HGTV Star Erin Napier Fiercely Defends Decision To Homeschool Her 2 Daughters: ‘You Know Nothing’

"Home Town" star Erin Napier has fiercely defended her decision to homeschool her two young daughters after an online critic made assumptions about why she and husband Ben Napier chose to educate their children at home.

The 40-year-old HGTV personality, who shares daughters Helen, 8, and Mae, 4, with Ben, hit back after receiving a pointed message about the couple's homeschooling arrangement.

The criticism came after Erin shared a message to her Instagram Stories condemning people who celebrate the death of others, prompting several followers to respond directly to the TV star.

One person brought Erin's children into the discussion, suggesting that she was homeschooling them in Laurel, MS, in an effort to protect them from the threat of violence at school. Erin quickly rejected the claim.

"You know nothing about why I am homeschooling my children, you sick goblin," she responded.

The remark comes just months after Erin offered fans an extensive glimpse inside the family's homeschooling routine—and explained why she and Ben ultimately decided that educating their daughters at home was the right fit for them.

In April, the designer admitted that she hadn't always understood the appeal of homeschooling, revealing that her perspective shifted after becoming a mother and meeting other families who had chosen a less traditional approach to education.

"Some people think homeschooling is weird. I did too when I was young," she wrote at the time.

But after Helen was born, Erin said she and Ben met homeschooled children who impressed them with their maturity, communication skills, and enthusiasm for learning.

The encounter ultimately helped inspire the couple to try the approach with their own daughters.

Despite their demanding filming schedule, Erin has revealed that she and Ben personally handle much of their daughters' education.

The couple's production team makes room in their schedule for at least two hours of lessons on three—and sometimes four—filming days each week.

When work prevents them from teaching, a family friend who is a retired educator steps in.

Ben, who studied history and English and previously worked as a youth pastor, takes charge of subjects including history, Bible, and math.

Erin works with Mae on early reading and arithmetic before switching gears to teach Helen subjects including grammar, spelling, poetry, cursive writing, art, and science.

Their lessons aren't limited to a desk, either.

Erin has previously explained that the girls spend their days away from formal schoolwork taking French and piano lessons, visiting museums, horseback riding, and even accompanying their parents to work.

Helen has also had the chance to shadow a veterinarian while learning about caring for animals, while the girls have picked vegetables from their garden and learned how to preserve food with their grandparents.

And although homeschooling can sometimes prompt questions about children's opportunities to socialize, Erin says Helen and Mae regularly spend time with other children through a packed schedule of activities.

The girls participate in extracurriculars including gymnastics, tennis, ballet, art, and track, with Erin previously estimating that they see between 12 and 20 friends on a typical day.

The family has also participated in activities designed specifically for homeschooled children, including field trips, reading fairs, and science fairs.

Erin has made clear that she and Ben aren't necessarily planning to educate their daughters at home forever.

Instead, she has described homeschooling as something they intend to continue for as long as it works for their children, while leaving open the possibility that Helen and Mae could eventually attend high school.

The arrangement has so far proved particularly meaningful for the Napiers, allowing them to spend more time with their daughters while balancing their work renovating homes and filming their hit HGTV series.

After completing their first full year of homeschooling earlier this year, Erin celebrated the milestone and said the experience had allowed the family to feel more present for their daughters' childhoods.

She described the approach as a way of "slowing down childhood" and encouraged parents interested in homeschooling not to assume that they couldn't manage it.

Most recently, Erin offered another peek at their unconventional classroom in a social media post, where she praised Ben's teaching abilities.

She described her husband as an enthusiastic teacher who makes subjects such as history, math, and poetry feel like stories capable of inspiring their daughters to explore the world for themselves.

For Erin, however, the family's decision remains just that—a family decision—and one she has made clear strangers shouldn't presume to understand.