Ex-Homeschoolers Club

Want to hear Liz's homeschool experience? Check out this episode: https://youtu.be/rvHUlhOM9hI?si=j7JGWwCJAMwtrChb

Liz is back in the clubhouse to explore the role religion played in our homeschool upbringings and how those beliefs shaped our identities long after childhood. Liz shares what it was like growing up in an intensely Catholic homeschool environment, from her involvement in the Legion of Mary to embracing modesty culture, purity culture, and the expectation that she might one day become a nun.

Together, we unpack the complicated process of questioning long-held beliefs, navigating religious trauma, and separating personal faith from the cultural expectations that surrounded us. We discuss purity culture, the lack of sex education in many homeschool environments, the experience of deconstruction, and the grief that can accompany rebuilding your worldview. Whether you're still religious, no longer religious, or somewhere in between, this conversation is about finding space to ask questions, heal, and better understand the stories that shaped us.

Resources We Mentioned

• When Religion Hurts You: https://drlauraeanderson.com/book
• Homeschooled: A Memoir: https://bookshop.org/p/books/homeschooled-a-new-york-times-bestselling-memoir-and-read-with-jenna-pick-stefan-merrill-block/7e9b1465fdf608ff?ean=9781335000989&next=t
• The Body Keeps the Score: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score
• Interview with D.L. Mayfield: https://youtu.be/ohzrQqPq0Dw?si=vi3cp1QPt8fy3wfi

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back Liz

01:07 Homeschooler Connection

03:32 Catholic Roots And Belonging

06:21 Evangelical Upbringing

08:33 Confirmation And Commitment

11:11 Legion Of Mary Explained

13:30 Conference Culture And War Talk

19:37 Performing Faith Publicly

21:29 Christian Mime And Evangelism

24:00 Modesty Purity And Shame

28:29 Deconstruction And Questioning

31:55 Where Beliefs Came From

33:11 Silence Around Sex And Expectations

34:56 Nunhood and Holiness

35:41 Purity Books Osmosis

36:40 Period Shame Lesson

37:51 Apple Pie Purity Talk

41:06 No Sex Ed Basics

43:27 Bridgerton Level Ignorance

45:20 Study Abroad Cracks Bubble

47:43 Grief and Quiet Deconstruction

54:34 Naming Religious Trauma

01:01:30 Inner Child Healing

01:04:20 Finding Community Through Stories

01:06:50 Closing Thoughts and Resources

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• Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com