Illinois Dad Homeschools 3 Kids on Adventures—Cliff Jumping, Carp Shooting to Raise ‘Brave’ Kids

When dad Nate Wallick had to choose between enrolling his three young kids in public school or leading them on adventures—cliff jumping, canyoneering, and carp shooting across America—it was a no-brainer. Adventures would be had, and there'd be no public schooling at all.

So Wallick, 40, a firefighter from Chicago with a phys ed degree, and his wife, Sally, packed their furniture and fled the suburbs for a farm a few miles outside Peoria, Illinois. He got his captain's license, bought a boat, and started leading extreme fishing tours to hunt the carp that teem and jump like crazy from the Illinois River. He takes clients out to shoot the fish from motorboats with bows and arrows tied to strings.

Sometimes they even do this on waterskis.

When their kids were old enough, the family pointed to places on a map where they'd never been and hit the road in the RV they got just for this purpose. The kids didn't enroll in public school. Instead, they experienced homeschooling as few know it. Wallick and his wife had discussed this before they married.

Wallick coached their eldest boy, Gage, 10, through his fears of cliff jumping. Afterward, Gage begged to be pushed to face more of his fears. Wallick has had other parents call him crazy. The dad insists he is safe; he always checks the depth of the water before they jump.

"I went to public school, and I felt like I got a decent education," Wallick said. "Now, have the schools changed since I went to public school? Probably."

Nowadays, many parents place their children in classes for eight hours a day, he says. Then, they're sent home with homework for a few more hours. Wallick believes that if all the wasted time were cut out, they'd be done in two hours.

"I kind of want to start a toy store," said Gage, who also loves boats and playing airsoft like his dad, "a toy store that has all kinds of cool army weapons, like, quality stuff."

One big thing about starting a business, the father teaches, is that hard work equals rewards. Harsh hikes into freezing waters, winter ziplining, and death-defying plunges are all followed by a euphoric sense of success. It feels worth it. Everyone is high-fiving.

Now, as they paddle around the nuclear power plant's cooling lake, the dad says the present adventure has been a blast and will end soon.

"As long as my kids don't grow a third arm, it will be alright," Wallick said, laughing. They'll head home tonight. Gage, his sister, Charlee, 9, and their brother, Axton, 7, will get on with feeding the rabbits and chickens on the homestead. Many forts will be built in their junkyard and classes mastered before they set out on their next homeschool adventure.