258. Rethinking Education: Finding the Right Path for Your Child with Expert Guest Tate Smith

Welcome back to the podcast! Today is a fun one because we're recording from an Airbnb in Istanbul with a very special guest—our son, Tate. After spending a week with incredible families on our Family Brand retreat in Croatia, we decided to extend our trip and let our kids help choose the next adventure. Somehow, that led us here to Turkey, which also felt like the perfect place to have a conversation we've wanted to record for a long time: homeschooling, education, and what it looks like to create a learning path that's unique to your child.

Over the last few years, we've had so many parents ask us about homeschooling. Not because they know they want to do it, but because they're wondering if there's another option besides the traditional path. We certainly didn't have it all figured out when we started. In fact, Tate's educational journey has included charter school, public school, homeschooling, a microschool, community college, and plenty of learning that happened outside of a classroom. Looking back, one of the biggest lessons we've learned is that education doesn't have to look the same for every child. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop asking, "What's normal?" and start asking, "What's right for this child?"

One thing I appreciated hearing from Tate was how honest he was about the experience. It wasn't perfect. There were semesters that went really well and one that went really, really poorly. There were moments where we had to adjust, fill in gaps, and learn alongside him as parents. But that's part of the process. I think so many parents are afraid they'll make the wrong decision and somehow ruin their child's future. This conversation reminded me that kids are incredibly resilient. If there's a gap, it can be filled. If something isn't working, it can be changed. Education doesn't have to be perfect—it just has to keep moving forward.

One of the unexpected gifts of taking a less traditional path was the freedom it created. Tate was able to travel with us, take college classes while still in high school, play sports, explore hobbies like cooking, filmmaking, guitar, and even bird watching, and graduate with an associate's degree before most students graduate high school. More importantly, he developed perspective by experiencing different cultures, meeting entrepreneurs, and seeing that learning happens everywhere—not just inside four classroom walls. Those experiences have shaped who he is every bit as much as his academics.

At the end of the day, this episode isn't really about homeschooling. It's about giving yourself permission to ask better questions. What kind of education will help your child thrive? What environment helps them become curious, confident, and capable? There may not be one perfect answer, and that's okay. Our hope is simply that this conversation reminds you that you have more options than you may realize, and that the best educational path is often the one that's intentionally designed for your family—not the one everyone else expects you to choose.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Recording from Istanbul + introducing Tate
• 03:45 – Why we wanted to have this homeschooling conversation
• 05:00 – Tate's unconventional education journey (K–12)
• 08:00 – Graduating college before high school
• 09:00 – Will homeschooling ruin your kids?
• 10:30 – Tate's biggest academic failure—and what it taught us
• 12:00 – Why kids are more resilient than parents think
• 13:30 – The courage to choose an unconventional path
• 15:00 – The unexpected benefits of homeschooling
• 16:30 – Why travel became part of Tate's education
• 18:00 – There are more educational options than ever before
• 19:00 – Tate shares his biggest regrets and lessons learned
• 21:00 – Chris and Melissa reflect on parenting through uncertainty
• 23:00 – Advice for parents considering homeschooling
• 24:00 – The goal isn't homeschooling—it's finding what works for your child
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