Mimi Rothschild - Homeschooling |
https://twitter.com/mimirothschild
In most families, the mom is the parent who is primarily responsible for the day to day homeschooling of the kids. This is largely due to the fact that the majority of homeschooling families are a single income families or mom tends to work in the evenings after dad gets home to avoid daycare costs. Sometimes a homeschooling mom can feel alone in her endeavors, and get discouraged or even resent the lack of involvement on her spouse’s part. In other situations, dad is completely MIA from homeschooling due to military deployment, traveling for work, or chronic illness. In these situations, a mom can feel like a single parent and has many of the responsibilities of a single parent. Where Does Dad Fit In? Biblically, our husbands are to be the head of our homes, spiritually and in the decision-making process. Homeschooling should be no exception. If dad is MIA from homeschooling, it is usually because somewhere along the line, he has been pushed out of the homeschooling process. When you make the decision to homeschool, it is seldom a decision that one spouse makes on their own. Usually, you talk it over and decide what direction you want your children’s education to take. The problem is that over the years, there is a breakdown of communication between mom and dad and dad begins to wonder where he fits into your homeschooling. With mom as the primary teacher and his time with the kids limited, dad slowly fades out of the picture. Most men will not push their way into a situation where they are not truly respected and wanted. By not consulting with your husband about the direction your homeschooling is going to take and involving him in the children’s education on whatever level he can participate, dads tend to retreat instead of causing conflict. The feeling of not knowing where he fits in can be exacerbated for a dad who is away from home for work, military service, or illness. Involving Dads How can we involve dads in the homeschooling process? First of all, dad’s opinions and desires as far as the education of the children needs to be respected. Most dads have very simple desires for their children’s homeschooling. Moms need to sit down and discuss mutual homeschooling goals with dads to make sure everyone’s wishes are valued and implemented on some level. Secondly, we need to find practical ways to involve busy dads in homeschooling. Maybe there is a subject or skill your husband excels in that he would enjoy teaching to the children. Find community events in the evening or on dad’s day off that he can take the kids to and get plugged into the homeschooling process. Technology gives us so many opportunities to involve dad in homeschooling. Shoot dad a text and keep him posted on the day’s events. Better yet, take pictures and shoot video of the kiddos in action for him to enjoy later. Skype is a fun way for kids to keep in touch with a dad who is traveling. Homeschooling is a family effort. As Christian homeschooling moms, it isn’t God’s perfect will for us to go it alone. Plug into the built in support system that God provided in your spouse. About Author: Mimi Rothschild is a CEO of Learning By Grace, Inc and provide online homeschooling services.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mom of 8 children & Co-Founder of Learning By Grace in 2001. ArchivesCategories |