Special Replay: The Flaws and Benefits of Homeschooling
Homeschooling IRL — Episode 15 | Updated replay for 2026
From the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. This episode is a special replay, updated for 2026. In it, veteran homeschooling parents Fletch and Kendra sit down with homeschool graduate Matthew Mason for one of their most-talked-about conversations — an honest, gracious look at the good, the hard, and the complicated of growing up in the Christian homeschool world.
Sponsor
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About This Episode
Matthew Mason is a homeschool graduate and a longtime friend of Fletch and Kendra’s family. Homeschooled K–12 and adopted before birth by a pro-life activist mother, Matthew grew up inside what he calls “the bubble” — a reformed, close-knit Christian homeschool community. As a young adult he came out as gay, left that community, and began searching for truth on his own terms. In this candid studio interview, he reflects on what homeschooling gave him and where it fell short.
Together they dig into the questions a lot of homeschool families are afraid to ask: What do we do when a child walks away from the faith or the lifestyle they were raised in? How do we love well when we disagree deeply? And how do we keep our hope anchored in Christ rather than in our parenting?
What Fletch & Kendra Talk About
- The fear of raising a “prodigal” — and why hope shouldn’t rest in your parenting or results
- “Hope shifting”: where homeschool parents quietly place their trust
- Matthew’s story: adoption, the pro-life movement, speech competitions, and leaving the bubble
- The pros of homeschooling — a tailored, interactive education from the person who knows the child best
- The flaws — filtered books and music, a single worldview, and kids who never learn to think for themselves
- How the church and homeschool community can respond with compassion instead of rejection
- Listening to your kids — really listening — and keeping the lines of communication open
A Listener Note
This is one of Homeschooling IRL’s more honest, “hot potato” conversations. Fletch and Kendra interview a guest whose beliefs and choices differ from their own and from many listeners’ — not to endorse, but to model gracious, open dialogue. As they put it, when your identity is anchored in Christ, you can listen to anything without fear.
More From Homeschooling IRL
If this episode resonated, here are other Homeschooling IRL conversations referenced in it:
- Love in the House — with Chris Jube, on a large homeschool family that decided to “figure out the love thing.”
- How to Raise a Pagan Kid in a Christian Home (Ep. 13) — with Barrett & Jennifer Johnson.
- Homeschooling Will Save Your Children — the two-part series on where our hope for our kids really belongs.
- How Do I Talk to My Kids About Sex? (Ep. 16) — the follow-up episode, again featuring Barrett & Jennifer Johnson on their book The Talks.
More Shows on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network
There’s a homeschool podcast for everyone on the network. A few you may enjoy:
- The Homeschool Sanity Show — Melanie Wilson on keeping your sanity while you homeschool.
- Vintage Homeschool Moms — Felice Gerwitz with practical, been-there encouragement.
- Making Biblical Family Life Practical — Hal & Melanie Young on faith and family.
- Finish Well — Meredith Curtis on homeschooling through high school and beyond.
- The Homeschool Highschool Podcast — Vicki Tillman on navigating the high school years.
- Homeschooling with Technology — Meryl van der Merwe on tech tools and tech wisdom.
- Creation Science Podcast — faith-based science for curious families.
- Homeopathy for Mommies — Sue Meyer on natural remedies for the home.
- Homeschool Curious Podcast — for families just exploring the homeschool path.
- Ultimate Homeschool Radio Show — foundational help for getting started.
Browse the full lineup at ultimateradioshow.com.
Connect With Homeschooling IRL
- Website: HomeschoolingIRL.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/HomeschoolingIRL
- Email: info@homeschoolingirl.com
The Homeschooling IRL podcast is a production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. This 2026 replay is sponsored by CTC Math.
Are you homeschooling a struggling learner? Fletch and Kendra share three practical ideas for you as you consider homeschooling a child who struggles.
How to Raise a Pagan Kid in a Christian Home 
Are you starting your school year? In this Best of HIRL, we gather around the teacher’s lounge and gear up for another year of teaching our kids at home.
A special replay! We all have those people in our lives who prove to be a challenge to love: a grumpy toddler, a brooding teen, an irritable spouse, a controlling parent. How do we love them in spite of their unloveliness? What does the gospel tell us about our own unloveliness, and God’s love for us? Tun in to this episode of Homeschooling in Real Life for a touching and deeply meaningful conversation about loving the unlovable.
On today’s episode of Homeschooling In Real Life, Martha called in to ask, “How Do I Make My Homeschool Fun?” We loved this question, so both Fletch and Kendra take a stab at answering. As you have come to expect, their answers line up perfectly with the “have to” parent and the “get to” parent. Tune in to make your homeschool fun!
