Co-hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan of the ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast criticized homeschooling, describing it as “weird” and “the worst idea.” Their comments followed a caller’s complaint about individuals homeschooling who “probably shouldn’t have even had children.”
Sullivan expressed her concern about those involved in religious activities, such as “people in Bible study,” opting for homeschooling. She stated, “I just think homeschooling is a bad idea, from soup to nuts. I don’t care if you’re a nuclear physicist. I think it’s just weird that you want your kids around you all day, every day and all night. And just the socialization.” Sullivan continued, highlighting her reluctance to be around her children constantly and her distrust of those who do.
Welch accused homeschooling parents of projecting their beliefs onto their children, suggesting they lack critical thinking abilities. She commented, “This is trickle-down stupidity. This is MAGA on steroids. This is MAHA. This is tradwife. This is the worst, worst, worst.” Welch connected homeschooling to what she termed America’s “crazy Christian problem,” labeling it akin to child abuse.
The comments prompted a response from Corey DeAngelis, senior fellow at the American Culture Project. He remarked that sending children to government schools as a default is the “weird” choice. “It’s not weird to love your children and want them around. It’s weird to outsource them to strangers employed by the government while pretending it’s for their own good,” DeAngelis stated. He highlighted issues within the public school system, such as bullying, violence, and indoctrination, as problems these hosts seem to defend under the guise of socialization.
DeAngelis emphasized that homeschooling is not a new trend. He pointed out that teaching children at home has been a traditional form of education for centuries. He critiqued the public education system as a failed experiment rooted in past militaristic and progressive social engineering. According to DeAngelis, the podcast hosts’ comments reflect a disdain for family and parental authority more than homeschooling itself.