Challenges of Secular Homeschooling

[reneesoto]

I love this. We are an Athiest homeschool family and feel very isolated in the Texas Bible belt. Thank you for putting this out there. ❤

[lacey]

As someone who was raised without religion, I look back on my childhood and think one of the best things my mom did was support me in exploring religion as a child. I went to public school and became friends with religious kids, and my mom let me attend youth groups and other church events growing up and was very open and accepting, she didn't try to influence me one way or another, but just let me explore it on my own and come to my own conclusions. And I think because of this, I had the experience and space to figure out what I believed, at a relatively early age.

[LucyMorningstar]

I'm so happy I found your channel. I'm Agnostic too. I'm going to be homeschooling my 6 year old from January 2025. I'm really enjoying your videos. Thank you!

[SamanthaJoRoecker]

Phew. I love this. Your explanation of agnostic vs theist/atheist viewpoints was very helpful and has helped me to be able to "label" myself as an agnostic theist, but we do secular homeschooling with no religious influence. I also practice green witchcraft, and living in the dead center of the Bible belt in Kansas leaves me VERY isolated. I teach my kids a lot about nature, respecting it, and what you can do with it... and that doesn't go over well with people. It's hard to be surrounded by people who claim to be open/loving/joyous, but who are only open-minded as long as you don't challenge them. All that babbling to say that I appreciate you and am looking forward to subscribing and watching more of your content. 💚

[lamamipati]

I'm catholic and I use secular curriculum. There's no religious influence on my schooling. I do not force my belief on my kids. My 16 yr old considers herself an atheist and doesn't go to church with me. I applaud you for your efforts to address this in a respectable way lol i can see you trying not to be offensive. And also for allowing your kids to decide on their own

[JetsHockeyFan]

Once again I realize that I am too secular for religious homeschoolers and too religious for secular homeschoolers.

[unschoolingvermont]

Great conversation! We are a growing group of secular homeschoolers that totally understand the push and pull of the old way most homeschoolers were. Homeschooling is just life - and giving our kids the freedom to choose what they want to learn and how they want to live is everything.

[heidikennedy]

We are agnostic secular homeschoolers but I have been put off by secular Facebook groups because of the curriculum police. Someone was looking for a curriculum, I suggested a popular reading program that has ZERO religious content and I was lambasted because that group said it wasn't secular because the author has stated they are Christian. I questioned whether they knew the beliefs of every author of curriculum they recommended and man did that stir up a hornets nest. In the end I left the group because I don't need someone telling me if a curriculum is secular enough for me. Finding a community is hard

[lilylover]

Community has been tough to build, but it’s happening slowly. I left a high control religion, leaving me with no community. I am always actively looking for a place where we feel balance and comfort. Awesome video and topics! Love your content 🫶🏽

[elyses]

Thanks for this video, I am sure it will be taken incorrectly by some folks, but as a secular homeschooler I think its so important that we are able to speak up too - so thank you for putting yourself out there, for all of us!

I love your comment on participating in society better when we educate about all religions and cultures and not have significant bias by teaching religious integrated curriculum.

[FeliciaFollum]

So interesting. Totally makes sense!

I'm a pretty devout Christian but our little is around people from a wide variety of belief systems regularly. In a given week he has playdates with Hindus, Jains, Iraqi Muslim refugy who don't speak English... And several more groups. It's so fun!

Thanks for this!

[MeggMegs]

From a secular homeschool household that also practices religion: I feel really aligned to a secular homeschool education style to give my kids space to learn content without a religious lens (too many curricula will actively edit history and science for a religious reason which is icky to me) Then we practice our faith in a way that shares our adult beliefs with our kids without forcing their beliefs. If my kids were in a public school, they wouldn’t necessarily have a singular faith pressed on them everyday and we try to emanate that in our home education. I feel like my approach is definitely not typical but I would say it is very intentional. Hope that might explain just one perspective of a secular home education within a religious household. 🤗 love this conversation glad to hear everyone’s thoughts.

[MoringLife]

I consider us to be secular homeschoolers, despite the fact that we are a Pagan household. In our opinion paganism is more of a lifestyle than a religion - there is no governing organization, no buildings of worship (the earth and nature is where and what we worship), no sacred texts, no doctrine etc. We use all secular curriculum, however each morning we talk about the moon phase etc. which again, we feel is just honouring the earth, not a part of religious practices. I totally see your points for us not being considered secular though!

[teresanorris]

I had some children try to “save” my children at a get together. I shut it down quickly but I was shocked at how forward they were. We also live in a really religious area. (West Texas) I grew up in a military family and married a military man who also grew up in a military family and neither of us have ever lived anywhere this extreme where religion is concerned. Particularly the Southern Baptist faith.

[jlee]

Just a few days ago I was looking for secular homeschool content here on YT and came across a video labeled as secular, but promoting a mix of secular and religious curriculum. And it was because the person was a religious person who chooses to use 'mostly' secular curriculum. What really bothered me was that they didn't identify which were religious and which were secular; I knew, but newer homeschoolers might not. I appreciate your perspective!

[brittanyshaffer]

Thank you for this! Well said and describes my family and our struggles perfectly!

[shelbywilliams]

I’m so grateful I found this video. My oldest is going to start preschool next year. I had her signed up for a Christian preschool. But we are not religious at all, but I also don’t want her getting exposed to some of the newer progressive sexual identity type education they are now teaching in public schools either and confusing her. So I feel stuck. I just don’t want her indoctrinated period, by both religion and the newer progressive ideology. But I feel totally alone because literally everyone in my small town is religious. I don’t have any connections, I didn’t know secular homeschooling was an option. I’ll keep watching more of your videos to hopefully get some pointers, I’m in the super beginning stages of all this. You took the words right out of my mouth about church’s/friends pulling you in, another fear of mine letting my daughter join a Christian preschool. I want to just focus on eduction, and having a good morals simply because it’s the right thing to do… ? 🧐

[kristinataylor]

Thank you for this!! I completely agree. We are only in our 2nd year homeschooling and it can be hard to homeschool without religious content.

[SavvyShady]

So glad you shared your views on this. I agree 100% with everything you said. I grew up very involved with the church and they were always very open to telling everyone that the parties, youth groups, and other events were to bring in children. They offered transportation to help the kids get to church for service and events. We are a secular home with no religious influence only religious education. My kids will learn many religious and they will know the trauma caused by religions.

[booksquid]

Yay!!! I am so glad to find this channel!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤