These days, more and more parents are pulling their children out of public schools to educate them at home. The rise of woke indoctrination, curriculum that pushes subjects not suitable for children, legal fights over bathroom laws, boys playing on girls’ sports teams … the list goes on.
Teaching children in the safety of the home has become a trend that is skyrocketing. According to the National Home Education Research Institute, there were 2.6 million homeschooled students in 2020, 3.7 million in 2021, and 4.3 million in 2022. And now, young children will have an extra instructor in the form of a cartoon that portrays a family of homeschooled kids.
Homeschooling Makes It to the Big Screen
“Chip Chilla” is a new animated feature about a family of homeschooled chinchillas. It’s produced by Bentkey, a production company of the conservative Daily Wire which produces family-friendly entertainment for children. One of the characters is voiced by former Saturday Night Live comedian Rob Schneider, who is also a parent of young children. Like many raising sons and daughters, Mr. Schneider got tired of Disney’s woke agenda and signed on to be part of a cartoon that is both wholesome and informative.
The new cartoon mixes history with entertainment, talking about some of the great achievements of this country while weaving a life lesson into the story. The young chinchillas strive to be astronauts going to the moon in one episode. In another, they find that not everyone gets a trophy and success requires hard work as they compete in a backyard Olympics. One episode is a subtle look at the media, as the chinchillas learn about reporting and the difference between making up stories and telling those that are true. Another finds a little chinchilla being made “president of the house” for a time—will she become a dictator or peacefully transfer power?
Teaching the Value of Civics
"Chip Chilla" teaches kids about American values and civics. (2023 Bonfire Chilla, LLC)
Mr. Schneider noted that civics is not really being taught in public schools anymore, which results in young people not knowing about the great things the United States has done. “There’s an audience out there that’s being ignored, and they don’t want to be indoctrinated by this silly woke flu that’s going everywhere. I didn’t see there’s anything out there like Chip Chilla that’s teaching what America’s accomplishments are. Not its shortcomings.” He feels the current education system is keeping kids in the dark for a reason. “Let’s not let people know how their government works; that way, they don’t have to question it. I do feel that is intentional.”
Mr. Scheider was in elementary school in 1969, the year of NASA’s greatest accomplishment. The lunar landing saw patriotism at an all-time high, with people proud to be Americans. “I remember the pride of country when I was in kindergarten and we landed on the moon. Everything stopped. We said, this is what your country is capable of doing. Look at this.”
Faith and Family
Artwork for "Chip Chilla," a cartoon that explores themes of faith, family, and freedom. 2023 Bonfire Chilla, LLC
As a recent convert to Catholicism, he said, “Jesus has a way of bringing you back to the faith. When you have children, you realize they need to have a grounding in faith, and that there’s a connection to everything. And that there’s something bigger than you that you are also a part of. I want that armor to protect my family, and I think you do that by having faith.”
Mr. Schneider noted that Disney productions had reached the point where he and his wife had to watch the movies first to decide if they were appropriate for their children. “The antibiotic to this woke flu is common sense and love. Love of God, family, and country.”
He added that “Chip Chilla” is one of those cartoons that children can watch unattended. “You can leave the room and don’t worry about your kids being indoctrinated. If they’re being indoctrinated into anything, it’s the great accomplishments the United States has done.”
