Home Education Testimonial with Bruce Gates

What IS self-directed learning? Well, it's only just what animals and humans have been doing since the beginning of time...We get birthed and then we learn how to do things simply by watching, trying, practicing, modeling and doing what our elders did. Somehow...in 1850 someone decided compulsory schooling needed to be implemented and since then no one has thought to question why do we send our kids to school? What do they do there? What are they learning and why? What about life? In this wonderfully engaging conversation that I share with Bruce Gates, father of EIGHT self-directed children, Bruce shares so much about what is so inspiring about home education. He now is home educating his granddaughter! If you're one of those people who would turn your nose up at this and remark something like, "My kid needs to go to college." Well then tune in! At their own will, five of Bruce's kids went off to college, most started in community college by the time they were 16... What's become of them now? Here's a quick rundown according to their birth order:

Bruce D. Gates - worked at Disney for 20+years, then recruited to consult for Deloitte

Eric Gates - Self employed, real estate, dog walker, caregiver.

Matthew Gates - Teaches English in Nagoya, Japan. Journeyman carpenter, UofO grad in language, Japanese.

Ariel Gates - Certified chef, Portland School of Culinary Arts.

Chenille Gates - Retired. Disabled, owns her home in Springfield, OR.

Rainsong Gates - Self employed, service provider, caregiver, UofO grad, Ecology.

Rhea Gates - Caregiver, UofO grad, Journalism

Rhys Gates - Roseburg Lumber, admin, finance. UofO grad, Master, Business

Shea Gates - OCCU credit union, Entrepreneur, UofO grad Business

References and resources: Bruce and his wife offer one-on-one coaching as well as workshops and books: mytaofarm.us

I want to express my gratitude to Jaya Lakshmi for lending me her song, “This is the Day” for our intro and outro.

Are you hearing the whispers of your child’s soul? Do you feel you’d like to step away from the systems, but don’t know where to start? Are you wanting to quiet the negative and fear-based voices of others that fill your head? Book a free consultation with me, Belinda Tung at the Perfect Child website here.