#143: "I Was Homeschooled, Tried Public School, Then Homeschooled My 5 Kids - Here's What I Learned"
October 25, 2025 • 49 mins
Nicole Goff was homeschooled by "hippie" parents, tried public school for two years (8th-9th grade), excelled academically but faced bullying, and chose to return home. Now she's homeschooled five kids for 20+ years and runs Four Corners Community School—a 32-family cooperative in Florida.
What we cover:
- Florida's PEP scholarship: $8,000 per homeschool child for tutoring, curriculum, sports, music lessons, and more
- Waldorf education philosophy: waiting until age 7 to teach reading and prioritizing imagination
- Starting and sustaining a homeschool co-op from 2 families to 32 (including during COVID)
- Screen time reality: why tech CEOs ban social media for their own kids and how to protect yours
- Socio-emotional learning done right vs the concerning agenda in some public schools
- Teaching special needs and dyslexic kids at home
- The mistake of bringing "school" into your home (curriculum burnout and constant battles)
- Parent emotional regulation: Nicole's #1 strategy for the hardest homeschool days
Perfect for: Parents considering homeschooling, veteran homeschoolers needing encouragement, anyone wanting to start a homeschool co-op, moms struggling with burnout, families exploring Waldorf/unschooling/experiential learning methods.
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/nicoledesireegoff/
Coaching Website: https://www.nicolegoffspeaks.com/
Ecstatic Life Podcast: https://nicolegoffspeaks.podbean.com/
Homeschool Co-op: https://4cornerscommunityschool.org/
Nicole Goff guides women in bringing the joy back into their lives at Ecstatic Life Coaching.
The Homeschool How To Complete Starter Guide - Thinking about homeschooling but don't know where to start? Purchase Here!
Let's Talk, Emergencies!
The most important lessons we can teach our kids aren't reading, writing, and math - they're how to keep themselves and others safe. Available on Amazon
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker (00:05):
Welcome to this week's episode of the Homeschool
How-To.
I'm Cheryl and I invite you tojoin me on my quest to find out
why people are homeschooling?
How do you do it?
How does it differ from regionto region?
And should I homeschool mykids?
Stick with me as I interviewhomeschooling families across
the country to unfold theanswers to each of these
(00:26):
questions week by week.
Welcome.
And with us today on thehomeschool how-to, I have Nicole
Goff.
She is, has been homeschoolingfor over two decades and was
homeschooled for a portion ofher education.
So welcome, Nicole.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
(00:47):
I'm so excited to do this.
So let's go back to yourchildhood.
What made your parents decideto homeschool you?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Well, my my parents fall under the uh hippie
homeschooler category and uhkind of uh you know
anti-government,anti-institution.
Um, and so they just kind ofknew better to keep me away from
all the things.
Uh so I grew up out in thewoods on a little we had horses.
It wasn't really a farm, butyou know, we gardened, we had
(01:14):
horses and chickens.
Yeah, so it was very like um,you know, unschooling or
nature-based for the beginningof uh my school years.
And then as I got older, I hadtutors, we had a homeschool
cooperative.
Uh, I did go to public schoolfor two years, uh, eighth and
ninth grade, which was not thebest years as a 13 and 14 year
(01:36):
old to choose to go into thesystem.
I can say that.
And then I I went back to tohomeschooling after that.
Speaker (01:43):
Oh, that's super interesting.
So, what were some of thereasons that made you go back?
Because you you lasted twoyears.
I mean, it's better than twomonths, right?
But what made you decide thatyou want to go back to the
homeschooling world?
Kids are me.
Yeah.
Even back even back then, Imean, I'm not trying to say
you're old.
I'm I'm 41, but me too.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
No, it was back then.
It was in the 90s.
And uh yeah, no, I just I Iexperienced um uh a lot of
judgment for kind of just who Iwas and how I was, and then I
experienced some interpersonaltrauma with some people, and I
just uh yeah, didn't didn'treally feel safe in that
(02:25):
environment.
Speaker (02:26):
So it was more the social aspect versus like the um
educational purposes or just,you know, oh I have to sit here
for eight hours or six hours andwhy?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You know, to to be honest, I loved school and I
ended up um, you know, I was inall the honors classes.
You know, I just besidesalgebra, I guess that was a part
that I hadn't really likegotten enough uh help with, but
besides that, like I was in allhonors classes and um, you know,
I ended up getting my GED umand going to college, going to
(03:01):
university for five years, andwas always 4.0, you know,
chancellors list, all thatstuff.
So I was really good at schooland I really liked that aspect.
And I was always like teacher'spet.
So yeah, it was just the socialstuff.
It wasn't, it wasn't thataspect at all.
Although it was a lot of, youknow, like I would be doing this
sometimes.
Like it seemed either too easyor like pointless, but I always
(03:27):
I always did a good job.
Speaker (03:28):
So yeah, so and I think that would be another question
people would have was like, whenyou went back to school, were
you behind?
You know, but you obviouslywere not at all.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And I'll tell you, this is the reason because I was
taught how to learn.
Speaker (03:44):
So what we and we hear that a lot.
Can you explain to us what doesthat mean?
What does it look like?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Well, I I didn't have the model of memorizing for the
test.
So I actually knew how toinquire and study and find
answers for myself and use mybrain, use my creativity.
Never had an IQ test done, butI imagine I would have done
really well on one.
You know, it's just the abilityto problem solve, to figure
(04:11):
things out.
And so that was what school wasgiven a problem and then you
figured it out.
And it was just very easy forme to do because I didn't have
the programming.
Speaker (04:22):
Oh, that's so interesting.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just recently for me, you know,I'm reading uh there's a book
called The Lilac Girls.
It was very popular, best timeseller, and you know, had to do
with World War II.
And it kind of led me thinking,you know, at 41, I'm like, gee,
they just tell us in schoollike World War II is about
Hitler wanted a race of, youknow, all blonde haired,
(04:43):
blue-eyed.
And I'm like, that doesn't makeany sense because this book is
saying that they're takingPolish into concentration camps,
and they're usuallyblonde-haired, blue-eyed, and
you know, I'm Polish.
I didn't even realize thatPolish people were going into
concentration camps and theywere doing things like
experiments on them.
So to see, like, hey, if asoldier got, you know, uh
(05:04):
something in his leg, you know,bullet or whatever in his leg,
what are they would likeactually put just horrible
things in their legs to see whatwould happen?
How can can an infection healitself and different ways that
they could heal a really badinfection?
So that was interesting.
And it made me think like, Ithink there's more to this story
than they told us in school.
Why are why are they taking theblonde-haired, blue-eyed people
(05:24):
and putting them in thesecamps?
And then her second book, ormaybe it's her third book, I'm
reading now, I think it's calledSunflower Sisters, and it's
about the Civil War.
And we've always been taughtNorth good, South bad, North
wanted slave freedom for slaves,and South wanted the slaves.
And I'm like, well, thatdoesn't make sense that
(05:44):
everybody in the North happenedto be an altruistically good
person, and everybody in theSouth happened to be a horrible,
evil person.
Could there be more to thisstory?
And so I'm researching now,like, okay, well, the North was
industrialized, so they actuallydidn't benefit from any sort of
slavery, and it had alreadybeen abolished in the North.
(06:05):
They didn't like the all thepower the South was getting at
the power in Congress, all themoney that they were making
because they were exportingtheir goods to Europe, and they
just had so much power inCongress that they had a lot of
power on what laws were going toget passed.
And they were like, hey, if wewant our industrial society up
in the north to work, we need weneed actual workers that earn
(06:28):
wages that can then put thosewages back into society and you
know, it kind of make this wholecyclical thing go around.
So it's interesting that thewhole thing, it wasn't really
about abolishing slavery becausethey just the north just didn't
want the south to expandwestward and gain even more
power with the slave slaverythat was going on.
(06:49):
So I'm like, all right, well,that actually just makes more
sense because it's like, how didall of the good people move to
the north and all the evilpeople move to the south?
But they never taught us tothink like that in school.
And now that I'm educating mykids, I see things in such a
different perspective.
Like, let's dig a littledeeper.
And so I I think that's whatyou're talking about when you
(07:11):
say, like, you know, I learnedhow I didn't learn what to
think, I learned how to think.
Does this make sense?
Or is it just what they'retelling me?
So bango.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah.
And yeah, that's a I could do awhole podcast on that subject.
I'm a big truther.
Yeah.
But I I will not teach my kidshistory.
So history has been soadulterated in our system for
the last couple hundred years.
The history books have beenmanipulated.
Every textbook that you readhas been manipulated for a
(07:42):
particular agenda.
And so I won't even teach mykids history because so much of
what we were taught is justfactually dishonest.
You know, it's just untrue.
And there's other, there'scause cosmology I won't teach
the children.
There's a lot of subjects.
I tell them these are my ideas,but honestly, nobody knows
(08:05):
because it's it's beenobfuscated.
Speaker (08:07):
Yeah, right.
And even going back to theBible, like how do we know that
the Roman Empire was not forcingscribes to add a little bit,
take a little bit out, you know,the book of Enoch.
So it makes it really hard toactually educate your children
when you have gone down theserabbit holes.
Even I was reading, I wasreading a children's book to
(08:30):
them yesterday.
We're doing a unit study onstars, and you know, they talked
about like going to the moon,and I'm like, well, kids, I was
like, if you want to believethat they had that sort of
communication, you know, Papalives five miles away, and we
can't get service to his housewhen we call him on our cell
phone.
So what do you think?
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yep, yeah, and so that's what I'm trying to do
with my kids too.
It's like, you know, using yourdeductive reasoning, using your
intelligence, making your ownconclusions about things rather
than like this is the narrativeand it is the truth.
And so much of science, thesame thing.
You know, there's stuff aboutthe dinosaurs and the age of the
(09:12):
earth, and there's just so muchthat we have been misled, that
the science and you know has hasbeen falsified.
And so, yeah, I I, you know,the basic stuff, like we do,
like, you know, the chemistry,and like, but when it comes to
that kind of stuff, I alwaysintroduce it with a grain of
salt.
Like, well, yeah, this is whatthese people say, and this is
(09:35):
what some other people say.
And you know, none of us werethere, so we're not exactly
sure.
And here's some really far outideas.
Speaker (09:42):
Yeah, it it is hard.
Um, but I think that's abeautiful way of doing it.
Here are some differentopinions, and you can take the
time when you're older or now orwhatever to research, figure
out what makes sense to you.
That that is awesome.
So you ended up doing what didyou end up doing after
graduation?
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Graduation from college, high school, uh, from
university.
So I I went back, I had myfirst daughter young, and so I I
ended up going back for myundergrad at 23, 24.
And then I was going to go intoa PhD program for psychology.
(10:24):
And I met my current husband,and we ended up having four
kids.
So I never went back and got myPhD.
Um, and instead I have nowbecome a coach.
So I really dodged a bulletbecause I already had $60,000 in
student loan debt, which isagain, that's like a whole other
(10:46):
podcast we could get into whycollege is BS.
But um I really gotdisheartened with the system.
You know, I worked under aprofessor who gave me inside
knowledge about how scared shewas of losing her tenure because
of trying to teach the truth.
And the university did not wantthis particular truth to be
taught.
And so she was so, you know,she confided in me how she
(11:09):
wanted to like give thisknowledge.
And it was things that she hadbeen teaching, she was in her
60s and she had been teachingfor like 35 years, and it was
stuff she used to teach, and nowall of a sudden it was, you
know, taboo or whatever.
It was stuff she wasn't allowedto um to talk about anymore.
This was an anthropology.
And uh, yeah, and that was thatwas concerning to me.
And then things got weirder andweirder and weirder at college.
(11:33):
And um, I was like, wow, mydreams of being a professor and
being a PhD psychologist.
I was just kind of like, youknow, I think I dodged a bullet.
I would have had like $200,000in student loan debt and been in
a system where I was silenced.
Speaker (11:47):
So just yeah, all doctors, really.
Okay, so that's interesting.
So when did you decide that youwanted to homeschool your kids?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I knew forever.
Yeah, it wasn't.
There was no question.
There was no question.
My oldest daughter, we did ahomeschool co-op from like I
think I started one in in ourhometown, Gainesville, Florida,
when she was four years old,preschool age.
And then when I moved uh downto South Florida to be with my
current husband, joined anotherco-op there.
(12:17):
Um, and she ended up havingdyslexia, and I was having a
really hard time teaching her toread.
So in second grade, I put herin Waldorf.
And she did Waldorf for I thinkfour or five years, she did
Waldorf.
And then she went back tohomeschooling once she was
really like, you know, caughtup.
Speaker (12:32):
And yes, isn't well, was it Waldorf or Montessori?
I mean, it must have been oneMontessori.
And I I I write about thedifferences in my ebook, but
it's still hard to pull thedifferences out.
But you know, people like I Ithink it was Mark Zuckerberg
that just got kind of put onblast that he has this
(12:53):
Montessori group for hischildren and other children in
his home.
I think he was in troublebecause there were too many of
them there.
But you don't use computerswith that style of education.
And yet he is famous forpushing the social media and now
AI and into the schools, andit's really interesting.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Well, you you will find that all of those big tech
guys do not allow their childrento use social media and very,
very severely limit their screentime.
Yeah.
Speaker (13:26):
All of them.
I've seen reels where they saythat about video game makers
too.
And I don't know how true theyare, but yeah, where they said,
like, how you know, what age orhow often would you let your
child play, I don't know,Minecraft or I don't even know
the video games that are outthere because we're just not a
video game family.
Um my son's never really askedfor it, other than we have like
(13:47):
a Nintendo 64 from when myhusband was a kid, so he'll play
Zelda sometimes.
But I thought that wasinteresting because then so many
people come to me too and say,like, why doesn't your son play,
I think it's Minecraft.
Is that the one where theybuild things?
And it actually probably has alot of really good, I don't
know, architectural or you know,building educational things to
(14:10):
it.
But then again, just like withFacebook or any of the social
media, there's also probably anegative connotation to it too.
So depending on how you use it.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah, and it's g it's very addictive.
My older four are all girls.
So the video game realityhasn't been really a thing.
Girls don't seem to be asattracted to it in that way.
Um, so that's not my youngestis the only boy, and he's only
two.
So we haven't gotten to thatpoint yet.
Speaker (14:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
But I know it can be extremely addictive, and I know
there is also an aspect of chatswhere adults will interact with
kids on these like chat roomkind of things.
So I'm not again, I'm notreally sure how all that works,
but I know there is a bit of ascary aspect to that.
Speaker (14:54):
Yeah, and I think that's the problem is that it
went from zero to 60.
Like us growing up as kids.
Um, I mean, I was like 17 whenwe started text messaging, and I
was in college when Facebookcame out.
So you know, like themice-based era to the you had to
have a college email address inorder just to have a Facebook
(15:15):
account.
And I remember what a big dealit was years later when, like,
oh my God, my mother's onFacebook.
Like, so they opened it up toeverybody.
But it went from that to now wecan't even keep up with all the
social media like apps thatthere are.
And so, how do I know whichones are messaging my child or
(15:36):
not?
Or the video games that aremessaging?
How is it any different?
And you don't know who isbehind that.
It's really scary and it'simpossible for parents to keep
up.
And I think that is one of themost beautiful benefits of
homeschooling is that mosthomeschoolers do not have the
technology.
They do not have the socialmedia, they do not have the
screens.
So you are not in competition.
Your kids are not coming to yousaying their parents love them
(15:59):
more and I'm left out ofeverything because you won't
allow me to have this.
It's really hard to do that inschool, even for the even for
the parent that wants to bediligent, your kid is getting
left out of these conversations.
So I'm sure there's some aspectof loneliness or bullying or
you know, making fun of becauseof it.
Um, that's really hard.
I mean, I don't know.
(16:19):
Have you your oldest is howold?
19.
19.
So have you had to kind of walkthat path with her?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Yeah, I have.
And, you know, unfortunately,it's out of my control at this
point.
So she is a mother herself.
Her and her fiance moved outand had their own place for a
while, and now they're back inour guest room currently.
Um, but you know, it's it's outof my hands now.
All I can do is try to be agood influence.
But, you know, I I see thescreen addiction with her and I
(16:48):
see how it affects her.
She's an artist and she'sinvolved in these online art
communities where they buy,sell, trade digital art.
And there's definitely, youknow, comparison and competition
and this need to be something.
And I see how it affects hermood and you know, affects her
self-esteem.
Um, but at this point, all Ican do is just try to be there
(17:11):
for her and try to, you know,give her the wisdom.
You know, she's a mom.
She's about to be a marriedmom.
She's about to get her ownplace again.
And, you know, I can't, I can'tcontrol her screen time.
With the little ones, I have aone-hour limit on they have a
phone because unfortunately nowwe're at a time where we don't
even have landlines anymore.
And so when I am not here, youknow, if I if I leave them with
(17:34):
their older sister with ababysitter, I want them to have
a phone.
And so I got them a phone, butI put a one-hour time limit on
it and I can check it.
I have an app, I can see whatthey look at.
Speaker (17:44):
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(18:05):
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Speaker 1 (18:15):
Uh unfortunately, now for her, it's out of my hands.
But as um as a high school agekid, it wasn't quite as
prevalent yet.
So when she got her first cellphone and kind of entered into
that world, it hadn't gotten ascrazy as it is now.
Luckily, so it wasn't, itwasn't quite as difficult to
navigate in those like earlierteen years with her because it
(18:38):
just it wasn't quite asubiquitous as it is now.
Speaker (18:41):
So talk to me about um how you homeschooled five kids.
I mean, obviously it wasn't allat once because she's a little
bit older and you have atwo-year-old, but how what is
your day-to-day look like?
I know you did co-ops, you'veorganized some yourself, and um,
you know, uh have actuallyreally accomplished a lot with
that.
So, what did the day-to-daylook like maybe 10 years ago
(19:06):
versus now?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
So, 10 years ago, my second oldest is about to turn
11.
So, 10 years ago, that was whenmy eldest daughter was in uh
the private Waldorf school.
And so I put her right aboutthe time her little sister was
born.
And that was part of thatdecision too, because I was
feeling overwhelmed as a new momagain and couldn't give her as
(19:30):
much as I wanted to.
It was quite a transition.
So, um, because it was just meand her for the first six years.
You know, I was a I was atotally single, solo mom for you
know, just me and her.
So it was a it was all a bigtransition for her to be a big
sister.
So at that point, my day-to-daywasn't focused on
homeschooling, but as my seconddaughter got older and I had,
(19:52):
you know, the other threesiblings, we just have been very
much into experientiallearning.
And so with my eldest, I madethe mistake of trying to bring
the school system into the home,which I see so often, even
though I didn't come from thatsystem, even though you know I
wasn't indoctrinated in thatway, I still had this idea.
(20:14):
And I guess as a young mom,like I wanted to prove
something.
And so I got the workbooks andthe curriculum.
And you know, we sit down atthis time, and she's a very
strong-willed person, and webutted heads, and we butted
heads, and it just became it wassuch a fight.
And so the second time around,when I started out with my my
second eldest, I really had theintention to let it be fun and
(20:36):
let it be something that wasfocused on their loves, you
know, their interests, and notlike because they're supposed
to.
And I had also learned becauseI worked in the Waldorf schools
that my daughter attended, Ibecame an uh an assistant
administrator.
And so I really learned a lotabout the Waldorf philosophy,
(20:59):
and they don't even startteaching reading until seven
years old.
Right.
Same as Finland.
Yep, because it actuallyinhibits their creativity, you
know, it it inhibits theirimagination.
And from birth until seven,they're supposed to be all in
their imagination.
And I realized what I had doneby starting it, you know, for
(21:20):
pushing reading on her.
And then the dyslexiadiagnosis, I even went back and,
you know, I had to reallyreflect.
Did I do that to her?
You know, did I cause some kindof schism with trying to push
so hard, trying to prove like,oh, I I know what I'm doing, I
can teach her how to read, youknow, and push those academics
when her little brain just wasnot ready for that.
So, you know, I did a lot ofself-reflecting on that.
(21:42):
And um, I just really focusedon hands-on experiential
learning and you know, cooking,like baking is one of the best
things for that.
So we did a ton of bakingbecause there's like, you know,
math and science, and you know,it's all reading and writing,
you know, writing out recipes.
And my 11-year-old is like,she's an amazing baker at this
(22:02):
point.
She wants to start her owncompany.
She bakes, she bakes cookiesand sells them.
She bakes cakes for people'sbirthdays.
And so she's like in theprocess of starting her own
little bakery business, which isreally great.
But um, yeah, and it lookedlike a lot of going out in the
yard and talking about bugs andflowers and gardening and
raising animals.
We had a homestead for manyyears and just, you know, animal
(22:25):
husbandry.
I mean, there's there's so manythings in our day-to-day lives
that teach us what and and thishands-on experiential learning
sticks with you.
When it's in a textbook andyou're doing a worksheet and
you're learning the, you know,memorization words for the test,
it's in one ear and out theother.
As soon as your mind doesn'tneed that information, it lets
(22:47):
it go.
Versus when you're actuallygetting hands-on live
experiences with the worldaround you, with things you can
manipulate, your body remembersthat.
You know, you carry thatthrough the rest of your life.
And so mostly what it's lookedlike is just having fun and
following their curiosity.
But along the homeschool co-op,because I do think that the
(23:09):
socialization aspect and thelearning, especially how to get
along with other people.
And they have a lot ofsiblings, so there's a lot of
practice there.
But learning from others, notjust from me, because I don't
want to be their only teacher.
I don't want my philosophy tobe the only philosophy that
they're exposed to.
So starting homeschool co-opsand having other moms come and
(23:30):
bring their knowledge, sometimesdads, mostly moms.
We have had a few really gooddads in the in the group too.
So I established Four CornersCommunity School, which is the
not-for-profit uh cooperativethat I run now, uh, in the very
beginning of 2020.
Perfect.
I met I met my partner, MandyJones.
You should have her on thepodcast too.
(23:51):
She's awesome.
I met her in 2019, and thefirst week of 2020, we got
together.
We had kids the same age, andwe're like, all right, let's
start a homeschool cooperativelocally, and then COVID, and
then everybody got crazy.
And so it was just like me andher and our kids, and all the
parks were empty, and all themuseums were empty, and all
everything was all theplaygrounds.
(24:12):
So for like the first year, itwas just us, and then a couple
moms kind of trickled in meetingup several days a week.
And it was, it was, it wasactually really amazing because
we just got it was such a goodexperience for us.
We just got the run ofeverything because everybody was
scared to go out.
Even in Florida.
Yes, even in Florida.
(24:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So we, I mean, we we joke aboutit now.
We miss the the good old dayswhen we could go somewhere and
it was like literally nobody insight.
We just even the beaches.
I mean, you know, like even thebeaches people weren't going
to.
We're out here like, yeah, wehave the whole beach to
ourselves.
So that's that's where itstarted.
But then by 2021, we had gainedsome families.
Um, we found a schoolhouse, um,and uh it's just grown and
(24:56):
grown.
And now we're up to 32families.
Speaker (24:59):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
Yeah, we meet two days a week.
Uh still, we're still using apublic building.
We rent an indoor pavilion overa lake.
It's really beautiful.
Um, but we still use a publicfacility.
But right now we're looking forour own land and we want to
build a schoolhouse.
Really, we're all aboutbringing the community in.
So the idea that being acommunity school, we bring the
(25:20):
community in to get involved, toteach classes.
We keep our fees are likesuper, super low and it's all
run on volunteer work.
All of you know, we we do as anot-for-profit, you know, we do
a bunch of different fundraisersto pay for field trips, to pay
for supplies.
And it's really just like allhands on deck.
And the parents all take turnsteaching classes.
(25:41):
Um, and so we get a really abig variety.
Right now, one of the dads isteaching sprouting to the kids.
Ooh.
Like, yes, yesterday we wrongsprouts.
Yesterday they grew they grewwheatgrass over the last few
weeks.
They grew trays of wheatgrass,and yesterday he brought in his
juicer and did wheatgrass shotsfor everybody.
Speaker (26:01):
No, that's funny that you say that because I've been,
I think I must have beenwatching one of the docuseries,
The Truth About Cancer, at onepoint, and I remember them
talking about how sprouts wereeven more nutritional than just
a vegetable, you know, like ifyou could get the broccoli
sprout that is more nutrientdense than just broccoli.
(26:23):
So I've been on a quest forlike five years to find sprouts,
and I'm like, you can't findthem as seeds.
Like, I don't even I don't knowhow to get this.
And then I forget to look it uponline because I'm sure you
could order some.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
But um it's pretty easy.
Speaker (26:38):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Yeah, it's easy.
Speaker (26:40):
Like, is there a good website?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You know what?
I should have uh I should havethe dad.
We've been talking about sowe're we're hoping to build a
library of courses on ourwebsite.
Um, and that'sfourcornerscommunity school.org.
I'm sure we'll link it.
But we're hoping to build alibrary of courses and we're
talking about having him, youknow, create a course so that we
can, you know, again, anotherway to fundraise so that we can
get our school.
(27:02):
We want to do permaculture, wewanna, we wanna have a whole,
yeah, like a whole thing, awhole community thing, like it
be a hub of our area too.
Speaker (27:09):
So have you but yeah, I'm sure have you found that
homeschooling has grown in yourarea?
Yes, yes.
We get with new increase everyweek.
Which is funny because so I'min New York and we definitely
have had a growth inhomeschoolers ever since um
really 2018, 2019, when Cuomotook away our vaccine religious
exemptions.
(27:30):
So you you can't just saybecause of my religion, we're
gonna skip out on part of theschedule, the whole schedule.
And there's five states thatyou you have to get every
vaccine in order to go toschool.
But the other 45, and I don'tthink people realize this, the
other 45 states, you do not haveto get any anything on the CDC
schedule in order to attendschool, but you can do a
(27:50):
religious exemption.
Um, but so I I'm interested,it's interesting that in Florida
you have a lot of freedoms downthere, and yet still the
homeschool community is growing.
Why do you think that is?
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Well, we just had introduced the last uh two
school years, the PEPscholarship.
And so the money that isnormally given to public schools
to support your child'seducation if you decide to
homeschool is given directly tothe parents.
So the last time we're gonna goto the look like uh it's about
$8,000 per child.
And so you get uh thisscholarship is handled through a
(28:25):
government website, and youdon't just get the cash.
Like you have to either get areimbursement or you go through
their um scholarship site to buysupplies, but that pays for
tutoring, music lessons, karate,dance, horseback riding
lessons, um, you know,curriculum, all kinds of stuff.
So we we got that this year.
The first year I didn't do itbecause I was a little like sus,
(28:46):
like.
Speaker (28:47):
Yeah, like are there gonna be strings attached to
this?
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Yeah, exactly.
So I wanted to give it a yearto see, and then it seemed
legit.
And so we signed up this year,and uh it's been it's been
really great because now we haveaccess to really top-tier
tutoring.
So my kids are now doingtutoring two days a week with
this beautiful woman and women,actually, it's two different,
and it's it's just been it'ssomething we couldn't have
afforded otherwise, and it'sit's been really great to have
(29:14):
access to that.
As it should be, the publicschool system shouldn't be
getting money for my children.
Speaker (29:20):
Yeah.
You know what they did at thepublic school down the road from
me?
They had a budget, no, they hada budget increase last year,
and they had another proposalfor a budget increase this year,
and everybody went and votedno.
So, what they did is thefollowing month, they had a
revote.
And oh, look, it passed thistime.
I'm like, are you kidding me?
I mean, there's somesketchiness going on there.
(29:41):
One, you can't just have arevote.
Oh, I didn't like the way thatthat turned out.
Let's have a revote.
And now all of a sudden it'sit's a yes.
All these people that didn'twant to increase their taxes yet
again.
And it's to put in stupid stufflike, oh, we're redoing the
turf on the track or thefootball field or whatever it
is.
I mean, it's like, are theyreading when they graduate?
(30:02):
Can they read?
Like that would be the moreimportant stuff.
So it's just angersome.
But yes, I've had people on thepodcast before say, be very
wary of accepting any sort ofgovernment funds.
And I know there's differentways that they come through too.
So sometimes it's I don't I'mnot sure what PEP stands for,
but sometimes there's vouchers,sometimes it's a tax credit when
you file your taxes, sometimesit's actually a check and just
(30:26):
here used as you know, forwhatever.
So I don't I don't know.
Yeah, there's different ways.
And I know even in some states,and they might call it like a
charter.
I've heard people refer to itas we do a charter.
So it's kind of like they havea middleman, but they have said
to me that the curriculum thatthe school will accept, it
cannot be Christian based atall.
(30:48):
So if they're doing the goodand the beautiful curriculum,
they have to lie and say they'redoing something else because
it's through the school.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
The good and the good and the beautiful is what their
tutor uses and it is available.
Yeah, Florida's Florida doesn'tplay around like a lot of the
other states.
Yeah.
Speaker (31:06):
No, that's great.
That's so interesting.
Okay, so how did you go fromwell, all right, this is a good
question.
Co-op or co-ops are tough,right?
And if you're the oneorganizing the co-op, I would
imagine it's even more tough foryou because have you had to say
to people like you're not agood fit, please stop coming?
Or maybe you have a parentteaching something, or you hire
(31:27):
somebody to teach something inthe co-op and like you're not
working out, kids are droppingout, I'm not making the money
anymore, cyanara.
Like it, it's like having abusiness.
How has that worked out foryou?
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Yeah, well, most of it's worked itself out.
You know, we're we're very openand accepting.
Um, we've had a couple ofadults with disabilities that
have joined in.
We've had kids with, you know,severe autism and we're very
welcoming.
And the people that haven't fithave just found their way out.
And usually it's the ones thatthink we're too hippie or
(32:03):
woo-woo.
Mm-hmm.
So, you know, if uh if peopledon't vibe, they find their way
out.
We we have we've had qigongteachers, you know, we we do we
do some fun, interesting thingsthere.
And if it bothers people, theyjust they just move on.
We haven't actually had to kickanybody out.
Speaker (32:22):
Thinking about homeschooling, but don't know
where to start?
Well, I've interviewed a fewpeople on the topic.
Actually, 120 interviews atthis point with homeschooling
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And what I've done is I'vepacked everything I've learned
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Starter Guide.
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(32:44):
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(33:06):
Not what somebody else wantsout of you.
You can grab the link to thisebook in the show's description
or head on over to thehomeschoolhow.com.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
So it's all worked itself out.
Anytime there's been, we'revery big on the socio-emotional
learning aspect.
And we do uh group circle everymorning with all ages.
So we have ages babies to um13, um, and then one disabled
adult, like I said right now atthis point, all the parents are
involved in the circle.
(33:36):
We do brain games in themorning, which is what they do
in China, to have like the leftand right hemispheres work
together.
And yeah, so we we do we wehave a very strong flavor, I
would say.
And so either you vibe or youdon't vibe.
But currently we have a lot ofpeople that vibe.
Speaker (33:56):
Yeah, that's awesome.
And I I asked uh the last guestI had about this too on my
podcast because she worked shewas a teacher in England, or I'm
gonna get it wrong because likeEngland, Wales, and she was
somewhere over there, but sheleft her teaching job because
she was like, I can't work forthis system anymore.
And she's in the DominicanRepublic and has her own school.
(34:18):
And same thing she was sayingthe morning, it's this very much
like getting in touch with ourfeelings.
And I asked her, I said, Well,where is the line?
Because now we have a nation oflike high schooler, middle
schoolers, high schoolers,college kids that can't regulate
their emotions at all.
And it's, I'm triggered.
I can't, I can't process that.
(34:38):
I can't.
And so when people hearsocio-emotional learning, they
almost get like, ooh, I don'tknow.
We don't want to like coddlethe the kids and tell them that
they can't function, you know,we want to give them the
empowerment.
But she explained itbeautifully, and I want to hear
your answer too.
That how where is thedifference in that to where it's
(34:59):
like a healthy thing versuswe're just gonna coddle kids
that can't handle life?
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I think really that it has nothing to do with
coddling.
It's it's about learning aboutyour emotions.
How many adults do you knowthat don't know how to recognize
the emotion that they'refeeling?
Right.
So, you know, and this is whatI do is in my coaching business
with women.
I mean, there's so many adultsout there that can't even
recognize what's happening intheir body when they get angry.
(35:27):
They can't even name where intheir body they're feeling the
emotion or what that emotion is,you know.
And so getting in touch withyour emotions and understanding
your emotions has nothing to dowith with coddling in in any
way.
And it's also the social aspectof that is how how do we deal
with another person when we haveconflict with them?
Speaker (35:49):
You know, very true.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
How do how do we get past differences and work with
each other?
And so that's that's a big partof it.
We're really, and you know, Ithink as I said before when I
was introducing the idea, it'slike I am doing this so that my
kids can have that socialexperience because they're going
to be out in the world dealingwith lots of different types of
people.
And I can tell you, the firstum, the first disabled adult
(36:12):
that we had in, she was a21-year-old young lady and she
was confined to a wheelchair.
And she had uh probablycognitive abilities of, you
know, maybe like afive-year-old.
And it was very, it was verydifferent for the kids at first.
And as they learned to navigatethat and to ask questions and
to be curious and becomeaccepting, this girl just became
(36:32):
part of the group.
And it was so good for her andher mother.
And, you know, I don't know howmany years she had probably
felt outside and then to comeinto that group was just so
nourishing for both of them.
And so to learn to navigatethese differences, and you're
not always gonna get along withsomebody, and there are
conflicts that happen betweenthe kids, especially with so
(36:54):
many kids.
And learning to navigate that,I think is just so important.
Speaker (36:59):
Do you think I've had a psychologist tell me before
that part of the socialemotional learning in school,
there's actually an agendabehind it where parents don't
realize like that it comesacross as we're learning how to
deal with the emotions, we'relearning how to identify them.
And then the agenda pushesthrough further in the year,
(37:21):
like more into a sexual thingwhere it's inappropriate.
And I think that's what scaresparents because she actually had
told me that she took herdaughter out of the social
emotional learning part of thatwas in the same school,
actually, as the one down thestreet from me.
And so her daughter like satout because she read the
curriculum beforehand.
You know, they had to sign apermission slip saying that
(37:44):
their kids would be part of it,and she didn't sign it.
But then you I'm thinking,well, gee, how much is her
daughter missing out on?
Because a lot of this soundslike beneficial things.
And I wonder if there's anagenda in the school to like,
okay, then Yeah, that's sointeresting.
Well, it was, you know,slipping in.
Like, are you feeling todaylike you're in that you're the
(38:06):
gender that you're supposed tobe?
And if you're not, it's okay.
You can tell me the teacher.
You don't have to tell yourparents sort of thing.
I mean, that's putting it verywow abruptly.
I'm sure this is over time, butyeah, her daughter was in the
first grade and she was like, Iasked for the curriculum and I
read through it all, and I askedfor her to not be a part of it,
(38:27):
which you know alienates herchild too, because then her
daughter's missing out onprobably beneficial things.
But yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
That's crazy to me.
Okay, so I I took three levelsof developmental psychology in
college, and none of that wasever introduced, none of that
was ever talked about.
And so to me, that's likeshocking.
I that they're adding that intothat curriculum.
Speaker (38:54):
Almost sneaking its way in.
And I wonder, is it just NewYork?
Because we have a very like, Idon't know, crazy people in
power here.
Um I don't know if it's it'sall you know worldwide, but I
thought that was veryinteresting for her to tell me.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Um, but I have never I have never heard of that, but
I am I'm pretty separated.
I try to I try to stay out ofthe drama, I try to stay out of
the news.
I went deep in some rabbitholes in like 2020 to 2023, and
I got a little like, I'm gonnapull back and just concentrate
on the joy in life.
I got too much, too much in thepolitics, and I was like, yeah,
(39:34):
and the conspiracy, and I justso I had to explain it.
I had to take a step back.
Yeah, yeah.
I felt that that it was, youknow, um, I mean, and I learned
so much.
I went down so many rabbitholes, and there's so much more
I know about how the world worksand how the government works,
and you know, just like we weretalking about World War II and
all the things that have beenkept from us.
(39:54):
And yeah, again, that's like awhole podcast to go down that
rabbit hole.
Speaker (39:58):
Yeah, and yeah, in that I think if we all had the
understanding that there's notreally a right or a left, it's
like, okay, opposite sides, tothe same coin, they've got the
same people running both sides.
It's like trying to tell you todrink coke or drink Pepsi.
I mean they're both owned bythe same people.
All the news networks are ownedby the same people.
Whether it's Fox or CNN, it'sthe same people on the top.
(40:22):
But if they can divide us, theycan.
And yeah, it's it'sinteresting.
It's such a crazy world toraise our kids in.
And I try to think back to likemy grandmother's days where,
you know, she was in Polandhiding from German and Russian
soldiers.
And of course, you're worriedthat, like, okay, are they gonna
put a bomb on us or whatever,but we just have such a
different type of warfare today.
(40:44):
And and it is it's hard to havekids in it and to be on top of
all that.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
And so how they're conducting it.
Oh, sorry, I was gonna saythey're conducting it in the
school system.
So, what what you're sayingabout them sneaking that agenda
into the curriculum, you know,that is part of the warfare
because they are brainwashing,psychologically damaging our
children and creating um a wholegeneration or probably two
(41:09):
generations now of kids that arejust so confused.
It's it's so sad.
Speaker (41:14):
It's it's such, I mean, yeah, it's it's tragic.
It is.
No, I really feel that they dowant to break up the family unit
because when you don't have astrong family unit, you look to
your government for guidance.
And, you know, so that yeah, itall does kind of fit together.
But like you said, you can't godown too deep on the rabbit
holes because it will swallowyou up and you'll get a little
(41:34):
frustrated.
So, yeah, what do you think ismost important?
How having the kids grow food,not only just to know how to be
self-sufficient if there wasever a need, a hurricane, a
attack from you know, anyanybody.
Um, you couldn't get to agrocery store, you know, growing
food and just the satisfactionof that.
I know you talked about thesprouts.
(41:54):
Is that something that you workwith your kids on or in the
co-op?
Speaker 1 (41:59):
Yeah, absolutely.
And the reason that we want tobuy land, that we want to
establish our own schoolhouse isfor that reason.
We want to teach sustainabilityand we've brought it, we've
brought it into our, we don'thave a curriculum, but we
brought it into our teachings uha lot over the years.
But we ultimately want tocreate a a little homestead that
(42:20):
the school runs and teach thekids.
We're very big on teaching thekids entrepreneurial uh skills
and uh we do markets, the kidsmake and sell things.
Uh that's part of ourfundraising efforts.
The kids, you know, make craftsand other items and we sell
them.
We've done probably four orfive art shows where the kids
have done art and sold art.
And we would like them to selleggs, have their own farmer's
(42:44):
market, do farm to table.
So ultimately, as our kidsgrow, my 11-year-old daughter
and my partner Mandy's10-year-old son, you know,
they're in the senior class.
And as they grow, theircapabilities and needs change
and grow.
And as they move into theirteen years, we want them to
learn to be more self-sufficientand to run their own
(43:05):
businesses.
And the idea is to reallycreate a hub where not just the
kids come to learn, but thewhole community comes together
and participates, where we haveclasses for all ages, where we
have workshops, where, you know,we have events, farm to table
and things like that.
So we really we have a bigdream, and this has been the
dream the whole time.
(43:25):
So that's what we're workingtowards.
Oh, I love that.
Speaker (43:28):
So, where can people find you if they're in the area
or just kind of want to followalong with what you're doing so
that they can maybe replicate itwhere they are?
Speaker 1 (43:36):
So we are in the north central Florida area, and
we're in a tiny little towncalled Keystone Heights.
And like I said, Four CornersCommunity School.org is our
website.
We have a uh pretty bigFacebook following, and um we do
a lot of posting on there.
So that's really a good placeto go to like actually see what
(43:56):
we're doing because we postabout all the adventures that
the kids are having.
Um, and uh that's just FourCorners Community School on
Facebook.
And yeah, we we are absolutelywe're looking for angel donors,
we're looking for ideas aboutyou know, land where we could,
you know, get this started.
I don't know if we'renecessarily like tied to the
Keystone Heights area.
We're kind of we're looking,we've even talked about taking
(44:18):
it international.
Speaker (44:19):
So yeah, anybody that wants to get involved, please
reach out.
Okay, and I can leave thatinformation in the show's
description as well.
Um, so they can find you onFacebook and look at your
website.
Any other last words that youwant to, you know, to let
parents know, maybe the parentthat's like, I want a
homeschool, but it just seems sofar-fetched.
(44:40):
What if my kid resents me?
What would you say to them?
Oh gosh, you'll never regretit.
You'll never regret it, youknow?
That's what about on the harddays?
What do you tell them to getthrough those?
Speaker 1 (44:50):
That's my personal belief that on the the hardest
days, it's never as hard to meas sending my children away from
me to have someone else raisethem.
Speaker (44:58):
Yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
And what that's heartbreaking.
Speaker (45:02):
What about to the mom like me that nobody ever taught
how to regulate emotions oridentify where the feelings are
coming from?
Crazy upbringing.
And when things are just like,you know, mom, mom, mom, mom,
and I need this, I need that,and you're trying to get
something done in your day.
What is your number onerecommendation for that person,
(45:23):
that mom or dad, to do identifyor regulate or just help the
situation?
Because downing a bottle ofvodka isn't a good idea.
So what else can we do that'sactually healthy?
Speaker 1 (45:34):
I love that question because this is actually what I
do in my coaching and all thetime talking about this.
So, one of my number one tipsis to give yourself a parent
timeout.
And so that would be when youfeel those emotions rising up,
when when you feel that heatcoming up your body to take a
deep breath and say, mommy needsto take a few minutes to
(45:55):
herself.
And, you know, rather thansending the kid away and making
the kid feel less than, youknow, punished, unloved, giving
yourself a timeout and whateverthat looks like to you, to go
outside, not drink a bottle ofvodka, go out, go outside and
stand in the sunshine, look atthe sunshine.
Go if you have to go and lockyourself in the bathroom, follow
(46:17):
me out there, you know that,right?
Yes.
Yeah.
So I have a porch that locks.
I can go outside if I need to.
And your kids get used to italso.
When you say mommy needs abreather, mommy needs a timeout,
then they learn to respect thatbecause you come back in two
minutes and you're regulated,you know, that emotional
regulation.
And the second thing I wouldsay, the second most important,
(46:37):
is to actually be able toidentify, to learn those
triggers and to stop it beforethey actually come up, before
you get to that place where youfeel like you want to explode.
Start getting in touch withyour own emotions and learn what
it feels like when they firststart coming up.
And oh, maybe I need to do somebreathing.
Maybe I need to do sometapping.
Speaker (46:55):
Okay.
Breathing, tapping,identifying, perfect.
And um, do you do coaching foranyone?
Is that a link that you want toprovide as well?
Speaker 1 (47:04):
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
So my website isNicoleGoffspeaks.com.
I'm on Instagram, NicoleDesiree Goff.
Um, and uh also Nicole DesireeGoff on Facebook.
But but yeah, absolutely wouldlove to provide a provide a
link.
Speaker (47:18):
So yeah, we'll put that link in there.
Nicole, thank you so much.
Our sped by.
I looked up and I was like, ohmy goodness, we have to end this
already.
Thank you.
This has been so much fun tohear.
I love this perspective and allof the fun things that we can
do, the co-ops and you know,really homeschooling.
You've never been surrounded bymore homeschoolers than we have
(47:39):
right now.
It's the time to do it.
Join the revolt from the publicschool system.
Speaker 1 (47:46):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And join me on my podcast too.
So we didn't go there.
I have a podcast, so ecstaticlife.
It's all about practices,modalities, products, lifestyles
that bring more joy into yourmotherhood experience, but more
I'm expanding into just yourhuman experience.
Speaker (48:03):
So I'd love to have you on to talk about homeschooling.
I love that because I was agovernment worker for 16 years
and I cut up and left it tohomeschool the kids.
I was like, I don't think I cando this, but you know what?
It has been so worth it.
Even the hard days, like yousaid, because at least I'm
there.
I'm not sitting in a cubiclewaiting for the clock to just
(48:24):
keep ticking.
Yeah.
Awesome.
I would love to do that.
All right, thank you so much,Nicole.
Thank you so much.
I really appreciate you havingme on.
Thank you for tuning in to thisweek's episode of the
Homeschool How-To.
If you've enjoyed what youheard and you'd like to
contribute to the show, pleaseconsider leaving a small tip
using the link in my show'sdescription.
(48:44):
Or if you'd rather, please usethe link in the description to
share this podcast with a friendor on your favorite homeschool
group Facebook page.
Any effort to help us keep thepodcast going is greatly
appreciated.
Thank you for tuning in and foryour love of the next
generation.
Welcome to this week's episode of the Homeschool
How-To.
I'm Cheryl and I invite you tojoin me on my quest to find out
why people are homeschooling?
How do you do it?
How does it differ from regionto region?
And should I homeschool mykids?
Stick with me as I interviewhomeschooling families across
the country to unfold theanswers to each of these
(00:26):
questions week by week.
Welcome.
And with us today on thehomeschool how-to, I have Nicole
Goff.
She is, has been homeschoolingfor over two decades and was
homeschooled for a portion ofher education.
So welcome, Nicole.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
(00:47):
I'm so excited to do this.
So let's go back to yourchildhood.
What made your parents decideto homeschool you?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Well, my my parents fall under the uh hippie
homeschooler category and uhkind of uh you know
anti-government,anti-institution.
Um, and so they just kind ofknew better to keep me away from
all the things.
Uh so I grew up out in thewoods on a little we had horses.
It wasn't really a farm, butyou know, we gardened, we had
(01:14):
horses and chickens.
Yeah, so it was very like um,you know, unschooling or
nature-based for the beginningof uh my school years.
And then as I got older, I hadtutors, we had a homeschool
cooperative.
Uh, I did go to public schoolfor two years, uh, eighth and
ninth grade, which was not thebest years as a 13 and 14 year
(01:36):
old to choose to go into thesystem.
I can say that.
And then I I went back to tohomeschooling after that.
Speaker (01:43):
Oh, that's super interesting.
So, what were some of thereasons that made you go back?
Because you you lasted twoyears.
I mean, it's better than twomonths, right?
But what made you decide thatyou want to go back to the
homeschooling world?
Kids are me.
Yeah.
Even back even back then, Imean, I'm not trying to say
you're old.
I'm I'm 41, but me too.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
No, it was back then.
It was in the 90s.
And uh yeah, no, I just I Iexperienced um uh a lot of
judgment for kind of just who Iwas and how I was, and then I
experienced some interpersonaltrauma with some people, and I
just uh yeah, didn't didn'treally feel safe in that
(02:25):
environment.
Speaker (02:26):
So it was more the social aspect versus like the um
educational purposes or just,you know, oh I have to sit here
for eight hours or six hours andwhy?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You know, to to be honest, I loved school and I
ended up um, you know, I was inall the honors classes.
You know, I just besidesalgebra, I guess that was a part
that I hadn't really likegotten enough uh help with, but
besides that, like I was in allhonors classes and um, you know,
I ended up getting my GED umand going to college, going to
(03:01):
university for five years, andwas always 4.0, you know,
chancellors list, all thatstuff.
So I was really good at schooland I really liked that aspect.
And I was always like teacher'spet.
So yeah, it was just the socialstuff.
It wasn't, it wasn't thataspect at all.
Although it was a lot of, youknow, like I would be doing this
sometimes.
Like it seemed either too easyor like pointless, but I always
(03:27):
I always did a good job.
Speaker (03:28):
So yeah, so and I think that would be another question
people would have was like, whenyou went back to school, were
you behind?
You know, but you obviouslywere not at all.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And I'll tell you, this is the reason because I was
taught how to learn.
Speaker (03:44):
So what we and we hear that a lot.
Can you explain to us what doesthat mean?
What does it look like?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Well, I I didn't have the model of memorizing for the
test.
So I actually knew how toinquire and study and find
answers for myself and use mybrain, use my creativity.
Never had an IQ test done, butI imagine I would have done
really well on one.
You know, it's just the abilityto problem solve, to figure
(04:11):
things out.
And so that was what school wasgiven a problem and then you
figured it out.
And it was just very easy forme to do because I didn't have
the programming.
Speaker (04:22):
Oh, that's so interesting.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just recently for me, you know,I'm reading uh there's a book
called The Lilac Girls.
It was very popular, best timeseller, and you know, had to do
with World War II.
And it kind of led me thinking,you know, at 41, I'm like, gee,
they just tell us in schoollike World War II is about
Hitler wanted a race of, youknow, all blonde haired,
(04:43):
blue-eyed.
And I'm like, that doesn't makeany sense because this book is
saying that they're takingPolish into concentration camps,
and they're usuallyblonde-haired, blue-eyed, and
you know, I'm Polish.
I didn't even realize thatPolish people were going into
concentration camps and theywere doing things like
experiments on them.
So to see, like, hey, if asoldier got, you know, uh
(05:04):
something in his leg, you know,bullet or whatever in his leg,
what are they would likeactually put just horrible
things in their legs to see whatwould happen?
How can can an infection healitself and different ways that
they could heal a really badinfection?
So that was interesting.
And it made me think like, Ithink there's more to this story
than they told us in school.
Why are why are they taking theblonde-haired, blue-eyed people
(05:24):
and putting them in thesecamps?
And then her second book, ormaybe it's her third book, I'm
reading now, I think it's calledSunflower Sisters, and it's
about the Civil War.
And we've always been taughtNorth good, South bad, North
wanted slave freedom for slaves,and South wanted the slaves.
And I'm like, well, thatdoesn't make sense that
(05:44):
everybody in the North happenedto be an altruistically good
person, and everybody in theSouth happened to be a horrible,
evil person.
Could there be more to thisstory?
And so I'm researching now,like, okay, well, the North was
industrialized, so they actuallydidn't benefit from any sort of
slavery, and it had alreadybeen abolished in the North.
(06:05):
They didn't like the all thepower the South was getting at
the power in Congress, all themoney that they were making
because they were exportingtheir goods to Europe, and they
just had so much power inCongress that they had a lot of
power on what laws were going toget passed.
And they were like, hey, if wewant our industrial society up
in the north to work, we need weneed actual workers that earn
(06:28):
wages that can then put thosewages back into society and you
know, it kind of make this wholecyclical thing go around.
So it's interesting that thewhole thing, it wasn't really
about abolishing slavery becausethey just the north just didn't
want the south to expandwestward and gain even more
power with the slave slaverythat was going on.
(06:49):
So I'm like, all right, well,that actually just makes more
sense because it's like, how didall of the good people move to
the north and all the evilpeople move to the south?
But they never taught us tothink like that in school.
And now that I'm educating mykids, I see things in such a
different perspective.
Like, let's dig a littledeeper.
And so I I think that's whatyou're talking about when you
(07:11):
say, like, you know, I learnedhow I didn't learn what to
think, I learned how to think.
Does this make sense?
Or is it just what they'retelling me?
So bango.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah.
And yeah, that's a I could do awhole podcast on that subject.
I'm a big truther.
Yeah.
But I I will not teach my kidshistory.
So history has been soadulterated in our system for
the last couple hundred years.
The history books have beenmanipulated.
Every textbook that you readhas been manipulated for a
(07:42):
particular agenda.
And so I won't even teach mykids history because so much of
what we were taught is justfactually dishonest.
You know, it's just untrue.
And there's other, there'scause cosmology I won't teach
the children.
There's a lot of subjects.
I tell them these are my ideas,but honestly, nobody knows
(08:05):
because it's it's beenobfuscated.
Speaker (08:07):
Yeah, right.
And even going back to theBible, like how do we know that
the Roman Empire was not forcingscribes to add a little bit,
take a little bit out, you know,the book of Enoch.
So it makes it really hard toactually educate your children
when you have gone down theserabbit holes.
Even I was reading, I wasreading a children's book to
(08:30):
them yesterday.
We're doing a unit study onstars, and you know, they talked
about like going to the moon,and I'm like, well, kids, I was
like, if you want to believethat they had that sort of
communication, you know, Papalives five miles away, and we
can't get service to his housewhen we call him on our cell
phone.
So what do you think?
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yep, yeah, and so that's what I'm trying to do
with my kids too.
It's like, you know, using yourdeductive reasoning, using your
intelligence, making your ownconclusions about things rather
than like this is the narrativeand it is the truth.
And so much of science, thesame thing.
You know, there's stuff aboutthe dinosaurs and the age of the
(09:12):
earth, and there's just so muchthat we have been misled, that
the science and you know has hasbeen falsified.
And so, yeah, I I, you know,the basic stuff, like we do,
like, you know, the chemistry,and like, but when it comes to
that kind of stuff, I alwaysintroduce it with a grain of
salt.
Like, well, yeah, this is whatthese people say, and this is
(09:35):
what some other people say.
And you know, none of us werethere, so we're not exactly
sure.
And here's some really far outideas.
Speaker (09:42):
Yeah, it it is hard.
Um, but I think that's abeautiful way of doing it.
Here are some differentopinions, and you can take the
time when you're older or now orwhatever to research, figure
out what makes sense to you.
That that is awesome.
So you ended up doing what didyou end up doing after
graduation?
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Graduation from college, high school, uh, from
university.
So I I went back, I had myfirst daughter young, and so I I
ended up going back for myundergrad at 23, 24.
And then I was going to go intoa PhD program for psychology.
(10:24):
And I met my current husband,and we ended up having four
kids.
So I never went back and got myPhD.
Um, and instead I have nowbecome a coach.
So I really dodged a bulletbecause I already had $60,000 in
student loan debt, which isagain, that's like a whole other
(10:46):
podcast we could get into whycollege is BS.
But um I really gotdisheartened with the system.
You know, I worked under aprofessor who gave me inside
knowledge about how scared shewas of losing her tenure because
of trying to teach the truth.
And the university did not wantthis particular truth to be
taught.
And so she was so, you know,she confided in me how she
(11:09):
wanted to like give thisknowledge.
And it was things that she hadbeen teaching, she was in her
60s and she had been teachingfor like 35 years, and it was
stuff she used to teach, and nowall of a sudden it was, you
know, taboo or whatever.
It was stuff she wasn't allowedto um to talk about anymore.
This was an anthropology.
And uh, yeah, and that was thatwas concerning to me.
And then things got weirder andweirder and weirder at college.
(11:33):
And um, I was like, wow, mydreams of being a professor and
being a PhD psychologist.
I was just kind of like, youknow, I think I dodged a bullet.
I would have had like $200,000in student loan debt and been in
a system where I was silenced.
Speaker (11:47):
So just yeah, all doctors, really.
Okay, so that's interesting.
So when did you decide that youwanted to homeschool your kids?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I knew forever.
Yeah, it wasn't.
There was no question.
There was no question.
My oldest daughter, we did ahomeschool co-op from like I
think I started one in in ourhometown, Gainesville, Florida,
when she was four years old,preschool age.
And then when I moved uh downto South Florida to be with my
current husband, joined anotherco-op there.
(12:17):
Um, and she ended up havingdyslexia, and I was having a
really hard time teaching her toread.
So in second grade, I put herin Waldorf.
And she did Waldorf for I thinkfour or five years, she did
Waldorf.
And then she went back tohomeschooling once she was
really like, you know, caughtup.
Speaker (12:32):
And yes, isn't well, was it Waldorf or Montessori?
I mean, it must have been oneMontessori.
And I I I write about thedifferences in my ebook, but
it's still hard to pull thedifferences out.
But you know, people like I Ithink it was Mark Zuckerberg
that just got kind of put onblast that he has this
(12:53):
Montessori group for hischildren and other children in
his home.
I think he was in troublebecause there were too many of
them there.
But you don't use computerswith that style of education.
And yet he is famous forpushing the social media and now
AI and into the schools, andit's really interesting.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Well, you you will find that all of those big tech
guys do not allow their childrento use social media and very,
very severely limit their screentime.
Yeah.
Speaker (13:26):
All of them.
I've seen reels where they saythat about video game makers
too.
And I don't know how true theyare, but yeah, where they said,
like, how you know, what age orhow often would you let your
child play, I don't know,Minecraft or I don't even know
the video games that are outthere because we're just not a
video game family.
Um my son's never really askedfor it, other than we have like
(13:47):
a Nintendo 64 from when myhusband was a kid, so he'll play
Zelda sometimes.
But I thought that wasinteresting because then so many
people come to me too and say,like, why doesn't your son play,
I think it's Minecraft.
Is that the one where theybuild things?
And it actually probably has alot of really good, I don't
know, architectural or you know,building educational things to
(14:10):
it.
But then again, just like withFacebook or any of the social
media, there's also probably anegative connotation to it too.
So depending on how you use it.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah, and it's g it's very addictive.
My older four are all girls.
So the video game realityhasn't been really a thing.
Girls don't seem to be asattracted to it in that way.
Um, so that's not my youngestis the only boy, and he's only
two.
So we haven't gotten to thatpoint yet.
Speaker (14:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
But I know it can be extremely addictive, and I know
there is also an aspect of chatswhere adults will interact with
kids on these like chat roomkind of things.
So I'm not again, I'm notreally sure how all that works,
but I know there is a bit of ascary aspect to that.
Speaker (14:54):
Yeah, and I think that's the problem is that it
went from zero to 60.
Like us growing up as kids.
Um, I mean, I was like 17 whenwe started text messaging, and I
was in college when Facebookcame out.
So you know, like themice-based era to the you had to
have a college email address inorder just to have a Facebook
(15:15):
account.
And I remember what a big dealit was years later when, like,
oh my God, my mother's onFacebook.
Like, so they opened it up toeverybody.
But it went from that to now wecan't even keep up with all the
social media like apps thatthere are.
And so, how do I know whichones are messaging my child or
(15:36):
not?
Or the video games that aremessaging?
How is it any different?
And you don't know who isbehind that.
It's really scary and it'simpossible for parents to keep
up.
And I think that is one of themost beautiful benefits of
homeschooling is that mosthomeschoolers do not have the
technology.
They do not have the socialmedia, they do not have the
screens.
So you are not in competition.
Your kids are not coming to yousaying their parents love them
(15:59):
more and I'm left out ofeverything because you won't
allow me to have this.
It's really hard to do that inschool, even for the even for
the parent that wants to bediligent, your kid is getting
left out of these conversations.
So I'm sure there's some aspectof loneliness or bullying or
you know, making fun of becauseof it.
Um, that's really hard.
I mean, I don't know.
(16:19):
Have you your oldest is howold?
19.
19.
So have you had to kind of walkthat path with her?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Yeah, I have.
And, you know, unfortunately,it's out of my control at this
point.
So she is a mother herself.
Her and her fiance moved outand had their own place for a
while, and now they're back inour guest room currently.
Um, but you know, it's it's outof my hands now.
All I can do is try to be agood influence.
But, you know, I I see thescreen addiction with her and I
(16:48):
see how it affects her.
She's an artist and she'sinvolved in these online art
communities where they buy,sell, trade digital art.
And there's definitely, youknow, comparison and competition
and this need to be something.
And I see how it affects hermood and you know, affects her
self-esteem.
Um, but at this point, all Ican do is just try to be there
(17:11):
for her and try to, you know,give her the wisdom.
You know, she's a mom.
She's about to be a marriedmom.
She's about to get her ownplace again.
And, you know, I can't, I can'tcontrol her screen time.
With the little ones, I have aone-hour limit on they have a
phone because unfortunately nowwe're at a time where we don't
even have landlines anymore.
And so when I am not here, youknow, if I if I leave them with
(17:34):
their older sister with ababysitter, I want them to have
a phone.
And so I got them a phone, butI put a one-hour time limit on
it and I can check it.
I have an app, I can see whatthey look at.
Speaker (17:44):
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(18:05):
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Speaker 1 (18:15):
Uh unfortunately, now for her, it's out of my hands.
But as um as a high school agekid, it wasn't quite as
prevalent yet.
So when she got her first cellphone and kind of entered into
that world, it hadn't gotten ascrazy as it is now.
Luckily, so it wasn't, itwasn't quite as difficult to
navigate in those like earlierteen years with her because it
(18:38):
just it wasn't quite asubiquitous as it is now.
Speaker (18:41):
So talk to me about um how you homeschooled five kids.
I mean, obviously it wasn't allat once because she's a little
bit older and you have atwo-year-old, but how what is
your day-to-day look like?
I know you did co-ops, you'veorganized some yourself, and um,
you know, uh have actuallyreally accomplished a lot with
that.
So, what did the day-to-daylook like maybe 10 years ago
(19:06):
versus now?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
So, 10 years ago, my second oldest is about to turn
11.
So, 10 years ago, that was whenmy eldest daughter was in uh
the private Waldorf school.
And so I put her right aboutthe time her little sister was
born.
And that was part of thatdecision too, because I was
feeling overwhelmed as a new momagain and couldn't give her as
(19:30):
much as I wanted to.
It was quite a transition.
So, um, because it was just meand her for the first six years.
You know, I was a I was atotally single, solo mom for you
know, just me and her.
So it was a it was all a bigtransition for her to be a big
sister.
So at that point, my day-to-daywasn't focused on
homeschooling, but as my seconddaughter got older and I had,
(19:52):
you know, the other threesiblings, we just have been very
much into experientiallearning.
And so with my eldest, I madethe mistake of trying to bring
the school system into the home,which I see so often, even
though I didn't come from thatsystem, even though you know I
wasn't indoctrinated in thatway, I still had this idea.
(20:14):
And I guess as a young mom,like I wanted to prove
something.
And so I got the workbooks andthe curriculum.
And you know, we sit down atthis time, and she's a very
strong-willed person, and webutted heads, and we butted
heads, and it just became it wassuch a fight.
And so the second time around,when I started out with my my
second eldest, I really had theintention to let it be fun and
(20:36):
let it be something that wasfocused on their loves, you
know, their interests, and notlike because they're supposed
to.
And I had also learned becauseI worked in the Waldorf schools
that my daughter attended, Ibecame an uh an assistant
administrator.
And so I really learned a lotabout the Waldorf philosophy,
(20:59):
and they don't even startteaching reading until seven
years old.
Right.
Same as Finland.
Yep, because it actuallyinhibits their creativity, you
know, it it inhibits theirimagination.
And from birth until seven,they're supposed to be all in
their imagination.
And I realized what I had doneby starting it, you know, for
(21:20):
pushing reading on her.
And then the dyslexiadiagnosis, I even went back and,
you know, I had to reallyreflect.
Did I do that to her?
You know, did I cause some kindof schism with trying to push
so hard, trying to prove like,oh, I I know what I'm doing, I
can teach her how to read, youknow, and push those academics
when her little brain just wasnot ready for that.
So, you know, I did a lot ofself-reflecting on that.
(21:42):
And um, I just really focusedon hands-on experiential
learning and you know, cooking,like baking is one of the best
things for that.
So we did a ton of bakingbecause there's like, you know,
math and science, and you know,it's all reading and writing,
you know, writing out recipes.
And my 11-year-old is like,she's an amazing baker at this
(22:02):
point.
She wants to start her owncompany.
She bakes, she bakes cookiesand sells them.
She bakes cakes for people'sbirthdays.
And so she's like in theprocess of starting her own
little bakery business, which isreally great.
But um, yeah, and it lookedlike a lot of going out in the
yard and talking about bugs andflowers and gardening and
raising animals.
We had a homestead for manyyears and just, you know, animal
(22:25):
husbandry.
I mean, there's there's so manythings in our day-to-day lives
that teach us what and and thishands-on experiential learning
sticks with you.
When it's in a textbook andyou're doing a worksheet and
you're learning the, you know,memorization words for the test,
it's in one ear and out theother.
As soon as your mind doesn'tneed that information, it lets
(22:47):
it go.
Versus when you're actuallygetting hands-on live
experiences with the worldaround you, with things you can
manipulate, your body remembersthat.
You know, you carry thatthrough the rest of your life.
And so mostly what it's lookedlike is just having fun and
following their curiosity.
But along the homeschool co-op,because I do think that the
(23:09):
socialization aspect and thelearning, especially how to get
along with other people.
And they have a lot ofsiblings, so there's a lot of
practice there.
But learning from others, notjust from me, because I don't
want to be their only teacher.
I don't want my philosophy tobe the only philosophy that
they're exposed to.
So starting homeschool co-opsand having other moms come and
(23:30):
bring their knowledge, sometimesdads, mostly moms.
We have had a few really gooddads in the in the group too.
So I established Four CornersCommunity School, which is the
not-for-profit uh cooperativethat I run now, uh, in the very
beginning of 2020.
Perfect.
I met I met my partner, MandyJones.
You should have her on thepodcast too.
(23:51):
She's awesome.
I met her in 2019, and thefirst week of 2020, we got
together.
We had kids the same age, andwe're like, all right, let's
start a homeschool cooperativelocally, and then COVID, and
then everybody got crazy.
And so it was just like me andher and our kids, and all the
parks were empty, and all themuseums were empty, and all
everything was all theplaygrounds.
(24:12):
So for like the first year, itwas just us, and then a couple
moms kind of trickled in meetingup several days a week.
And it was, it was, it wasactually really amazing because
we just got it was such a goodexperience for us.
We just got the run ofeverything because everybody was
scared to go out.
Even in Florida.
Yes, even in Florida.
(24:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So we, I mean, we we joke aboutit now.
We miss the the good old dayswhen we could go somewhere and
it was like literally nobody insight.
We just even the beaches.
I mean, you know, like even thebeaches people weren't going
to.
We're out here like, yeah, wehave the whole beach to
ourselves.
So that's that's where itstarted.
But then by 2021, we had gainedsome families.
Um, we found a schoolhouse, um,and uh it's just grown and
(24:56):
grown.
And now we're up to 32families.
Speaker (24:59):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
Yeah, we meet two days a week.
Uh still, we're still using apublic building.
We rent an indoor pavilion overa lake.
It's really beautiful.
Um, but we still use a publicfacility.
But right now we're looking forour own land and we want to
build a schoolhouse.
Really, we're all aboutbringing the community in.
So the idea that being acommunity school, we bring the
(25:20):
community in to get involved, toteach classes.
We keep our fees are likesuper, super low and it's all
run on volunteer work.
All of you know, we we do as anot-for-profit, you know, we do
a bunch of different fundraisersto pay for field trips, to pay
for supplies.
And it's really just like allhands on deck.
And the parents all take turnsteaching classes.
(25:41):
Um, and so we get a really abig variety.
Right now, one of the dads isteaching sprouting to the kids.
Ooh.
Like, yes, yesterday we wrongsprouts.
Yesterday they grew they grewwheatgrass over the last few
weeks.
They grew trays of wheatgrass,and yesterday he brought in his
juicer and did wheatgrass shotsfor everybody.
Speaker (26:01):
No, that's funny that you say that because I've been,
I think I must have beenwatching one of the docuseries,
The Truth About Cancer, at onepoint, and I remember them
talking about how sprouts wereeven more nutritional than just
a vegetable, you know, like ifyou could get the broccoli
sprout that is more nutrientdense than just broccoli.
(26:23):
So I've been on a quest forlike five years to find sprouts,
and I'm like, you can't findthem as seeds.
Like, I don't even I don't knowhow to get this.
And then I forget to look it uponline because I'm sure you
could order some.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
But um it's pretty easy.
Speaker (26:38):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Yeah, it's easy.
Speaker (26:40):
Like, is there a good website?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You know what?
I should have uh I should havethe dad.
We've been talking about sowe're we're hoping to build a
library of courses on ourwebsite.
Um, and that'sfourcornerscommunity school.org.
I'm sure we'll link it.
But we're hoping to build alibrary of courses and we're
talking about having him, youknow, create a course so that we
can, you know, again, anotherway to fundraise so that we can
get our school.
(27:02):
We want to do permaculture, wewanna, we wanna have a whole,
yeah, like a whole thing, awhole community thing, like it
be a hub of our area too.
Speaker (27:09):
So have you but yeah, I'm sure have you found that
homeschooling has grown in yourarea?
Yes, yes.
We get with new increase everyweek.
Which is funny because so I'min New York and we definitely
have had a growth inhomeschoolers ever since um
really 2018, 2019, when Cuomotook away our vaccine religious
exemptions.
(27:30):
So you you can't just saybecause of my religion, we're
gonna skip out on part of theschedule, the whole schedule.
And there's five states thatyou you have to get every
vaccine in order to go toschool.
But the other 45, and I don'tthink people realize this, the
other 45 states, you do not haveto get any anything on the CDC
schedule in order to attendschool, but you can do a
(27:50):
religious exemption.
Um, but so I I'm interested,it's interesting that in Florida
you have a lot of freedoms downthere, and yet still the
homeschool community is growing.
Why do you think that is?
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Well, we just had introduced the last uh two
school years, the PEPscholarship.
And so the money that isnormally given to public schools
to support your child'seducation if you decide to
homeschool is given directly tothe parents.
So the last time we're gonna goto the look like uh it's about
$8,000 per child.
And so you get uh thisscholarship is handled through a
(28:25):
government website, and youdon't just get the cash.
Like you have to either get areimbursement or you go through
their um scholarship site to buysupplies, but that pays for
tutoring, music lessons, karate,dance, horseback riding
lessons, um, you know,curriculum, all kinds of stuff.
So we we got that this year.
The first year I didn't do itbecause I was a little like sus,
(28:46):
like.
Speaker (28:47):
Yeah, like are there gonna be strings attached to
this?
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Yeah, exactly.
So I wanted to give it a yearto see, and then it seemed
legit.
And so we signed up this year,and uh it's been it's been
really great because now we haveaccess to really top-tier
tutoring.
So my kids are now doingtutoring two days a week with
this beautiful woman and women,actually, it's two different,
and it's it's just been it'ssomething we couldn't have
afforded otherwise, and it'sit's been really great to have
(29:14):
access to that.
As it should be, the publicschool system shouldn't be
getting money for my children.
Speaker (29:20):
Yeah.
You know what they did at thepublic school down the road from
me?
They had a budget, no, they hada budget increase last year,
and they had another proposalfor a budget increase this year,
and everybody went and votedno.
So, what they did is thefollowing month, they had a
revote.
And oh, look, it passed thistime.
I'm like, are you kidding me?
I mean, there's somesketchiness going on there.
(29:41):
One, you can't just have arevote.
Oh, I didn't like the way thatthat turned out.
Let's have a revote.
And now all of a sudden it'sit's a yes.
All these people that didn'twant to increase their taxes yet
again.
And it's to put in stupid stufflike, oh, we're redoing the
turf on the track or thefootball field or whatever it
is.
I mean, it's like, are theyreading when they graduate?
(30:02):
Can they read?
Like that would be the moreimportant stuff.
So it's just angersome.
But yes, I've had people on thepodcast before say, be very
wary of accepting any sort ofgovernment funds.
And I know there's differentways that they come through too.
So sometimes it's I don't I'mnot sure what PEP stands for,
but sometimes there's vouchers,sometimes it's a tax credit when
you file your taxes, sometimesit's actually a check and just
(30:26):
here used as you know, forwhatever.
So I don't I don't know.
Yeah, there's different ways.
And I know even in some states,and they might call it like a
charter.
I've heard people refer to itas we do a charter.
So it's kind of like they havea middleman, but they have said
to me that the curriculum thatthe school will accept, it
cannot be Christian based atall.
(30:48):
So if they're doing the goodand the beautiful curriculum,
they have to lie and say they'redoing something else because
it's through the school.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
The good and the good and the beautiful is what their
tutor uses and it is available.
Yeah, Florida's Florida doesn'tplay around like a lot of the
other states.
Yeah.
Speaker (31:06):
No, that's great.
That's so interesting.
Okay, so how did you go fromwell, all right, this is a good
question.
Co-op or co-ops are tough,right?
And if you're the oneorganizing the co-op, I would
imagine it's even more tough foryou because have you had to say
to people like you're not agood fit, please stop coming?
Or maybe you have a parentteaching something, or you hire
(31:27):
somebody to teach something inthe co-op and like you're not
working out, kids are droppingout, I'm not making the money
anymore, cyanara.
Like it, it's like having abusiness.
How has that worked out foryou?
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Yeah, well, most of it's worked itself out.
You know, we're we're very openand accepting.
Um, we've had a couple ofadults with disabilities that
have joined in.
We've had kids with, you know,severe autism and we're very
welcoming.
And the people that haven't fithave just found their way out.
And usually it's the ones thatthink we're too hippie or
(32:03):
woo-woo.
Mm-hmm.
So, you know, if uh if peopledon't vibe, they find their way
out.
We we have we've had qigongteachers, you know, we we do we
do some fun, interesting thingsthere.
And if it bothers people, theyjust they just move on.
We haven't actually had to kickanybody out.
Speaker (32:22):
Thinking about homeschooling, but don't know
where to start?
Well, I've interviewed a fewpeople on the topic.
Actually, 120 interviews atthis point with homeschooling
families from across the countryand the world.
And what I've done is I'vepacked everything I've learned
into an ebook called TheHomeschool How to Complete
Starter Guide.
From navigating your state'slaws to finding your
homeschooling style, fromworking while homeschooling to
(32:44):
supporting kids with specialneeds.
This guide covers it all withreal stories from real families
who've walked this path.
I've taken the best insights,the best resources, and put them
all into this guide.
Stop feeling overwhelmed andstart feeling confident.
Get your copy of the HomeschoolHow to complete starter guide
today and discover thathomeschooling isn't just about
education, it's about gettingwhat you want out of each day.
(33:06):
Not what somebody else wantsout of you.
You can grab the link to thisebook in the show's description
or head on over to thehomeschoolhow.com.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
So it's all worked itself out.
Anytime there's been, we'revery big on the socio-emotional
learning aspect.
And we do uh group circle everymorning with all ages.
So we have ages babies to um13, um, and then one disabled
adult, like I said right now atthis point, all the parents are
involved in the circle.
(33:36):
We do brain games in themorning, which is what they do
in China, to have like the leftand right hemispheres work
together.
And yeah, so we we do we wehave a very strong flavor, I
would say.
And so either you vibe or youdon't vibe.
But currently we have a lot ofpeople that vibe.
Speaker (33:56):
Yeah, that's awesome.
And I I asked uh the last guestI had about this too on my
podcast because she worked shewas a teacher in England, or I'm
gonna get it wrong because likeEngland, Wales, and she was
somewhere over there, but sheleft her teaching job because
she was like, I can't work forthis system anymore.
And she's in the DominicanRepublic and has her own school.
(34:18):
And same thing she was sayingthe morning, it's this very much
like getting in touch with ourfeelings.
And I asked her, I said, Well,where is the line?
Because now we have a nation oflike high schooler, middle
schoolers, high schoolers,college kids that can't regulate
their emotions at all.
And it's, I'm triggered.
I can't, I can't process that.
(34:38):
I can't.
And so when people hearsocio-emotional learning, they
almost get like, ooh, I don'tknow.
We don't want to like coddlethe the kids and tell them that
they can't function, you know,we want to give them the
empowerment.
But she explained itbeautifully, and I want to hear
your answer too.
That how where is thedifference in that to where it's
(34:59):
like a healthy thing versuswe're just gonna coddle kids
that can't handle life?
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I think really that it has nothing to do with
coddling.
It's it's about learning aboutyour emotions.
How many adults do you knowthat don't know how to recognize
the emotion that they'refeeling?
Right.
So, you know, and this is whatI do is in my coaching business
with women.
I mean, there's so many adultsout there that can't even
recognize what's happening intheir body when they get angry.
(35:27):
They can't even name where intheir body they're feeling the
emotion or what that emotion is,you know.
And so getting in touch withyour emotions and understanding
your emotions has nothing to dowith with coddling in in any
way.
And it's also the social aspectof that is how how do we deal
with another person when we haveconflict with them?
Speaker (35:49):
You know, very true.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
How do how do we get past differences and work with
each other?
And so that's that's a big partof it.
We're really, and you know, Ithink as I said before when I
was introducing the idea, it'slike I am doing this so that my
kids can have that socialexperience because they're going
to be out in the world dealingwith lots of different types of
people.
And I can tell you, the firstum, the first disabled adult
(36:12):
that we had in, she was a21-year-old young lady and she
was confined to a wheelchair.
And she had uh probablycognitive abilities of, you
know, maybe like afive-year-old.
And it was very, it was verydifferent for the kids at first.
And as they learned to navigatethat and to ask questions and
to be curious and becomeaccepting, this girl just became
(36:32):
part of the group.
And it was so good for her andher mother.
And, you know, I don't know howmany years she had probably
felt outside and then to comeinto that group was just so
nourishing for both of them.
And so to learn to navigatethese differences, and you're
not always gonna get along withsomebody, and there are
conflicts that happen betweenthe kids, especially with so
(36:54):
many kids.
And learning to navigate that,I think is just so important.
Speaker (36:59):
Do you think I've had a psychologist tell me before
that part of the socialemotional learning in school,
there's actually an agendabehind it where parents don't
realize like that it comesacross as we're learning how to
deal with the emotions, we'relearning how to identify them.
And then the agenda pushesthrough further in the year,
(37:21):
like more into a sexual thingwhere it's inappropriate.
And I think that's what scaresparents because she actually had
told me that she took herdaughter out of the social
emotional learning part of thatwas in the same school,
actually, as the one down thestreet from me.
And so her daughter like satout because she read the
curriculum beforehand.
You know, they had to sign apermission slip saying that
(37:44):
their kids would be part of it,and she didn't sign it.
But then you I'm thinking,well, gee, how much is her
daughter missing out on?
Because a lot of this soundslike beneficial things.
And I wonder if there's anagenda in the school to like,
okay, then Yeah, that's sointeresting.
Well, it was, you know,slipping in.
Like, are you feeling todaylike you're in that you're the
(38:06):
gender that you're supposed tobe?
And if you're not, it's okay.
You can tell me the teacher.
You don't have to tell yourparents sort of thing.
I mean, that's putting it verywow abruptly.
I'm sure this is over time, butyeah, her daughter was in the
first grade and she was like, Iasked for the curriculum and I
read through it all, and I askedfor her to not be a part of it,
(38:27):
which you know alienates herchild too, because then her
daughter's missing out onprobably beneficial things.
But yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
That's crazy to me.
Okay, so I I took three levelsof developmental psychology in
college, and none of that wasever introduced, none of that
was ever talked about.
And so to me, that's likeshocking.
I that they're adding that intothat curriculum.
Speaker (38:54):
Almost sneaking its way in.
And I wonder, is it just NewYork?
Because we have a very like, Idon't know, crazy people in
power here.
Um I don't know if it's it'sall you know worldwide, but I
thought that was veryinteresting for her to tell me.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Um, but I have never I have never heard of that, but
I am I'm pretty separated.
I try to I try to stay out ofthe drama, I try to stay out of
the news.
I went deep in some rabbitholes in like 2020 to 2023, and
I got a little like, I'm gonnapull back and just concentrate
on the joy in life.
I got too much, too much in thepolitics, and I was like, yeah,
(39:34):
and the conspiracy, and I justso I had to explain it.
I had to take a step back.
Yeah, yeah.
I felt that that it was, youknow, um, I mean, and I learned
so much.
I went down so many rabbitholes, and there's so much more
I know about how the world worksand how the government works,
and you know, just like we weretalking about World War II and
all the things that have beenkept from us.
(39:54):
And yeah, again, that's like awhole podcast to go down that
rabbit hole.
Speaker (39:58):
Yeah, and yeah, in that I think if we all had the
understanding that there's notreally a right or a left, it's
like, okay, opposite sides, tothe same coin, they've got the
same people running both sides.
It's like trying to tell you todrink coke or drink Pepsi.
I mean they're both owned bythe same people.
All the news networks are ownedby the same people.
Whether it's Fox or CNN, it'sthe same people on the top.
(40:22):
But if they can divide us, theycan.
And yeah, it's it'sinteresting.
It's such a crazy world toraise our kids in.
And I try to think back to likemy grandmother's days where,
you know, she was in Polandhiding from German and Russian
soldiers.
And of course, you're worriedthat, like, okay, are they gonna
put a bomb on us or whatever,but we just have such a
different type of warfare today.
(40:44):
And and it is it's hard to havekids in it and to be on top of
all that.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
And so how they're conducting it.
Oh, sorry, I was gonna saythey're conducting it in the
school system.
So, what what you're sayingabout them sneaking that agenda
into the curriculum, you know,that is part of the warfare
because they are brainwashing,psychologically damaging our
children and creating um a wholegeneration or probably two
(41:09):
generations now of kids that arejust so confused.
It's it's so sad.
Speaker (41:14):
It's it's such, I mean, yeah, it's it's tragic.
It is.
No, I really feel that they dowant to break up the family unit
because when you don't have astrong family unit, you look to
your government for guidance.
And, you know, so that yeah, itall does kind of fit together.
But like you said, you can't godown too deep on the rabbit
holes because it will swallowyou up and you'll get a little
(41:34):
frustrated.
So, yeah, what do you think ismost important?
How having the kids grow food,not only just to know how to be
self-sufficient if there wasever a need, a hurricane, a
attack from you know, anyanybody.
Um, you couldn't get to agrocery store, you know, growing
food and just the satisfactionof that.
I know you talked about thesprouts.
(41:54):
Is that something that you workwith your kids on or in the
co-op?
Speaker 1 (41:59):
Yeah, absolutely.
And the reason that we want tobuy land, that we want to
establish our own schoolhouse isfor that reason.
We want to teach sustainabilityand we've brought it, we've
brought it into our, we don'thave a curriculum, but we
brought it into our teachings uha lot over the years.
But we ultimately want tocreate a a little homestead that
(42:20):
the school runs and teach thekids.
We're very big on teaching thekids entrepreneurial uh skills
and uh we do markets, the kidsmake and sell things.
Uh that's part of ourfundraising efforts.
The kids, you know, make craftsand other items and we sell
them.
We've done probably four orfive art shows where the kids
have done art and sold art.
And we would like them to selleggs, have their own farmer's
(42:44):
market, do farm to table.
So ultimately, as our kidsgrow, my 11-year-old daughter
and my partner Mandy's10-year-old son, you know,
they're in the senior class.
And as they grow, theircapabilities and needs change
and grow.
And as they move into theirteen years, we want them to
learn to be more self-sufficientand to run their own
(43:05):
businesses.
And the idea is to reallycreate a hub where not just the
kids come to learn, but thewhole community comes together
and participates, where we haveclasses for all ages, where we
have workshops, where, you know,we have events, farm to table
and things like that.
So we really we have a bigdream, and this has been the
dream the whole time.
(43:25):
So that's what we're workingtowards.
Oh, I love that.
Speaker (43:28):
So, where can people find you if they're in the area
or just kind of want to followalong with what you're doing so
that they can maybe replicate itwhere they are?
Speaker 1 (43:36):
So we are in the north central Florida area, and
we're in a tiny little towncalled Keystone Heights.
And like I said, Four CornersCommunity School.org is our
website.
We have a uh pretty bigFacebook following, and um we do
a lot of posting on there.
So that's really a good placeto go to like actually see what
(43:56):
we're doing because we postabout all the adventures that
the kids are having.
Um, and uh that's just FourCorners Community School on
Facebook.
And yeah, we we are absolutelywe're looking for angel donors,
we're looking for ideas aboutyou know, land where we could,
you know, get this started.
I don't know if we'renecessarily like tied to the
Keystone Heights area.
We're kind of we're looking,we've even talked about taking
(44:18):
it international.
Speaker (44:19):
So yeah, anybody that wants to get involved, please
reach out.
Okay, and I can leave thatinformation in the show's
description as well.
Um, so they can find you onFacebook and look at your
website.
Any other last words that youwant to, you know, to let
parents know, maybe the parentthat's like, I want a
homeschool, but it just seems sofar-fetched.
(44:40):
What if my kid resents me?
What would you say to them?
Oh gosh, you'll never regretit.
You'll never regret it, youknow?
That's what about on the harddays?
What do you tell them to getthrough those?
Speaker 1 (44:50):
That's my personal belief that on the the hardest
days, it's never as hard to meas sending my children away from
me to have someone else raisethem.
Speaker (44:58):
Yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
And what that's heartbreaking.
Speaker (45:02):
What about to the mom like me that nobody ever taught
how to regulate emotions oridentify where the feelings are
coming from?
Crazy upbringing.
And when things are just like,you know, mom, mom, mom, mom,
and I need this, I need that,and you're trying to get
something done in your day.
What is your number onerecommendation for that person,
(45:23):
that mom or dad, to do identifyor regulate or just help the
situation?
Because downing a bottle ofvodka isn't a good idea.
So what else can we do that'sactually healthy?
Speaker 1 (45:34):
I love that question because this is actually what I
do in my coaching and all thetime talking about this.
So, one of my number one tipsis to give yourself a parent
timeout.
And so that would be when youfeel those emotions rising up,
when when you feel that heatcoming up your body to take a
deep breath and say, mommy needsto take a few minutes to
(45:55):
herself.
And, you know, rather thansending the kid away and making
the kid feel less than, youknow, punished, unloved, giving
yourself a timeout and whateverthat looks like to you, to go
outside, not drink a bottle ofvodka, go out, go outside and
stand in the sunshine, look atthe sunshine.
Go if you have to go and lockyourself in the bathroom, follow
(46:17):
me out there, you know that,right?
Yes.
Yeah.
So I have a porch that locks.
I can go outside if I need to.
And your kids get used to italso.
When you say mommy needs abreather, mommy needs a timeout,
then they learn to respect thatbecause you come back in two
minutes and you're regulated,you know, that emotional
regulation.
And the second thing I wouldsay, the second most important,
(46:37):
is to actually be able toidentify, to learn those
triggers and to stop it beforethey actually come up, before
you get to that place where youfeel like you want to explode.
Start getting in touch withyour own emotions and learn what
it feels like when they firststart coming up.
And oh, maybe I need to do somebreathing.
Maybe I need to do sometapping.
Speaker (46:55):
Okay.
Breathing, tapping,identifying, perfect.
And um, do you do coaching foranyone?
Is that a link that you want toprovide as well?
Speaker 1 (47:04):
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
So my website isNicoleGoffspeaks.com.
I'm on Instagram, NicoleDesiree Goff.
Um, and uh also Nicole DesireeGoff on Facebook.
But but yeah, absolutely wouldlove to provide a provide a
link.
Speaker (47:18):
So yeah, we'll put that link in there.
Nicole, thank you so much.
Our sped by.
I looked up and I was like, ohmy goodness, we have to end this
already.
Thank you.
This has been so much fun tohear.
I love this perspective and allof the fun things that we can
do, the co-ops and you know,really homeschooling.
You've never been surrounded bymore homeschoolers than we have
(47:39):
right now.
It's the time to do it.
Join the revolt from the publicschool system.
Speaker 1 (47:46):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And join me on my podcast too.
So we didn't go there.
I have a podcast, so ecstaticlife.
It's all about practices,modalities, products, lifestyles
that bring more joy into yourmotherhood experience, but more
I'm expanding into just yourhuman experience.
Speaker (48:03):
So I'd love to have you on to talk about homeschooling.
I love that because I was agovernment worker for 16 years
and I cut up and left it tohomeschool the kids.
I was like, I don't think I cando this, but you know what?
It has been so worth it.
Even the hard days, like yousaid, because at least I'm
there.
I'm not sitting in a cubiclewaiting for the clock to just
(48:24):
keep ticking.
Yeah.
Awesome.
I would love to do that.
All right, thank you so much,Nicole.
Thank you so much.
I really appreciate you havingme on.
Thank you for tuning in to thisweek's episode of the
Homeschool How-To.
If you've enjoyed what youheard and you'd like to
contribute to the show, pleaseconsider leaving a small tip
using the link in my show'sdescription.
(48:44):
Or if you'd rather, please usethe link in the description to
share this podcast with a friendor on your favorite homeschool
group Facebook page.
Any effort to help us keep thepodcast going is greatly
appreciated.
Thank you for tuning in and foryour love of the next
generation.
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