Ex-Homeschoolers Club

She Was Raised to Be the “Perfect” Homeschool Daughter

This week in the clubhouse, I'm sitting down with Lydia to unpack what it was like growing up homeschooled in a large “Fundy-lite” Christian family deeply influenced by Vision Forum culture, purity culture, and Quiverfull-adjacent ideology. Lydia shares her experience being the oldest of seven children, navigating homeschool co-ops, modesty culture, conservative Christian college, and the immense pressure of becoming the “obedient oldest daughter.” Together, Jacob and Lydia explore how homeschool isolation can exist even inside large communities, the hidden emotional burden placed on oldest daughters, and the long process of deconstructing beliefs that shaped adulthood. This conversation dives into homeschooling culture, Christian nationalism, purity culture, social isolation, and the struggle to build an identity outside of the expectations placed on homeschool kids. Some Of The Things We Referenced * I Kissed Dating Goodbye * Homeschool Legal Defense Association * Doug Phillips * Shiny Happy People Connect with Lydia * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@90shomeschooler * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/90shomeschooler/ If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who might benefit from hearing this story. Follow Ex-Homeschoolers Club on Instagram and TikTok for updates, and send us a message – we’d love to hear from you! Connect with Jacob * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub * Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com Chapters 00:00 Let's Meet Lydia 01:03 Growing Up On A Fundie Lite Homestead 03:42 Is Virginia The Homeschool Hub 05:33 Why Lydia's Family Homeschooled 09:48 Did Your Homeschool Curriculum Prepare You For College 13:12 I Went To College To Meet My Husband 14:35 What Is Vision Forum 19:00 Were Are Parents Even Reading What They Were Giving Us 22:05 Did You Have A Homeschool Community 27:17 Socialization Isn't The Same As Real Friends 28:50 Did Big Family Dynamics Lead To Parentification 33:22 Was College A Culture Shock 37:58 Why College Didn’t Change Me 40:43 Moving Out Was The Catalyst For My Deconstruction 45:16 My Therapist Made Me Start A TikTok 50:31 Today's Risks Of Homeschooling 53:05 Embrace the Weird

What Happens When Homeschool Kids Finally Enter the Real World?

This week on the podcast, I sat down with Jaycie to unpack what it was like growing up K–12 homeschooled in a deeply religious environment shaped by ACE curriculum, church culture, and isolation. From role-playing public school in her bedroom as a kid to struggling with depression and culture shock during college, Jaycie shares an honest look at how homeschooling shaped her relationships, faith, and transition into adulthood. In this episode, we covered: * ACE curriculum often prioritized religious ideology over deep academic learning * Homeschool isolation can make transitions into adulthood and college extremely difficult * Many homeschoolers develop strong self-teaching and research skills * Fear-based religious messaging can make social connection feel unsafe * College became both liberating and emotionally overwhelming * COVID gave many former evangelicals space to reevaluate faith and church culture * Public school and homeschooling both have tradeoffs, but involvement from parents matters most * Creative freedom and independent learning were meaningful positives from homeschooling Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club 00:35 Jaycie's Homeschool Rundown 01:36 ACE Curriculum Breakdown 03:09 Pros and Cons of ACE 09:45 Church as Social Life 11:02 Moving Missouri to Texas 13:59 Senior Year Depression 16:35 College Culture Shock 26:39 Gods Not Dead Mindset 30:23 Dropping Out and Marriage 32:50 Faith Shift During COVID 36:49 Homeschooling Reconsidered 40:22 Choosing Public School 44:33 Art Career and Reading 50:40 Cringey Co Op Puppets 53:04 Wrap Up and Goodbye If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who might benefit from hearing this story. Follow Ex-Homeschoolers Club on Instagram and TikTok for updates, and send us a message – we’d love to hear from you! Connect with me: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub * Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

The Hidden Messages Behind Adventures in Odyssey

This week on the podcast, I sat down with D.L. Mayfield for one of the most intense and thought-provoking conversations we’ve ever had on the Ex-Homeschoolers Club. We unpacked the influence of Focus on the Family, James Dobson, purity culture, and authoritarian parenting on an entire generation of homeschool kids — and what it means to revisit those ideas as adults. Resources * STRONGWILLED Project: https://www.strongwilledproject.com * Coalition for Responsible Home Education Chapters 00:00 Content Warning 00:14 Meet DL and Homeschool Roots 02:38 Pastor Kid Life and Moving Often 03:33 Reading Escape and Uneven Schooling 06:17 Public School Transition and Doomsday Prep 07:20 Host Reflections and Shared Homeschool Vibes 09:46 Focus on the Family in Childhood 10:31 Dobson Parenting and Abuse Enablers 13:38 Adventures in Odyssey Nostalgia vs Critique 16:49 Fascism Framework and Why Dobson Matters 21:48 Dobson Origins and Eugenics Links 24:06 Deconstruction Reaction and New Thesis 27:05 Porn Commission and Ignored Child Abuse 32:26 Predator Profiles and Forgiveness Culture 37:05 Wit as Trusted Authority 39:29 Imagination Station Lessons 42:53 Parenting Against Blind Trust 44:54 Authority and Homeschool Myths 46:26 Incest Denial and Epstein Parallels 50:45 Purity Culture and Male Lust 54:40 Girls Modesty and Predators 57:21 Forgiveness Without Justice 01:02:17 Stop Hitting Children 01:06:05 Listen to Kids and Reform 01:07:45 Strong Willed Resources 01:09:48 Late Bloomer Hope 01:11:42 Closing Thanks and Wrap If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who might benefit from hearing this story. Follow Ex-Homeschoolers Club on Instagram and TikTok for updates, and send us a message – we’d love to hear from you! Connect with Jacob * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/ * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub * Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com

Could Undiagnosed ADHD Explain Why School And Life Was So Hard?

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

my grandpa died

Sign up for Day of the Homeschool Child: https://crhe.org/dothc [https://crhe.org/dothc] Get on the email newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/ [https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/] Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com If you've been wondering what happened to the show, I'm answering all the questions today. As well as sharing some updates for things to come. Chapters 00:00  Where have I been? 00:15 Welcome Back to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club 00:48  Life Update 05:40  Show Update 06:59 Special Announcements 07:03  Day of the Homeschool Child 09:10  Ex-Homeschooler Happy Hour 10:19  Book Club 11:25  Wanna Be A Guest? 14:50  Sign Up for the Newsletter 16:01  Thanks for being here