1 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,399 Speaker 1: Hello, Welcome to the Happy Families Podcast. My name's doctor 2 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,319 Speaker 1: Justin Colson, and today on the pod the question we 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: get asked all the time, why do you homeschool? Today, 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: Kylie and I answer that question and the research behind it. 5 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: Stay with us. Hello, welcome to the Happy Family's podcast, 6 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: where you get real parenting solutions every single day. This 7 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: is Australia's most downloaded parenting podcast where Justin and Kylie Coulson. 8 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: I'm the author of a bunch of books about raising 9 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: happy families, and we're also the parents of six kids. 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,919 Speaker 1: Oh and grandparents have a beautiful baby granddaughter. We received 11 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: this message from a Melbourne mum just recently and thought 12 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: it was a good topic for discussion. 13 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 2: I was wondering if you could please give us an 14 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: update on your home school journey and how you got started. 15 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 2: I'm very interested. I've actually gone over your old podcasts 16 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 2: from probably about a year ago and very interested to 17 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 2: hear how things are going. I'm sort of swinging from 18 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: one side to the other to where to take the 19 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:15,479 Speaker 2: leap into homeschool and I really love to hear your perspective. 20 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: Thank you, Kylie. I really would love to answer this question. 21 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: I've got another of things that I've jotted down in 22 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: my notes. But I know that this is really your domain. 23 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: You do most most of you do ninety nine percent 24 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: of the homeschooling. I get involved every now and again. 25 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: I have some conversations, but really. 26 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 3: Is that the surf lesson? 27 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah, I take it to other stuff. I'm involved. 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: I'm involved. Gosh, that made me look like a bad dad. 29 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: So first of all, why did we start doing it? 30 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: Let's go through that, and then we'll talk about how 31 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: it's going. 32 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 3: It's a conversation we've been having for more than ten years, 33 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 3: a decade easily, and I couldn't. I literally couldn't say yes. 34 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: And I look back now and wish that I had 35 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 3: of just Number one had the confidence in myself. But 36 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 3: Number two trusted that when we were questioning what was 37 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 3: happening for our children in the school system, that we 38 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 3: were actually right because with one of our children, particularly 39 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 3: who's now finished school, her experience, her education experience would 40 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 3: have completely changed as a result. 41 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: So when we were having this conversation, there were a 42 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: range of factors that we were talking about. I'm going 43 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: to encompass several of them in one that I'm going 44 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: to call safety. So from a physical point of view, 45 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: an emotional point of view, there was when you're homeschool 46 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: there's no bullying, there's no school violence, there's no unsafety, 47 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: a dynamics, the kids can learn without anxiety and performance 48 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: pressure and comparison culture. I think it's really interesting. I 49 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: mentioned this in last week's pod, but bullying and school 50 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: refusal are driving Australia's homeschooling surge. It's up ninety two 51 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: percent nationally since twenty twenty. It's up one hundred and 52 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: sixty three percent in Queensland. So those issues were were 53 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: right at the top of the ladder for us, and 54 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 1: also things around neurodivergence, like schools are designed for neurotypical brains. 55 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: Two thirds of homeschooling families have a child who has 56 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: a disability or health issues. And the great thing about 57 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: homeschooling is you can tailor the pace, you can tailor 58 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: the environment, you can tailor your expectations to the actual child. 59 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: So we saw that and thought there's definitely an opportunity 60 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: for us to serve our children better by doing that. 61 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 3: And it's interesting. When I sat down with Emily at 62 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 3: the end of last year, to ask her whether or 63 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 3: not we should continue homeschooling we've been doing it for 64 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 3: now just over two. 65 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: Years, or do you want to go back to a 66 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: big school, a real school for like what it was 67 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: a great grade six this year, and. 68 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 3: The things that she shared, she rattled them off without 69 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 3: a second of thinking. It was literally she loves the 70 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 3: fact that I'm her teacher, that she only has to 71 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 3: do about two hours of school every day, so and 72 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 3: there's so much flexibility around when that learning schedule takes place, 73 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 3: and she gets to do it in a familiar environment 74 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 3: like home. That she has beautiful friends that we've made 75 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 3: in the homeschool community. She gets to have regular catch 76 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 3: ups with them, not just outside of school. We're trying 77 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: to squeeze it in between all the extracurricular and family actually, so. 78 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: We can literally give them a call and say, hey, 79 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: are you free on Wednesday? We thought we might get 80 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 1: the kids together for four hours. 81 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 3: But there is lots of free time for her to 82 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 3: be creative, and there's more time available for her to 83 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,799 Speaker 3: actually earn money. Like those were things that really jumped 84 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 3: out at her. 85 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's not much that I can add to that. 86 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: It's a really nice list. There's more self directed learning, 87 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: is what I had on my list, So that aligns 88 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: with autonomy and self determination theory and at Foster's intrinsic motivation, 89 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 1: not compliance. It's more flexible, like you're going to go 90 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: overseas with them on a little bit later this year 91 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: for a couple of weeks, and that's going to be 92 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: a homeschool study trip, and you can do homeschooling while 93 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: you're there. But also the experience that you're going to 94 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: have with her is just amazing. 95 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 3: You're jealous, aren't you. 96 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, because I'm staying here so that I can go. 97 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,359 Speaker 1: I had a whole lot of schools during the school 98 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: term and give talks to parents, which is an important 99 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 1: thing that I do as well. I don't know if 100 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: we've talked about the extracurricular opportunities, but there's so many. 101 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: There's so many, and you've got the space in the time, 102 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: Like you're not doing this crazy panic rush between four 103 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: point thirty pm and six thirty pm. 104 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 3: I hadn't even really thought about that. But because there's 105 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 3: so much space around her learning, she actually enjoys the 106 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 3: process so much more. 107 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. So there's some of the 108 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: reasons that we decided to kick on and do it, 109 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: And maybe the biggest one for me is just the 110 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: freedom from the academic pressure. Like she's not worried about 111 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: naplan results. She's not worried about having to sit down 112 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: and do a school test or anything like that. I 113 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: know some people say, well, kids should get used to 114 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: that stuff. I disagree, Like, why why do they need 115 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: to do it? There's nothing like that happens in the workplace. 116 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: Like if you're at work, nobody's saying I need an 117 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: answer to this, and you've got five seconds to give 118 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 1: it to me, right, Like you can google stuff, you 119 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: can talk colleagues about things. And when you do get 120 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: to a point, let's say you're a surgeon or a pilot, 121 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: Yes you do did know stuff, of course, but. 122 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 3: You leave motivated to learn at that point. That's right. 123 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 1: You're an adult. You're learning it, and then you go 124 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: and do it and you practice it. It's a totally 125 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: different context. So they're the reasons that we did it, 126 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: and there are no regrets. It is hard. It's really 127 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: impactful on your life, particularly like it takes away your freedom. 128 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: You don't have that time during the day that parents 129 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: whose kids go to school have but anyway, for the 130 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: Melbourne mum, they're the reasons that we started it and 131 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: they're the reasons that Emily loves it as well. After 132 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: the break, I've done some digging. I've got data. I've 133 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: got actual data on how homeschool kids do compare to 134 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: kids who go to school. It's coming up next. Stay 135 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: with us, we're back. This is the Happy Families podcast today. Homeschooling. 136 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: Is it good for kids? Is it not good for kids? 137 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: How's it working out for us? That's the topic of conversation. 138 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 3: I am really curious what does the research actually say. 139 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 1: It's hard to find good research because homeschooling is so varied. 140 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 3: And that's been my experience in that every homeschooling family 141 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 3: I meet, there is no two families that do it 142 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 3: the same. 143 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: Everyone's doing it differently. Everyone's doing it and there is 144 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: one particularly big brand called Yuka that is probably the 145 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: dominant syllabus or curriculum here in Australia. So there are 146 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: a lot of people who are doing that, but they 147 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,239 Speaker 1: still do it their way. Like, there's so much variance 148 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: in how people do it, so which. 149 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 3: In and of itself suggests that there's no one size 150 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 3: fits all for children, right and families. 151 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: And so I can't find any evidence that homeschooling is 152 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: quite unquoite better or the traditional schooling is quite unquite better. 153 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: And I think that's a really important point to make. 154 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: Why is that, Well, I've already mentioned the variation in 155 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: the way that people do homeschooling. Some people are doing 156 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: like a rigorous classical education and bringing in tutors, and 157 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: the children are doing piano when they're doing jiu jitsu, 158 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: when they're doing all. 159 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 3: The things lessons exactly. 160 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: And other families are like, we're unschooling. There's no rules, 161 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,119 Speaker 1: the kids can learn what they want when they want, 162 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: so that makes it challenging. There's no standardized testing, Like 163 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: it's very very very rare to find homeschoolers whose kids 164 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: are doing naplan. There's a lot of self selection bias 165 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: as well in the data. And I know I'm sort 166 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: of geeking out on this, but it's really important to 167 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: highlight why this is tricky. So families who homeschool are 168 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: already kind of different, like they've got more flexibility. Quite often, 169 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: not always, but quite often, they'll be more involved in 170 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: their children's lives. That they'll often have more resources because 171 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: it really does require at least one parent to be 172 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: actively full time engaged with the children, and. 173 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 3: Or they're actively choosing to go without. 174 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: Right, yes, exactly, which we've discussed on the podcast before, 175 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: certainly something that we've stepped into. So here's what the 176 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: research does show. First off, when it comes to Australian data, 177 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,719 Speaker 1: the homeschoolers who do do naplan, and I know I 178 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: said most don't, but there are some who do. And 179 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: the homeschoolers who are doing naplan because their parents are 180 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: heavily involved and they do want to make sure the 181 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: kids aren't quite unquite falling behind. They score seventy marks 182 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: higher on average seven zero. They are scoring really really 183 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: well on NAPLAN, And again there's a selection bias in that, 184 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: so I'm not sure how much we can take from it. 185 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: But the other thing that I found was some US 186 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: data which showed that homeschooled kids in the US are 187 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: scoring fifteen to thirty percentile points higher on standardized tests. 188 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: So there's also the social emotional outcomes and they're quite positive, right, 189 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: So international surveys show that homeschoolers do not have any 190 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: social deficits versus traditionally schooled peers. There's no evidence of 191 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: worse mental health outcomes, and some studies actually indicate that 192 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,559 Speaker 1: there is better self concept with homeschool kids and lower anxiety. 193 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: So I think that that's really interesting data and the 194 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: longer term outcomes. If I was to summarize it in 195 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: one sentence, I would say that long term outcomes are encouraging. 196 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: What do I mean by that? Kids who are homeschooled 197 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: attend university at similar or higher rates to kids who 198 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: go through a traditional schooling pathway, and there's no evidence 199 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: anywhere of career disadvantage. Some studies actually show that homeschooled 200 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,839 Speaker 1: kids are more entrepreneurial, they have an advantage around their 201 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: creativity in starting businesses and that kind of thing. 202 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 3: So what I'm taking from all of that is that 203 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 3: there actually isn't any clear data at all. 204 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: I think that that would be a misrepresentation of what 205 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,439 Speaker 1: data we do have. The data is mixed, but it's encouraging, 206 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: is how I would say it. So we don't have 207 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 1: research proving that homeschooling is academically superior. I can say 208 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: that categorically, but I will also reverse that and say 209 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: we don't have any research proving that traditional schooling is 210 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: better than homeschooling, either. 211 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 3: From our personal experience in homeschooling, in traditional schooling, and 212 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 3: even your schooling experience. I mean, you finished high school 213 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 3: in the bottom fifteen percent of the state. You were 214 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,719 Speaker 3: pretty much a high school dropout for all intensity purposes. 215 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 3: I really did not attend classes. Yes, and yet you 216 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 3: sit here with years and years of experience and education 217 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 3: under your belt because there came a point in your 218 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 3: life where you were motivated to learn. And I think 219 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 3: that happens for most of us at some point in 220 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 3: our lives. We're motivated to learn. And when we're motivated 221 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 3: to learn, learning is so good, like we enjoy the 222 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 3: process even when it's hard, because it's so good and 223 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 3: we want something. And if I was to go back 224 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 3: to my ten years ago when we started the conversation. 225 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: And we still had six kids in school back then. 226 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 3: I wish that I had of known that making that 227 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 3: one decision was not set in concrete. It didn't lock 228 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,239 Speaker 3: us into a decision. If you want to do homeschooling, 229 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 3: give it a go. It's a massive learning curve as 230 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 3: a parent taking on that new responsibility and working out 231 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 3: how you and your child work together. But if it 232 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 3: doesn't work, you just go back to school. 233 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 1: We've got some friends who did exactly that. They gave 234 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: it a crack. Wasn't working for them. Kids back at school, 235 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,839 Speaker 1: no dramas, no harm, no foul, Everyone's happy. 236 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 3: And I'd be lying if I didn't say that. At 237 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 3: the beginning of this year, I kind of was hoping 238 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 3: she might want to go back to school because I 239 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 3: kind of would like my life back. 240 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 241 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, But the more I thought about it, and the 242 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 3: more I talked with her about it, it's just to know. 243 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: So we need to wrap this up. Let me share 244 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: the last of the evidence. Okay, So the evidence shows 245 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: that motivated, engaged parents are going to produce good outcomes 246 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: for their kids, regardless of the method of schooling that 247 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: they use, whether the homeschool or whether they're doing distance education, 248 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: or whether in a traditional schooling path or some kind 249 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: of hybrid. Motivated engaged parents generally produce better outcomes for 250 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: their kids, full stop. Had a story. The evidence also 251 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: shows that one size fits all systems do fail a 252 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: lot of kids, especially the neurodivergent kids, and the evidence 253 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: is also there that school related anxiety and bullying and 254 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: mental health issues are real and growing and are the 255 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: primary driver of the exodus from the school system into 256 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: home schooling and our lived experiences You've just so eloquently shared, 257 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: and I'll just really quickly summarize as we sum up, 258 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: is that traditional school wasn't working for our kids, and 259 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: we watched them struggle with anxiety, We watch them lose 260 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,719 Speaker 1: their love of learning. We watched them come home exhausted 261 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 1: and stressed, and there were days where we literally carried 262 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,239 Speaker 1: them to the car kicking and screaming in their pajamas 263 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: and said, you need to go to school today, because 264 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: that's what people do, they go to school, and we'd 265 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: get them to the car park. I'm getting emotional thinking 266 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 1: about it, and we would literally force them into a 267 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: place that they didn't want to be, and it was 268 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: torture for them and for us. 269 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 3: And I have to add the only place they didn't 270 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 3: want to be, yes, Like literally we didn't have that 271 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 3: experience in any other settings. So it's not like it 272 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 3: was setting them up for failure because they just didn't 273 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 3: want to be somewhere. This is the only place so 274 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 3: that they were struggling. 275 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: So at home, I would argue and this this is 276 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,319 Speaker 1: not an apologetic argument for homeschooling. I'm not trying to 277 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: say this is what you should do, but Melbourne mum asked, 278 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: and this is this is our position right now for 279 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: our children. We've found that at home they're safe and 280 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: they're learning what's exciting them. We've got an enormous amount 281 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: of flexibility, they've got time for passions. And homeschooling is 282 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: certainly not for everyone, like it's just not. But the research, 283 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: while it doesn't show that it's academically superior, it also 284 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: doesn't show that it's any worse. And for our family 285 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: and for our kids for now, for now, absolutely the 286 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: right choice. Okay, thanks so much for listening. Thanks to 287 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: the question. We love your questions. You can send them 288 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: through two podcasts at Happy families dot com dot You 289 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: send you a voice note through there, or just jump 290 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: onto the website happy families dot com dot you scroll 291 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: down to where it says podcasts and hit us up 292 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: their questions there. We love them coming through. Happy Families 293 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: podcast is produced by Justin Roland from Bridge Medium. Mim 294 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: Hammonds provides research, admin and all of the other support 295 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: that we need for the pod and if you'd like 296 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: more support for your family, you'll find it on our 297 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: social media pages or at happy families dot com dot au.