What if your homeschooler isn't sure what they want to be? Should college be the goal?

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Who else just “followed directions” until it came to the time in life when you had to start thinking for yourself and you realized how lost you were????? 🖐️

[@MamaSchopfer-vy4km]

Your story is basically my story. I was “smart” and expected to go to college. I was two years into getting my education degree to be a teacher when I realized all I really wanted to do was to be a wife and mom. My fiance was totally on board with me dropping out of college. We got married at 19 and 20, and I had my first baby at 22. Four kids and 22 years of marriage later, I’ve homeschooled and graduated my first two daughters and have my 15yo son and 12yo daughter still at home. I have NEVER pushed college, and frankly, my oldest two daughters are watching their friends go into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and asking, “But why?” They are working and serving in our church, patiently waiting for the day they can get married and have children so they too can be wives, moms, and homeschool their kids! And in the meantime, they save their money and will have quite the nest egg to begin their married lives with! My son will be learning basic welding techniques from my FIL, who had a successful welding business for 25+ years. Thank you for this video and speaking out on other options besides college!!!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

@@MamaSchopfer-vy4kmgood for your daughters!!! I didn’t even mention the possible route for women but I TOTALLY think that girls should consider their career path based on if they truly desire to be a wife and mother someday!! If you choose a career that requires 10 years of school and then become a mother…..will you be able to walk away? This is another conversation me and my friends have had. Why do we push our daughters into college?? I’m not opposed to them getting careers while they wait for a husband. But I think they should consider what kind of career is compatible with being a wife and mother, or which one will be easy to walk away from! Good for your son on the welding!!!

[@chaeliackerman1394]

Me!!

[@faithfullyinfertile]

That is an amazing opportunity for your son! You are so right in saying that college is not necessary and times have changed from growing up believing college is the next natural step after high school. It is definitely not that way anymore! My husband is a coder and all he learned to be a good one he has learned outside of college!!! College was a waste of time and money.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

And college is so much more expensive today than when we were young.

[@faithfullyinfertile]

@@OurHOMEschoolPlan yes it is! Unless your kid wants to be a lawyer or dr or something along those lines, we really need to consider if college is even necessary. Skills are SO important and are truly what companies are looking for in potential employees.

[@BenjesBride]

This topic is close to my heart right now. This video is further confirmation of our family's approach. I highly recommend the "Degree Free" KZbin Channel. It has been a great resource for us. They have a career roadmap for parents and their 16-20 year olds with an approach I've never considered before; start by asking your child what they want their life to look like in ten years... location, schedule, income, work environment and then basically reverse engineer the career plan using the constraints of time, cost, effort to get there. Several Degree Free episodes discuss personal stories the host advising families in this effort. The vocational creativity they're coming up with is very exciting.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Thanks for sharing that!!!

[@avocadomegs4189]

Their ‘degree free way’ workbook set just dropped! We ordered it a few days ago, just got delivery confirmation for it this morning 😁

[@jaclynbannister1877]

Great video. Very relatable. Thank you. Miss your content

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Thank you!!! And I know…. I hope to come back at some point. This break has just been so very necessary! ❤️

[@nikchik382]

This was so helpful! Our oldest is turning 15 soon, and I've been stressing over his future. I love your story with your son. Makes me pause to remember that God is bigger than our fears, and He is with our children and is the best Helper to forge their future. I feel excited now and can't wait to see what God has in store for him.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

❤️❤️❤️ yes!! Just pay attention and watch God make a way!

[@katie7748]

So many thoughts on this! In no particular order: ● Multiple, even many, generations have pushed their children to "go to college and get a good job so you don't have to work as hard as I did" or "if you don't __________, you'll end up like THAT," then point towards a janitor, construction worker, garbage collector, etc. People forget that the hospitals, courthouses, schools, etc need people to build and maintain them. ● Our children have no desire for college. They all want to pursue trades/skills. This isn't to say we'd stand in their way if they changed their minds and decided to attend college (we'd be supportive), but they'd be on their own to pay for it. Sorry. You want it, you earn it. Same goes for cars. Stay home as long as you need to, rent-free, as long as you aren't just sitting on your rear end. ● I've been wanting to get our children involved in 4H for *years.* Never did and still haven't. There have been life circumstances impeding it, but I wish I wouldn't have let that stop us in the past. We're working on making it happen where we are in life now but it's easier said than done. (Doesn't help that we live quite rural now so there's not much close to us.) ● I was supposed to go to college to become a teacher. I didn't know if I wanted to teach 4th-6th graders or high school, but I knew I didn't want the younger grades. I wanted to teach grammar, deeper history, and such. But the summer before I was supposed to head off, I walked away. I never went. Looking back, it's probably one of the better decisions I ever made. (And I'm so thankful it wasn't too late to tell the university and the bank that I wasn't going!) Also glad I ditched the architect dream (WAY too much math!) and the interior design/decorating dream (didn't want to follow trends that I knew clients would lol). ● I'd flip-flopped (as most do lol) on what I wanted to be. Growing up, my biggest "dream jobs" wound up being a teacher, a librarian (did you know to be a librarian you need a degree?!), or a waitress. Yes, that's right! I wanted to be a waitress. Specifically, a greasy spoon truck stop diner waitress. You know, the cute old-school uniform or at least an apron, going around refilling people's coffee cups and calling them all "sugar" or "honey" kind of waitress. I wanted to brighten someone's day by asking how they were. I wanted to bring them a comforting meal. Funnily enough, I'm actually all three! How's that? I married an OTR trucker, I homeschool our children, and we have over 3000 books. The Lord works in mysterious ways and I'm so thankful for His blessings! ● Even if your son never goes into any of those fields, he's dabbled in them enough that he could perhaps be considered a Jack of all trades. How blessed to know so many people willing to let him tag along and show him the ropes!! And a big ol' *WOOHOO!!* for the opportunity to learn more and get those credits!! Wow! That is fantastic! Ok, I'm done rambling haha

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

That was definitely so many thoughts! 😂💕😂 it’s definitely funny how we thought we wanted to be teachers and now we are!!! God knew!!

[@beccasinger4919]

Love this! Thank you for posting and sharing your journey with your son. I have a high school boy and this was very relevant to me and encouraging!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Glad it was helpful! 😉

[@Shoop8964]

Oh I relate to this so much! I went to public school and straight to college. I worked for 1 year with my degree before having kids and never went back. But I switched back and forth from degree plans the whole time I was in college because I was not certain of anything. I ended up getting two associates degrees and a bachelors and minor because I kept changing course and had extra credits. Thankfully I had scholarships to help pay but I still ended up with a loan. It’s just not worth it until you know what you want to do.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

I agree! 💯 and how many kids actually KNOW with all certainty when they’re only 18?!?! I felt like i still didn’t know my own interests that could make me money until I was in my 20’s. When you get to explore your passions, you can find out how to make money with them. 😉

[@sarahe7515]

I don’t have all those degrees. I went into nursing and I was 3 or 4 classes away from a masters in science degree. All of my credits in that are “expired” now. I now have an expired nursing license and no desire to go back. I paid for it all on my own through cash. I was nuts. I worked 36 hours a week which is unheard of during nursing but an engineering office worked with my school hours cause the boss of the office was a mother to teens. She pushed for me to make it. I wonder how shocked she would be to know that my college was a waste. 😂

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

@@sarahe7515 wow!! It’s amazing how many of us have these regrets.

[@sarahe7515]

@@OurHOMEschoolPlanwhat’s funny is I knew I didn’t want anything to do with kids. I was stuck (thanks mom) with my nephews when I was home and their mom was working part time at a local college. I was a church nursery volunteer and children’s church teacher for about 5 years at that time for reasons I can’t even explain to myself. I think it was just an opening and nobody wanted it so I did it. I was okay but not a fan of it. I ended up with 3 kids and enjoy teaching them most of the time Everything about my life is ironic. Sometimes I think I would love to be a teacher for a Baptist school but then I think I only like this because they are my kids! I don’t have any desire to step a foot into college to obtain a teaching degree but I think that we are people who change a lot. I wonder how many of my fellow alumni feel stuck because they made these major decisions in the early 2000’s.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

@@sarahe7515 so true! And I’m with you. I love teaching my own kids and have wondered if NOW I could ever teach in a Christian school. Life is ironic, indeed!

[@christinasetzer2880]

Omgosh the statement of wanting the time with him especially since he doesn't k ow what he wants to do is so great. Sometimes dual enrollment feels so pressured and then I wonder if I'm making a mistake not planning on doing it

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

So maybe they don’t get more credits ahead. So???? What difference will that make on the long run? If they graduate college a semester later, is that the end of the world? The benefit to dual credit in high school is it usually costs less. BUT….if they don’t end up going to college, it cost you more then! There’s so many ways to look at it.

[@janetjohnson52]

Thanks for sharing!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Thanks for watching!

[@StephanieMT]

My 7 year old wants to be a science teacher like ms. Frizzle but he doesnt know where to get a magic school bus.

[@amandarosenbrock9147]

Aw so happy for your mama heart!! And praise God for His leading in your baby's life!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Thank you!!! 😊

[@sheilasepulveda9758]

Such an excellent topic and video! Thank you for this 🥰

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

You are so welcome!

[@agrowingtime]

I loved this video so much! My husband works in staffing in Houston, and the amount of craft labor jobs, like welding, that make six-figure incomes was such a shock. He preaches welding to any high school boy he talks to. 😅 FYI, down here, most companies will hire first and pay your boy to go to welding school. We have a similar school district affiliated career center near us. My husband met with them once to see how they could partner (like sending him kids who are looking for craft labor jobs) and he was really unimpressed. I think ours is a dud.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

That’s a bummer about your career center, but so interesting that you’ve seen the same thing with the need for welders. To me, welding isn’t something you necessarily think of when you think trades. I think trades as in building houses….carpentry, electric, plumber…. It’s amazing when you talk to people and ask questions out of genuine curiosity….what you can find out. I always ask people about the work they do!

[@sandrap.8268]

Wow - I can so relate to this video. I ended up going to law school b/c my parents expected me to go. However, I was completely miserable in that field. I really wish that my parents would have given me more freedom to explore the areas that would be more in line with my abilities and interests. As a result, I have never pressured my kids to pursue any partcular path - just that they be able to find a job to be independent when they are adults. Also, I don't necessarily see an 18 year old as an "adult" b/c their brains do not fully develop until the mid 20s. So I am definitely not one of those parents who forces their 18 year old to start paying rent or move out of the family home.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Agree!! 💯

[@Homeschooler2022]

Great video! I think going to college for the sake of going to college (especially while accumulating lots of debt) was very much a Gen X and millennial phenomenon, although it still happens today sometimes. From my own experience with my older kids, I have learned this: There are children / people who want to do what they love for a job and do it 100% of the time and possibly sacrifice wages, while others prefer to have a well paying job, even if it's not their favorite part of the day, and have a hobby on the side. Certain jobs, such as part-time or full-time nursing (3 x12-hr shifts) lend themselves very well to this approach. In my opinion, it's not just about what a child wants to do as a career, or what is the best fit for them in terms of enjoyment. It is also about their longterm plans for themselves and their future family. Where do they see themselves in 5-10 years from now? There is always a give and a take. For instance, a child might have a special interest and talent in arts or music. They could become a professional musician in an orchestra and love going to work 100% of the time (given all the other circumstances are just right, the colleagues are friendly, etc.). They might also have an affinity for math and engineering, which might make them suitable for an array of well paying jobs, but they might not enjoy this line of work as much. If this child plans on being the sole provider for a family, possibly with a stay at home, homeschooling mom, then they need to consider all of these aspects holistically and figure out the path that best meets all of their combined goals, as hypothetical as they might be at this stage in their lives. Of course a lot of this will be up to God, and detailed planning in this context doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but this approach at least gives the child an idea. Also, please give regular dual enrollment another look. At least here in WA you can use dual enrollment / running start to get full access to programs such as welding, cosmetology, etc. at the community college & public universities, free of charge to all income levels. However, I do agree that career centers are an excellent resource for exposure and limited college credit, and in WA they recently opened up career centers to juniors and I believe freshmen (don't quote me on this), so they can explore their interests and potentially still do 2 years of full-time running start. PS: You are still young and can still explore graphic design as a career now :-).

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Very valid points!! I am considering dual enrollment if my son becomes a 5th year senior next year. Our community colleges dual enrollment for homeschoolers is cheaper than a regular college class. So it is definitely on our list to consider.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Not sure about graphic design now!! I’m actually more interested in doing something like becoming a progressional home organizer! That is IF I wanted to pursue another career. There are so many things I’d enjoy doing. And my former professional career is NOT one of them! 🤪 but it was all part of God’s plan bc without that job, I would never have met my husband and had my 3 beautiful children! 🩷

[@DaisyMancuso]

Oh my goodness, I just arrived at my destination and I have only heard your intro and yes yes yes! This is a huge concern for me as I have a young teen who adamantly doesn’t want to do college and I don’t blame him, but he doesn’t really have direction yet and I may be freaking out a little early.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Don’t freak out!!! This is time to explore! Knowing what you want to do for the rest of your life at age 18……it’s not very realistic, right??? How many people change their minds??? Just read through some of the comments!! It’s happened to so many of us!

[@DaisyMancuso]

@@OurHOMEschoolPlanabsolutely right! I know this. I know I had an idea of what I wanted and was partly talked out of it and into something else I thought I wanted and really don’t think I wanted either. Well, the first thing was a teacher of special ed but eventually was like, I don’t want to be in that school system. So I kind of skipped the degree and got a chance to fulfill that in my own home. 😂 I’m not entirely sure what I am going to do when that career is done and the last one has graduated. 🤔 maybe by then I can just keep baking bread and gardening and travel with hubby. I dunno.

[@DaisyMancuso]

@@OurHOMEschoolPlananyway back in the car and about to finish this KZbin. 😂

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

@@DaisyMancuso you have skills that so many college educated women crave! 😉

[@mrs.jaywojo5426]

This was a great video. I am of the same mind as you. Thank you for sharing!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

You are so welcome! 😁

[@sarahe7515]

I am 38 and I regret going to nursing school. I was just told this is what I had to do. Now at almost 39 I have no idea what I want to do so please be kind to teens who are lost.

[@4Home_with_Michelle]

My daughter always knew where she wanted to go, and this fall she'll be making that dream come true!❤ My son said college wasn't for him, so I told him that's fine but he should look into trade. Well he's 16 and since he was 14 he's been working with an electrician to help him with his career of being an electrician. I think college is pushed on people too much. Many go to college and how many of us have degrees in something other than what we're doing now?!!?!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Exactly!!!! I have several friends who have legit degrees, but their full time jobs have nothing to do with the degree they got! And some of their jobs didn’t even require a degree at all.

[@heatheraz4680]

I have a 10th grade daughter this year. She wants to do something in the equine field. She doesn't want to be a vet. We keep exploring different areas plus add in different fields. I am going to have her weld this year and do automotive learning. My husband is a mechanic and can weld and my father in law can weld. So they will be used for this part of her learning. You never know what will peak there true interest. I always love floor plans and would buy magazines to see nee ones and would seek out all model homes. I never had anyone say I should take an architecture class or learn more about that field. I always thought I would be a teacher. Never stepped foot in a classroom to teach but just started our 6th year homeschooling. Funny how things work sometimes.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

I love looking at house plans too!!! You’re so right!!! Architecture would’ve been cool! 😎

[@ourfamilyvideos7283]

Love your channel Rachel ❤

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Thank you!! 😊

[@kellireadsalot]

God's timing is so perfect. So happy for you.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Thank you!! 😊

[@rainbeauty]

Miss your videos!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

😘 awe thank you!! 💕 I’ve had a lot going on and something’s gotta give. 😕 but I hope I’ll be back!

[@Jessiemadanat]

Miss ur videos❤❤❤❤

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Thank you!!! 😊 I miss interacting with everybody too!

[@HomechoolbythePond]

I had this conversation the other day with a friend of mine's mom who is a teacher. I was asked if I would homeschool until college and if I thought shed get into college being homeschooled. I said she can go to college if she wants or she is welcome to join the military or get a job without college or go to a trade school. I got told I was "unusual" because most parents make their kids go to college.....tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt shouldn't be being forced on kids.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Agreed!!! There’s so many other ways to earn skills and college in so many cases, is about social programming more than education these days. It’s not what it used to be.

[@brodersallday6048]

I had one of those “oh shoot - public school does have a lot to offer” moments last year too. 🙂

[@KarenTaggart]

Love this video! My daughter is starting 8th grade, so I’m paying attention to her interests, but not pushing her in any direction. My husband and I are both entrepreneurial, so if anything, I’d like to push her in that direction. 😊 I loved school. But I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, so I just kept going to more school! Not a good plan. I double majored and went to undergrad for 5 years. Then decided to go to 3 years of law school. I’m now a 54-year-old licensed attorney, who doesn’t like working as an attorney and is still paying off school debt. 😣 And the biggest kicker? There are so many attorneys that it is hard to find work that can pay the student loan payments. I only work part-time from home so that I can homeschool. The local fast food places are paying almost as much as what I make!! That hurts a bit. 😬

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Oh yeah!!! That’s crazy how the low skills jobs can make as much as something that requires so much school. Nuts!

[@DaisyMancuso]

Oh wow! Your experience is so similar to mine, except my parents didn’t pay anything for mine except when I dropped a class and had to pick up a flex class and an intro to the campus class because the online one was stupid. So I guess 2 classes my first semester if you count that ridiculous whee is everything on campus class. But I totally had to give them my whole paycheck for months to pay that back. I only kept 10% of my paycheck. And I worked through all of college and lived at home for most of it. Also, when I wanted to take a gap year, my parents were like absolutely not, you will never finish if you do that and then said they would take away the car if I tried to do that. I did eventually move out and work full time and went to school part time and had to buy my own car in the span of one weekend even though I had been paying insurance, maintenance, gas, and rent for a car that my parents owned. But the reason I only had 2 days to get my own car is another story. Which I had been saving for the whole time so thank goodness for that. But I had wanted to pay in full when I purchased so… anyway, I was told no gap year and was controlled through transportation. I was also the only one of all 3 of their kids that finished a college degree. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Also, finished with no debt other than that car. I absolutely don’t want to do that to my kids. But I can’t help freaking out about what their future will be partly because I have seen the opposite or what seems like the opposite.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

“Controlled through transportation “. I’m assuming your parents threatened to take the car? 😂 that’s classic!

[@RockSimmer-gal4God]

I went to college for travel and went into the travel industry then went into early education so I went back to college for that and I don’t care as I have the qualifications for both and I now gone back to a travel job even though it’s an unconventional one!!! I tell my kids my story so They can see that they can do!!! Society tells us to do the conventional stuff!!! I love the idea of leaving gradation while looking into the future!!!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Yep!!

[@keristonecipher1392]

Oh my gosh! The same thing happened to me in college. I wasted a year on teaching classes!!!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

Crazy!!! Did you graduate in 4 years still? What did you switch to?

[@keristonecipher1392]

@@OurHOMEschoolPlan No! It took me an extra year. I switched to psychology because I thought I wanted to be a counselor. I couldn't bring myself to do it though. I was so tired of school (and didn't want to have to get my masters) and I realized I would take on everyone's problems. Honestly, I still don't know what I want to do. I am 51! I have loved staying home and homeschooling my son but he is now in 9th grade so I will have to find something to do soon! I am very much like you and are very creative. I mostly had jobs in management but did spend quite a few years at my brother's graphics business doing graphic design.

[@denisea.9033]

Thank you for sharing!! My oldest daughter, who I am just graduating (12 yr homeschooling mom here), sounds so much like your son. As a military family serving overseas, we don’t have as many opportunities here as back home, but I’m going to look into something like this for my daughter. Would you mind sharing what kind of tech class it is that does not involve coding? Thanks again!!

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

I wish I had a class description at my disposal but I don’t yet. But what I remember is that built a computer (like my son did) and they BUILT computer chips…. So the “networking” part of the title probably means literally joining and designing systems for the information (the code) to flow through. When I get a better idea of what my son is and will be doing, I’ll be sure to include details in a future homeschool update.

[@denisea.9033]

@@OurHOMEschoolPlan ok great, thank you!! I’ll keep an eye out. She built a computer with her dad once too and she liked that and even designing, but not coding. She even took engineering and an AP computer programming class, but she doesn’t love coding.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

@@denisea.9033 definitely sounds similar to my son!! ill definitely make sure to give the details when I know them.

[@denisea.9033]

@@OurHOMEschoolPlan you’re wonderful, thank you!! Really hoping to find something for her while she figures out her next steps (we’re also not rushing her off to college since she’s still unsure…and I’m not complaining getting to keep my baby around a little longer 🥰).

[@JuliaCantley]

Degree free co is AMAZING! If anyone doesn't know this couple has made workbooks but will also personally tell you info (on tiktok) what to do to get good jobs without college.

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

How cool!!! Thanks for sharing that resource!!!