How to launch a company while you homeschool

My new company is Quistic. We provide online learning for people who want to have a fun, interesting career without giving up the rest of their personal life.

If you’re looking for the ultimate secret for how to launch a company while you homeschool, here is what I know: I didn’t write on this blog for a week and my sons spent way too much time playing video games in bank lobbies while I dealt with transferring money from investors. And we have an employee in the Ukraine, and you’d probably be shocked to learn how hard it is to pay someone in the Ukraine without having to bribe everyone. Read more

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What homeschool parents should worry about: Themselves


There’s a difference between good worries and bad worries. Psychology Today points out that the cave men who didn’t worry probably died quickly; some level of worry helps us overcome real problems. When we worry about crazy stuff, then worry shifts into the OCD realm. It’s not surprising that the worries of homeschooling parents are different than those of parents who send their kids to school. Read more

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You probably don’t need to earn money while you homeschool

I coach a lot of people about how to earn money from home while they homeschool. Many of them have a spouse who is either living with them or paying child support. My answer is almost always: “Forget it. Let your spouse take care of the money. You take care of the kids and maintaining your sanity while you’re doing it.” Read more

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The problem with education is there’s too much money for so-called reformers

The online schools that are popping up all over the country are there because of a loophole in education funding that allows companies to siphon money from school districts to create sub-par online learning systems. Read more

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Organized religion is too much like school

Last month, during Yom Kippur, I took the kids to synogogue. Usually  we just do our Jewish stuff at our house. My kids are exposed to so few Jews in their life that I am able to celebrate Jewish holidays on my own calendar, on my own time, in my own ways. Read more

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How do you teach your kids mastery?

Question from a Reader: My wife and I have become increasing convinced that unschooling is the right path for our boys (grades K, 1, and 2). I love the idea of giving our kids the freedom, time, space and trust to learn by following their curiosity. At the same time, we think it’s important for them to pick up a physical activity and a second language and music. I don’t think their natural curiosity will lead them to do any of those things. (We know we’ve tried.) Read more

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The media lies about childcare

Culturally it is not okay to say that all children should be with a primary caregiver for the first 18 months. We have enormous data to prove that this is true, but parents don’t like to be told that childcare is not okay. So the media doesn’t say it.  Read more

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Teachers are not the problem with school

There’s a new TV show called Dream School. It’s so offensive that I normally wouldn’t even think twice about it. But it’s on the Sundance Channel, and the people involved with it are remarkable:  Suze Orman, Steven Spielberg, 50 Cent. Read more

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Kids are better than adults at managing screen time

You don’t need to worry how your kids use technology because you have no idea what is going to matter when they are older. You have no idea how people will communicate when it comes time for your kids to pay their mortgage and put their kids through college – although you can be pretty sure that they won’t be doing either of those things.

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Stop putting the onus on kids to make school work. And Teach for America sucks.

The New York Times has a parenting advice columnist who answers a letter from a parent whose kid thinks school is boring.

The advice to the parent is amazing. First of all, the kid should talk to the teacher directly. Really? What will the kid be able to accomplish that The Gates Foundation has not been able to accomplish after $9 million in funding? Is there some secret to making school interesting that the world does not know about? Read more

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