Clean up Your Room: Jordan Peterson, Identity and the Power of Home Education

One of the most influential thinkers in education and culture today is Dr. Jordan B. Peterson — a Canadian clinical psychologist, author, and former university professor who rose to prominence for his thought-provoking critiques of modern education, culture, and identity politics.

Through his books, interviews, and lectures, Peterson has reached millions with a call to personal responsibility, truthful living and the importance of meaning over comfort. His ideas are especially relevant to home education, because at the heart of his message is a challenge that resonates with every parent:

"You're not everything you could be, and you know it. You don't know who you are, and you don't know who you could be. So why act like you do?"
— Jordan B. Peterson

Responsibility Comes Before Identity

Peterson teaches that identity is not something found, but something forged — and that the forging begins with assuming responsibility.

"It’s in responsibility that most people find the meaning that sustains them through life."

In a world that tells young people to "find themselves" by pursuing freedom, pleasure or self-expression, Peterson offers a powerful counterpoint: real identity and meaning come when we voluntarily shoulder the burdens of life — especially toward our family, our community and the truth.

This insight has radical implications for education.

What Does This Mean for Home Educators?

As home educators, we have voluntarily taken on a weighty responsibility — one that many others choose to outsource. Rather than handing our children over to the system, we’ve said, “No, I will guide the formation of my child’s intellect and character. I will take responsibility.”

That’s not about controlling our children or shaping them into clones of ourselves. It’s about walking with them in truth, nurturing them in love, and giving them the tools to carry the responsibilities of their own lives.

In doing so, we also model what a meaningful life looks like.

Education and Responsibility Go Hand-in-Hand

Peterson once said:

"There’s very little difference between the capacity to take responsibility and the capacity to be educated."

This turns the entire modern education model on its head. Education should not be about passive compliance, standardised testing, or memorising pre-approved content.

Instead, it should be about growing a person’s capacity to act — to think clearly, to choose wisely, to work diligently, and to contribute meaningfully. In other words, true education helps a person become capable of responsibility — not just employability.

Before You Clean Up the World…

Peterson is also famous for telling young people not to try fixing the world until they’ve cleaned up their room. And he wasn’t going for a comical effect.

Children often want to change the world — to end injustice, fix inequality, stop climate change or cure disease. But they first need to learn how to take care of their own lives. This starts at home: by tidying their space, helping their siblings, learning how to cook, read, write, work and think - in short, by taking responsibility.

And who better to walk beside them in this journey than their parents?

Passing Down Meaning, Not Just Information

When we home educate, we do more than teach maths or spelling. We pass down our family values, moral framework, spiritual beliefs and cultural identity. We do this not by preaching, but by living alongside our children, showing them what it looks like to carry responsibility with courage and joy.

And as they watch us, they begin to discover their own place in the world.

Building a Strong Society Starts at Home

A society where people evade responsibility is a society in decline. But a generation of young people raised to take ownership of their actions, their learning, their futures — that is the seedbed of a flourishing culture.

And it starts at home. With us. With you.

🧭 Want to Build a Program That Respects Your Child’s Identity and Capacity?

At Coach House, our home school programs are designed to nurture the whole person — intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and morally.

We help you design an educational experience that aligns with your values and prepares your child not just for exams, but for life.

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