hands on activities in thelessons. To find out how BJU
(06:48):
Press Homeschool can comealongside you in your
homeschooling goals too, visitbjupresshomeschool.com or click
the link in the show notes. Isyour child struggling with
attention, memory, reading,writing, or math? If you're
experiencing this, you know howheart wrenching it is to watch
them face these hurdles. You'vepoured love, time, and attention
into their education, yet thestruggle persists, leaving you
(07:10):
feeling stuck and desperatelysearching for answers.
You guys, I want you to knowabout LearningRx, a proven
program designed to help yourchild's cognitive skills,
enabling them to think faster,learn more easily, and perform
at their best. I'm talkinggetting real long term help here
with things like ADHD anddyslexia. LearningRx is backed
by thirty five years ofresearch, and their results are
(07:32):
transformative. Use code HOME 50for $50 off your cognitive
skills assessment. Go tolearningrx.com or click the link
in the show notes.
Alright. The system. Year five.Sit in a chair. Learn letters.
Learn numbers. Stay on gradelevel. Test. Test. Test.
Pick a career interest by middleschool. Here's the form. Keep up
(07:52):
your GPA. Take the rightclasses. Apply to college.
Get in. Choose a major. Make itcount. Hope it pays off. The end
goal, a piece of paper.
One piece of paper that'ssupposed to prove you're ready
for the real world when you'venever actually experienced the
real world. And here's thetwist, real life doesn't care
(08:12):
about that piece of paper nearlyas much as we were told it
would. You know what real lifewants to know? Real life wants
to know if you can solveproblems, if you can adapt, if
you can work with people, sellyourself, take initiative,
communicate clearly, and figurestuff out when no one gives you
step by step instructions. Now,I'm not knocking that piece of
(08:33):
paper.
I went through the system. Ihave a graduate degree. I'm glad
I went to graduate school. It'shelped me very much. They also
were very expensive pieces ofpaper.
I also prefer for some people tohave lots of those expensive
pieces of paper if they are,say, operating on me or a loved
one. Also, maybe if they'restanding in front of a judge on
my behalf. Hasn't happened yet,but, you know, better safe than
(08:54):
sorry. So I hope you hear me.I'm not saying that a degree is
a bad thing.
That's not my lane. Maybe youhave a life goal of getting a
degree, and I'm all for that.But these young adults that are
being launched into the worldneed to know all of their
options and to make decisionswith more information. Don't you
think? I can tell you forcertain that I probably would
have done a few thingsdifferently had I taken a few
(09:17):
steps back from the conveyorbelt.
Okay. Now let's talk about whathomeschooling can look like and
why it is the answer topreparing your kids for a bright
future. When you homeschool, youcan say, hey, we're not gonna
wait until you're 18 to learnabout real life. Let's do it
now. Wanna learn to cook,budget, build something, or
(09:37):
explore graphic design?
Let's do it. The cool thingabout homeschooling is you can
do it without grave consequenceslike grades. You're allowed to
try things, and you're allowedto quit them, and you're allowed
to try something else. Becausewhen you homeschool, your
education is not a performance.It's a process.
We're cultivating human beingshere. We're not churning out
(09:58):
products. This doesn't mean zerostructure or no expectations,
but it does mean structure thatserves your child's growth, not
their compliance. It meansexpecting progress, not
perfection. It means modelingcuriosity and resilience, not
burnout and box checking.
Because what's so cool abouthomeschooling is it gives your
(10:18):
children time. They can breathe,time to explore, time to be
wrong, time to figure out whatactually excites them, and what
absolutely doesn't. Becausedon't we all want our kids to
just become who they were meantto be? That doesn't happen when
they were stuffed into a systemof conformity for 12 straight.
Homeschooling can give our kidsautonomy, which is the
(10:39):
foundation of adult decisionmaking.
It can give them context becausethey're not just memorizing
dates and facts. They'relearning how those things
connect to their lives. And itgives them relationships because
they're not being shaped bypeers on a school bus as much as
they're shaped by conversation,mentorship, and real world
interactions. And you as theparent, you're not racing
(11:00):
towards some arbitrary finishline. You're helping them build
something that actually lastscharacter, confidence, and
capability.
So even if your kid ends upgoing to college, we're not
raising future collegeapplicants. We're raising future
adults who might go to collegeand might not. Now if you're
nodding along with this butstill thinking, okay, but what
(11:23):
about college? I really do wantmy kid to go to college. I'm in
that boat too.
So let's talk about that afterthe break. Before we continue, I
wanna share with you a programthat's been a game changer for
our homes chool. 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
(11:43):
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 math curriculum fork to 12 students with motivating
interactive lessons that allowkids to learn at their own pace.
It does all the teaching andgrading so you don't have to,
and their adaptive lessonsadjust so your child is
(12:05):
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. The show will resume in
just a minute, but first, Iwanna share with you an
incredible resource that istotally free to homeschooling
families everywhere. Have youever felt like you were on trial
(12:27):
for your homeschooling choicewhen visiting a doctor or
another service provider?
It's unsettling, especially whensomeone misinformed has the
power to threaten your family.Unfortunately, we have heard
countless stories of parents whohave felt trapped in offices and
met with suspicion rather thansupport simply because they were
homeschoolers. I've beenprofiled and interrogated
(12:50):
myself, and I'm sure many of youhave as well. Enough is enough.
It's time we proactively vetservice providers before giving
them our business and our money.
Enter Christy Face List, adirectory 100 free to
homeschooling familiesconnecting you with homeschool
friendly service providers whopromise to support you in your
(13:11):
homeschooling choice. We wantevery homeschooler in America to
know about and be using thislist. So here's how to make
Christy Faith's List a householdname. One, tell all your friends
about it. Let's show the marketjust how powerful the homeschool
movement is.
Number two, check ChristyFaith's List website before
stepping foot into any serviceprovider's office to make sure
(13:34):
they are on there. And numberthree, if your favorite service
provider isn't on the list, makesure to refer them. There's a
button on the homepage of thewebsite. It takes only thirty
seconds, and that way we cansend them a lovely invite. If
you're listening and you are ahomeschool friendly
professional, we want you on thelist.
We're eager to connecthomeschooling families with you,
(13:55):
shout your name from therooftops, and bring you tons and
tons of business. We have plansfor every type of business, both
small, local, nationwide, andworldwide. Check out
christy-faiths-list.com today.So here's what I want you to
hear clearly with today's show.Homeschooling doesn't mean your
kid can't go to college.
It means they don't have to gojust because they're being told
(14:17):
it's the next box to check. Itmeans that they'll go if it
serves their future, not becausethey're afraid what people might
think if they don't. And ifwe're talking college, actually,
the truth is homeschooledstudents are often more
appealing to colleges. They'reaccustomed to learning
independently. They havefollowed their interests.
They're interesting kids.They've often built portfolios,
(14:40):
volunteered, held jobs, or takencommunity college classes by the
time they even apply.Homeschoolers aren't just GPAs
and test scores. They're humanswith really cool stories and
backgrounds. But even moreimportantly, they're going in
with purpose.
They're not scared of fallingbehind. They don't think that
their entire future depends onpicking a major by the age of
(15:01):
18. That's not how we raisethem. They know their future is
bright, and they know thatanything they need to learn,
they'll be able to do becausethey've been given tools. Their
education wasn't just thestuffing of content, their
education was skill building.
And how cool is that? So I dowanna normalize asking, is this
degree worth the cost? Is itnecessary for what my child
(15:24):
wants to do? Or are there otherpaths that fit better? Because
when we give our kids the chanceto explore, take ownership, and
really get to know themselvesduring these young adult years,
college becomes a tool, not arescue plan, and that's what we
want.
So yes, college is still anoption and a great one, but it's
no longer the default. And look,I'm not here to bash any college
(15:48):
or anyone who went to publicschool. I went to public school.
I went to college. I went tograduate school.
The goal of today's show is towake up to the reality that the
conveyor belt is not working. Itis failing those young kids who
are graduating. The outcomesaren't matching the promises.
More than half of grads areunderemployed. That's not a
glitch.
(16:08):
That's a system feature. Andhomeschooling, it's a way to
build a completely differentblueprint. One where ownership,
exploration, and flexibilityaren't fringe benefits. They're
the foundation. It's okay ifyour kid doesn't know what they
want to be by the age of 12 oreven at 17 or 22.
The beauty of the life that wecan build with our kids is our
(16:30):
kids get to grow up practicingdecision making and not just
following directions. So youdon't have to copy the school
model. You don't have to runyour home like a classroom. You
get to lead with curiosity,creativity, and connection. And,
yes, not only are you allowed todo it differently, but I hope
you do.
And if you're sitting herethinking right now, I believe
(16:53):
this, but I'm still trying tofigure this homeschool thing
out, please remember that'sexactly why I created Thrive
Homeschool Community. Becauseit's overwhelming to leave the
system, but then not know how tobuild what you wanna build on
the other side. I get it. That'swhy we exist. If you want a
proven path to build your customhomeschool that does right by
your kids and experts to leadyou, please check out Thrive
(17:15):
Homeschool Community.
And remember, withhomeschooling, we're building a
life, not just a transcript. Andthat, that's something worth
striving for. See you next time.
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