11 Comments
User's avatar
BB's avatar

Thanks for putting your time into this article, I appreciate it.

I am inspired to try it but my kids have halfway completed the public school system. I worry that they will resent me for uprooting their lives and affecting the friendships that they have cultivated over the years.

My kids do report being uncomfortable when some kids start spewing opinions about politics at 12 yrs old - they don't know how to respond when these programmed kids are so confident in their nonsense.

Being a parent is the hardest job in the world. Thanks for reading, God bless.

Walker's avatar

that’s a tough spot, and i definitely don’t pretend to have the right answer for your specific situation… but i will say it’s something that you should at least discuss with your kids. in many places, homeschooled kids can still fully access extracurriculars (e.g. sports) in the school district. i’d recommend looking into this. i don’t think you’d need to fully “uproot” them from their social lives, and if their friends are good friends then that wont change. again, i’d say first step would be to at least discuss it with your kids and see what parts of their current situation they’d miss the most. as i mentioned, i went to high school after being homeschooled prior to that, so i can’t totally speak from my own experience on the reverse case, but happy to share whatever i can that may be helpful.

Sharon Cummins's avatar

Spot ON, Walker.

Walker's avatar

very glad to hear it resonated. didn’t plan on writing it but that guy’s tweet sort of forced my hand…

Efrat Fenigson's avatar

Love this article walker! I didn’t know you were homeschooled. Learnt a lot about you in this piece. Thanks for sharing 🧡

Walker's avatar

Thanks, Efrat! Put it together somewhat hastily because that tweet about "homeschooling should be illegal" really riled me up, but I hope I conveyed the larger point about the separation of education and state well.

Now that you know I was homeschooled, it probably makes sense why I am so strange, huh?

Steven R. Law's avatar

I'll be following you on Nostr soon. Great article! Heard you discuss this on Bitcoin Sessions show.

Walker's avatar

thanks so much — glad you enjoyed it! and glad you’re also tuning in to the new Bitcast show with Sessions!

Efrat Fenigson's avatar

LOL... it makes sense, but not cuz you're "strange", but cuz you're so fucking fantastic. We need more free spirit children in this world!! kudos to your parents.

Walker's avatar

the older i get, the more grateful i am to my parents.

Jeff Hilsenbeck's avatar

OMG listening to this makes my blood boil. I studied in Germany for a year the Heidelberg University and I did not know home schooling was illegal. I also had opportunities to visit museums from concentration camps to die Runde Ecke (Round Corner). The former location of the state police headquarters.

My wife and I debated often about homeschooling our kids. We ultimately decided to keep them in the public school. Was it the right decision, only time will tell. We do have conversations with them about what they are exposed to so they can think critically about it.