Question: How can I make sure my husband stays involved in our children's homeschooling?
Lara Ashmore responds: Husbands make great teachers, too! While moms are usually the primary teachers in homeschooling families, dads can be a wonderful resource too. A supportive husband who wants to be involved and has the time to contribute can be a treat for the kids and a lifesaver for you.
Make sure to include your husband in the process of choosing a homeschool approach or curriculum. If it is too late for that, at least inform him of the path you are currently following and ask for his feedback. It will be easier for him to get involved and stay involved when he knows exactly what you are studying and why and that his opinions are valued.
One way to include your husband on an ongoing basis is to have him teach the children something that he enjoys. Make a mental list of your husband's interests, hobbies and strengths. Maybe he loves music and the arts. Maybe he excels in sports and math. Whatever his talents, encourage him to share his knowledge and passion with your children. Homeschooling gives your
children the freedom to spend quality time with their dad learning a new skill or hobby.
Plan for your husband to spend time "teaching" the children in formal or informal ways. An hour or two after dinner, on the weekends or around his work schedule is easier to find when it is marked on your family activity calendar. At first, let your husband pick the subjects he is most comfortable teaching. Maybe he wants to help with a math workbook, science experiment or art project. Or maybe he wants to help out with extracurricular activities.
He could plan a day trip to a nearby attraction, a nature hike, a sporting event or a day at the museum. Be flexible in your schedule in order to take advantage of extra time he might have to spend with the children during holidays and his days off. Let him choose and plan topics of interest to him, and he will be more likely to stay involved.
Involving your husband in your children's homeschooling will take some of the pressure off of you as being solely responsible for your children's education. You will get a break, your children will spend quality time with their dad and your husband will appreciate the opportunity to contribute to your children's homeschooling experience.
© Lara Ashmore
Lara is the founder and director of the Dallas, Texas, vegetarian group Veggie KIDS. She currently works with the Robert Muller Center for Living Ethics exploring creative uses of technology and conducts parent and teacher education workshops on a variety of topics including multiple intelligences, parenting in the digital age, multimedia scrapbooking and digital storytelling.
