Hey folks!

First week of homeschool in our household… so far so good, but we’re definitely ready for the weekend! A couple school-oriented things on my mind:

1. Parents = Headmasters: Chandler and I were both homeschooled growing up, and now we’re homeschooling our kids. We really enjoy it and how it dovetails with entrepreneurship and our view of family. That said, I know it’s not for everyone. If I had to name a “one size fits all” mindset for education, it would be this: Parents are the headmasters of their child’s education. It’s crucial that we as parents oversee our children’s education. We can “hire” whoever we want - public school, private school, homeschool, tutors - but at the end of the day, we don’t outsource the responsibility. We just delegate parts of it.

2. Classical Conversations: People often ask what curriculum or co-op we use, so ​here it is.​ What we like about Classical Conversations is that it’s a light weekly lift but still provides a structure we can build on. Plus, the stages of classical education map directly to child development:

• Grammar( Young kids): rote memorization
• Logic (Middle schoolers): debate
• Rhetoric (High schoolers): persuasion

If you’re curious about homeschooling, I’m happy to loop in Chandler so we can answer any of your questions together.

3. Work w/ Pop Days: After a summer break, we’ve re-launched Work with Pop days. Each child who can read on their own gets one morning a week to come to work with me. This practice is pretty core to our parenting philosophy, rooted in the verse: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise.” The best training happens as you go about your day, not just when you’re “on.” A few things that make this work for us:

• Leave home (we head to a coffee shop down the street)
• Get a sweet treat (Penny’s sipping hot chocolate as I write this)
• Take a break and walk together - good for me, good for connection
• Aim for good conversation in the car or on the walk
• Don’t make it all about them - invite them into your world

AMA

That’s it for this week!

Best,

Blake