Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour – Claire Denault: Parents Are Quietly Leaving the School System | DSH #1735

Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Claire Denault
Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Digital Social Hour features Claire Denault, homeschooling advocate and founder of Live, Leaf, Learn, who dives deep with host Sean Kelly into the quiet revolution of parents choosing to leave the traditional school system. The conversation explores Claire’s personal experience as a lifelong homeschooler, the rise of unschooling, failures in the public education system, and the broadening reasons families are turning to alternative education models. The episode is rich with personal anecdotes, statistics, and actionable advice for parents considering homeschooling or alternative education.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Toll of Bullying and Mental Health in Schools

• Bullying is worsening, especially with digital connectivity.
  • "The bullying doesn't stop in the classroom... It gets worse and goes on and on and there's no end to it. So these children don't have any reprieve." – Claire Denault [00:00]
• Teachers and parents often underestimate the long-term damage.
  • Claire and Sean discuss personal stories of bullying leading to lifelong trauma and mental health struggles.

2. Claire’s Unique Homeschooling Background

• Claire shares her lifelong experience with homeschooling.
  • "Nope. I was homeschooled my whole life, pretty much. Back when it wasn't cool, too." – Claire [00:50]
• Unschooling approach:
  • "Unschooling is basically child led learning... what the parent does is try to follow the interests of the child." – Claire [02:53]
  • Much of her early education consisted of unstructured play, exploration, and creativity, not formal lessons.

3. Child-Led Development vs. Systemic Conformity

• Traditional schooling suppresses natural learning tendencies.
  • "When you're put into a system that goes against your biology or your nature... kids react. They either act out or go numb." – Claire [04:53]
• Over-diagnosis and medication for natural behaviors, especially in boys.
  • "Instead of changing the environment or classroom to adapt to the child's needs, we medicate them." – Claire [06:15]

4. Passion, Readiness, and Rapid Learning

• Real learning happens when a child is ready and interested.
  • “When you really want to learn it. You don't take a year to learn it. No, you learn it in seconds." – Claire [06:27]
• Claire's personal story: She didn't read until age 12, then instantly started with novels, because she found a subject she loved (horses). [07:16]

5. Systemic Failures in Public Schooling

• Public schools stifle creativity and produce rote learners, not critical thinkers.
  • "It created children to get so used to being put into these classrooms in rows... it basically took away their ability to think for themselves and critically think." – Claire [09:50]
• Education still geared toward outdated industrial models.
• Mounting evidence of decline: US students are ranked lower than ever internationally despite massive spending.
  • "We're spending more money than almost any other country out there. And we're still number 16th... at a 30 year low." – Claire [14:57]

6. Reasons Parents Are Leaving the School System

• Safety overtakes religion as the top reason for homeschooling.
  • "Safety is the number one reason." – Claire [20:44]
  • Bullying, school shootings, and lack of safe environment are major drivers.
• Homeschooling is not just for the wealthy or religious.
  • "57% of homeschooling families make less than $50,000 a year... That's a true statistic. I double checked." – Claire [19:13], [48:30]
• Increasing diversity in homeschooling families [20:19]

7. Socialization & Building Community

• The myth of socially awkward homeschoolers is outdated.
  • "I went to Homecomings, proms... was captain of my crew team... very social." – Claire [29:17]
  • Studies show homeschoolers often outperform peers in social skills [30:41]
• Homeschooling communities are tight-knit and supportive.
  • "Our group message will say, drop them off, we got them. We'll take them off your hands… it's a revolving door. Community is important, but our community is so tight and so wonderful." – Claire [33:12]

8. Alternative & Nature-Based Education Models

• International inspiration: Scandinavian and forest schools achieve the highest scores, prioritizing outdoor and hands-on learning [25:57].
• Emergence of US forest, nature, and AI-driven schools.
• Emphasis on adaptability, creativity, and entrepreneurial skills not taught in traditional settings.
  • "The better you can tell a story... that's the age of the Internet... adaptability, if you can't in this whiplash world, you're going to fall behind. None of that is taught in the education system." – Claire [39:25]

9. Personal Agency, Freedom, and Parental Involvement

• Self-direction leads to confidence and independence.
  • "I was given mental freedom... self-directed my whole life. So when it was time for me to move away from home and be self-directed, I already knew what I was doing." – Claire [40:53]
• Homeschooling is a heavy but rewarding responsibility.
  • "You're in charge of their success. So I am highly invested in what I am teaching my son." – Claire [17:34]
  • Homeschooling families rely on supportive networks and flexible arrangements.

10. Practical Advice for Parents Considering Homeschooling

• You don’t have to be wealthy or recreate a school at home.
  • "Homeschooling isn't replicating school at home. And that's the entire point. We don't want to." – Claire [50:59]
• Join real-life communities:
  • "Go to the park during the middle of the day when school kids aren't there. That's literally how you meet [homeschool families]." – Claire [49:50]
• Flexibility:
  • "If you start one way... and it doesn't work, you can change. You don't need to notify anybody. You just change the way you do things." – Claire [53:02]
• Emphasize play and hands-on learning for younger children. Academic instruction can come later, when the child is developmentally ready.

11. Technology, Social Media, and Learning Resources

• Strict social media limits for children; focus on real-world and supervised online learning.
  • "My opinion is social media... I don't want him on. I don't know how long that's gonna last. So in my head, never." – Claire [42:40]
  • "YouTube in the right way, under supervision, can be used very effectively." – Claire [45:56]

12. Redefining Academic Priorities

• Master reading and math; everything else can be learned as needed.
  • "You need to master reading and you need to master math. Once you can do that, there is nothing you can't solve in life." – Claire [38:04]
• Support children's passions, rather than enforce uniform mediocrity.
  • "If you have an interest and a talent in one area, rather than making everybody mediocre... let's dive into what you're passionate about." – Claire [47:38]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On student readiness:
  • "When you really want to learn it. You don't take a year... you learn it in seconds." – Claire [06:27]
• On system design:
  • "Our education system is stuck in this primitive, industrial revolution format." – Claire [12:28]
• On homeschool community:
  • "Community is important, but our community is so tight and so wonderful." – Claire [33:12]
• On parent responsibility:
  • "When you do homeschool your child, you're taking full responsibility for their education. That's a pretty heavy burden." – Claire [17:22]
• On socialization myth:
  • "That's a myth. I don't know a single person in the homeschool community who believes that’s ever been a problem." – Claire [29:53]
• On creativity & wasted potential:
  • "You have 98% of 4- to 5-year-olds showing highly creative skills and then it dropping to 2% of those same adults... the education system is beating it out of them." – Claire citing the George Land study [34:46]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 02:53: Bullying, mental health, and introduction to homeschooling
• 02:53 – 04:47: Claire explains unschooling and her own upbringing
• 04:47 – 08:49: Child development, overmedication, and learning readiness stories
• 09:50 – 13:30: System failures: creativity stifling, industrial model legacy
• 14:27 – 15:26: US spending on education and poor academic returns
• 19:13 – 21:01: Income myths; changing demographics in homeschooling
• 20:42 – 21:39: Safety and bullying as key drivers for homeschooling
• 25:52 – 29:17: Emerging outdoor, forest, and alternative schools
• 29:53 – 34:07: Socialization, community, and debunking homeschool myths
• 37:21 – 39:25: Needed skills: math, reading, adaptability, and entrepreneurship
• 40:53 – 42:22: Self-direction, independence, and freedom
• 48:30 – 51:37: Advice for parents considering homeschooling; community-building
• 53:29 – 56:27: Value of travel and play in child development

Final Thoughts & Actionable Advice

• Parents should reevaluate what type of learning environment will best prepare their children for a rapidly changing, AI-driven future.
• Homeschooling and alternative models are increasingly practical, diverse, and accessible—even for families of modest means.
• Building community and seeking flexibility are essential for success outside the traditional system.
• Focus on developing a love of learning, creativity, adaptability, and real-world skills over rote memorization or GPA.

To connect with Claire Denault:

• Instagram & Facebook: @liveleaflearn
• Website: liveleaflearn.com
• "If you ever have questions about homeschooling interests, you can always send me a message. I respond to everyone and I try to genuinely help people." – Claire [57:04]