Ex-Homeschoolers Club

Check out Liliana's Poetry on Amazon: https://bit.ly/4eYOJve In this episode, I sit down with Liliana to talk about growing up homeschooled in a conservative Christian environment, navigating a sheltered childhood, and learning how to build a life on her own terms. We dive into culture shock after leaving home, making friends outside the homeschool bubble, questioning long-held beliefs, receiv...

Want to join our Purity Culture Livestream? Follow Kate on Substack: https://substack.com/@katejohnsonwrites or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katejohnsonwrites Kate Johnson joins me to share one of the most powerful and difficult stories we've featured on the podcast. We talk about growing up homeschooled in a conservative Christian environment, navigating life after her father's arrest for...

Where does online school fit into the homeschooling conversation? In this week's episode, I sat down with Mindy to explore that question while unpacking the similarities and differences between public online education and traditional homeschooling. We discuss educational gaps, socialization, student safety, and why the rapid growth of homeschooling is forcing us to rethink how we define home-b...

Want to hear Liz's homeschool experience? Check out this episode: https://youtu.be/rvHUlhOM9hI?si=j7JGWwCJAMwtrChb Liz is back in the clubhouse to explore the role religion played in our homeschool upbringings and how those beliefs shaped our identities long after childhood. Liz shares what it was like growing up in an intensely Catholic homeschool environment, from her involvement in the Legi...

Grab a copy of Homeschooled for yourself: https://bookshop.org/p/books/homeschooled-a-new-york-times-bestselling-memoir-and-read-with-jenna-pick-stefan-merrill-block/7e9b1465fdf608ff?ean=9781335000989&next=t This week I have the honor of sitting down with author Stefan Merrill Block to discuss his memoir Homeschooled, his years in an isolating homeschooling environment, and the complicated rel...

If you wanna support the work of CRHE, consider a donation: https://crhe.org/support-crhe/ Today we're talking homeschool legislation. And who better to do that than Tess Ulrey, director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. Together, we're breaking down major legislative victories in Nebraska and Connecticut, explaining the goals behind the Make Homeschool Safe Act, and explori...

You can try out Podspun for yourself here: https://podspun.com/@Ex-HomeschoolersClubToday I’m sharing something a little different, it's a bonus episode/demo of a new tool called Podspun that lets you search through podcast episodes to find the golden nuggets you might have forgotten. If you’ve ever remembered a conversation from the show but couldn’t remember which episode it came from, this...

What happens when homeschool parents actually listen to homeschool alumni? In this episode, I'm sitting down with homeschool mom and former teacher Kim Andrysczyk for a thoughtful conversation about homeschooling, parenting, emotional health, and accountability. Instead of getting defensive about criticism from homeschool graduates, Kim shares why listening matters — and how those conversation...

This week in the clubhouse, I'm sitting down with Lydia to unpack what it was like growing up homeschooled in a large “Fundy-lite” Christian family deeply influenced by Vision Forum culture, purity culture, and Quiverfull-adjacent ideology. Lydia shares her experience being the oldest of seven children, navigating homeschool co-ops, modesty culture, conservative Christian college, and the imme...

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

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

Want to be alerted when new episodes drop? Join the newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/RB returns to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club to share how his life has changed since his first appearance. After years of trauma therapy, RB opens up about receiving an adult ADHD diagnosis and how it reshaped his understanding of his past, his behaviors, and his identity. From navigating burnout after a “manic...

Sign up for Day of the Homeschool Child: https://crhe.org/dothc Get on the email newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/ Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com If you've been wondering what happened to the show, I'm answering all the questions today. As well as sharing some updates for things to come. Chapters 00:00  Where have I been? 00:15 Welcome Back to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club 00:48  Life Update 0...

Subscribe to Un•Religiously on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnReligiously What happens when a homeschooled teenager raised in a deeply evangelical environment suddenly enters a community college classroom filled with new ideas, identities, and worldviews? In this episode of The Ex-Homeschoolers Club, I'm sitting down with YouTuber Lauren Howe, creator of the  Un•Religiously  channel, to talk...

Want to be alerted when new episodes drop? Join the newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/ In this episode of Ex-Homeschoolers Club, I sit down with my cousin Amanda, a second-grade public school teacher with 13 years of classroom experience, to explore education from the “dark side.” Haha! Amanda shares what it’s really like inside today’s public schools: what works, what’s frustrating, and wh...

Get on the newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/ What happens when homeschooling meets full-time travel, nature-based learning, and a family determined to break out of traditional education models? In this episode of The Ex-Homeschoolers Club, Jacob sits down with Kayla Mathieu to explore her family’s roadschooling journey, how travel shaped her children’s education, and why reconnecting with...

In this episode of  The Ex-Homeschoolers Club , I'm sitting down with Tess Ulrey, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE) . Tess shares her experience growing up homeschooled across multiple countries, transitioning in and out of public, private, and international schools, and how those experiences shaped her work advocating for homeschool children today. Toge...

Join the newsletter here: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/ What happens when homeschooling leaves the house and hits the open road? In this episode of The Ex-Homeschoolers Club, I'm sitting down with Robin (aka BG Barnstormer), a former homeschooling mom who spent three years educating her kids while living full-time in an RV. Robin shares how a rotating pilot schedule led her family to homeschooling...

Wanna be on the podcast? Email your homeschool experience to exhsclub@gmail.com In this end of year episode I'm reflecting on the incredible year of conversations, stories, and community we've creating in the ex-homeschoolers club. Get a little sneak peek of what's coming in early 2026 and some of the ideas I've got percolating. Resources & Links - Email the show: exhsclub@gmai...

Former public school teacher turned world traveler Patti Hunt joins Jacob to unpack what teachers really think about homeschoolers, why she eventually wished she homeschooled her own kids, and how road-schooling families are reshaping modern education. Patti also shares her journey from the classroom to RV life, and the powerful lesson that pushed her to stop waiting and start living. Key Points W...

This week on the pod, I sit down with long-time friend Hannah to unpack her deeply personal journey through homeschooling, neurodivergence, and self-discovery. Growing up in a chaotic Christian homeschool environment with six siblings, Hannah reflects on what worked, what didn’t, and how a lack of structure and support shaped her sense of self-worth. She opens up about entering adulthood feeling u...

This week I sit down with Ashley Peek, a current homeschool parent, content creator, and founder of the Secular Homeschool Revolution. Ashley shares her journey from navigating a broken public school system to creating a thriving secular progressive homeschool community in Texas. She opens up about her daughter’s challenge getting the IEP services she needed, the struggle to find inclusive co-ops,...

This week I'm reconnecting with longtime friend Stephanie to unpack her full-circle journey through homeschooling, early marriage, motherhood, and now parenting kids in public school. Stephanie shares candid reflections on growing up in an unstructured homeschool environment, her surprising enrollment into El Camino, and the decision to homeschool her own children—before realizing public school wa...

Hey everyone—it’s Jacob Gooden, and I’m back with an update on the Ex-Homeschoolers Club ! In this solo episode, I open up about why the show has been quiet for the past month, what’s been happening behind the scenes, and how I’ve been dealing with burnout, anxiety, and social media overload. I share the changes I’ve made to prioritize my mental health, including stepping back from social platform...

Get signed up for the newsletter here: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/ In this solo episode of the  Ex-Homeschoolers Club , I, Jacob Gooden, turn the mic on myself to share my full homeschooling journey. From starting in second grade to navigating private Christian homeschool co-ops in Southern California, I unpack the curriculum choices, the socialization opportunities, the challenges, and the less...