I’ve decided to start a periodic blog series on pop culture for sheltered homeschoolers and other people who grew up under a fundamentalist rock. It’s going to be an ongoing feature where I cover parts of pop culture that a lot of people who grew up in American fundamentalism missed out on. I’ll put up […]
Category Archives: homeschooling
burn it down
I’m working on a piece on America’s child marriage problem and it’s taking everything in my power to keep from posting an expletive-laden, ALL CAPS, wall of text screed full of gifs of things burning. For now it suffices to say that if you think Vaughn Ohlman and Let Them Marry is an isolated situation, […]
Three things you should know before writing about Josh Duggar
With the latest round of Josh Duggar scandals, it’s time to address a few things that have been floating around, both in the religious blogosphere and tabloid and mainstream media. If you’re going to write about the Duggars, here are some things you need to know. Before I begin with my list though, I want […]
A Recipe for Disaster
Sophie Anna Platt wrote the following piece in response to Jim Bob Duggar’s quote from Wednesday’s interview on The Kelly File. Sophie is a homeschool alumna who grew up in a conservative Christian homeschooling family with many of the same teachings as the Duggars. She’s given me permission to republish her thoughts here. (Also by […]
The Duggar interview and the need for homeschool oversight
Sibling sexual abuse is not some normal thing that happens in families. Not letting your children play hide and seek lest your teenage son molest his sisters again isn’t normal. A teenage boy repeatedly molesting his young sisters, including one still in the preschool years, isn’t just a thing that most families deal with. Unless […]
Josh Duggar says he’s sorry. So what?
Josh Duggar is doing damage control. He can’t stop the truth that he’s a serial child molester from getting out, the police reports made sure of that. What he can do is change the focus. Josh doesn’t want you talking about his victims, he doesn’t want you focusing on the five prepubescent children he molested. […]
Here Are 7 Surprising Things You Need to Know About Joe and Nicole Naugler
Did you hear about the Kentucky off-the-grid homesteaders who allegedly had their ten children taken away because they were homeschooling? If not, you’ll probably hear about it soon, it’s rapidly going viral. As the outrage machine kicks into high gear, here are seven important things you should know. 1. Homeschooling is legal As with every […]
There’s been a lot of misinformation floating around about Michigan HB 4498, but here are the facts. The bill doesn’t require home visits, the only requirements are things that loving and responsible parents are doing already. Please share to help correct the misinformation.
#MakeHomeschoolSafe
How many times over the course of a year do your children come in contact with a doctor, nurse, teacher, clergy member, or other individual who is designated as a mandatory reporter of child abuse? It’s a fairly regular occurrence, right? If you’re homeschooling, your kids are probably seeing your pastor every week or so, […]
When HSLDA went to the Kremlin
On September 10th and 11th of 2014, leaders of various right wing family organizations from around the world gathered at the Kremlin for what was to have been the “World Congress of Families VIII – the Moscow Congress.” The conference was a “pro-family” event that blended a mix of quiverfull, homeschooling, anti-abortion, and anti-LGBTQ organizations […]