The Homeschool Secret I Couldn't Tell Anyone

<p><strong>Want to join our Purity Culture Livestream?</strong> Follow Kate on Substack: https://substack.com/@katejohnsonwrites or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katejohnsonwrites</p><p><br /></p><p>Kate Johnson joins me to share one of the most powerful and difficult stories we've featured on the podcast. We talk about growing up homeschooled in a conservative Christian environment, navigating life after her father's arrest for child sexual abuse material, and how isolation, purity culture, and parentification shaped her childhood. Kate also reflects on finding her voice, questioning long-held beliefs, and rebuilding her identity as an adult. This conversation is heavy at times, but it's ultimately about healing, resilience, and why protecting vulnerable children must be part of the homeschool conversation.</p><p><strong>In this episode we discuss:</strong></p><ul><li>Kate's experience growing up homeschooled using Abeka, Calvert, Classical Conversations, and other Christian curricula.</li><li>How her father's arrest shattered the sense of safety her family had built around homeschooling and church.</li><li>The hidden dangers of isolation, parentification, and secrecy within some homeschooling environments.</li><li>Purity culture, consent, and the long-term impact those teachings had on both girls and boys.</li><li>Finding healing, embracing authenticity, and reclaiming her own voice.</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>Connect with Kate Johnson:</strong></p><ul><li>Substack: https://substack.com/@katejohnsonwrites</li><li>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katejohnsonwrites</li><li>Threads: https://www.threads.com/@katejohnsonwrites</li><li>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katejohnsonwrites</li><li>YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katejohnsonwrites</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>Resources Mentioned:</strong></p><ul><li>Coalition for Responsible Home Educators: https://crhe.org</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to the Ex-Homeschoolers Club, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who may need to hear it. If you'd like to support the show, be sure to join the newsletter for updates and future episodes.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Connect with me:</strong></p><ul><li>Newsletter: https://exhsclub.beehiiv.com/</li><li>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exhsclub/</li><li>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@exhsclub</li><li>Email me at exhsclub@gmail.com</li><li>Substack: https://exhsclub.substack.com</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 Trigger Warning</p><p>00:39 Invitation To Purity Culture Livestream</p><p>01:20 Welcome and Guest Intro</p><p>02:28 Kate’s Homeschool Origins</p><p>02:43 First Day Was 9/11</p><p>08:15 Finding a Homeschool Rhythm</p><p>11:05 Classical Conversations Explained</p><p>17:32 Curriculum Nostalgia and Resources</p><p>23:16 Siblings and Public School Switch</p><p>25:38 High School Culture Shock</p><p>28:51 Pastor’s Kid Pressure</p><p>31:21 TW: Dad’s Arrest and Fallout</p><p>36:38 TW: Isolation and System Gaps</p><p>39:36 TW: Silence, Control, Parentification</p><p>44:04 TW: Healing and Purity Culture</p><p>46:46 Guys Taught No Control</p><p>50:17 Consent And Worthlessness</p><p>52:45 College Identity Shifts</p><p>57:27 Politics And Deconstruction</p><p>01:01:32 Trusting Inner Intuition</p><p>01:03:41 TW: Dad Arrested Again</p><p>01:08:42 Somatic Healing Journey</p><p>01:15:50 Ritual Of Letting Go</p><p>01:23:20 Values And Bodywork Tools</p><p>01:29:22 Where To Follow Kate</p><p>01:31:45 Homeschool Safety Advocacy</p><p>01:34:25 Final Thanks And Wrap</p>