Dad’s Role in Homeschooling: The Powerful Man Behind the Scenes

Inside: Six homeschool lessons to glean from your kid’s dad. Even if he never picks up a red pen to help you grade a math test.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But when the going gets tough in homeschool, moms across the globe search for answers.

• We corner teachers to glean classroom management skills.
• We laugh and cry with our girlfriends about our kids as we sip too much coffee.
• We pick the brains of other homeschoolers we happen to bump into at the grocery store.
• We Google in desperation. “Which curriculum is best for a dyslexic science-minded girl who refuses to wear matching socks on Tuesdays?”

But ask the man in our lives his opinion about how to teach his children or how to manage our lives, No way Jose.

I made that same mistake.

You see, I have always been the primary teacher for our five boys. I cook, I clean, I teach.

My manly man, Craig, is the hard-working provider that makes our lives possible. The man is a genius.

I mean “smarter than I ever hope to be in my life“, genius.

But he’s no teacher. Or so I thought.

We homeschool moms are the teachers, right?

• We mentor our kids to read teach them to tie their shoes
• You teach them to tie their shoes and struggle to get them to grasp the concept of fractions.
• I struggle to get mine to grasp the concept of algebraic functions. (OK, it’s me who is struggling to grasp the math)

When we get overwhelmed with homeschooling, we get busy looking for answers, don’t we? We search online for the next best curriculum, we call our best friend and ask her what her homeschooling secret recipe is and then beg her to adopt our children for the rest of their education. We even look to the public school down the street and wonder if our kids would be better off in one of those classrooms… But we fail to ask the dad.

Why, the heck, is that?

Let’s be real for a second. Not one of us is the “perfect” anything.

• I am not the perfect wife or mom
• You are not the perfect mom or wife
• And too many women gossip about how their husbands are not the perfect man.
• Shoot, I’m not listed in the encyclopedia of wonder women either.

Why do we forget that? 

My dad used to say, “I love working with your mom as long as we don’t try to thread the same needle.”

True, Hubby is too busy at work to:

• pick out science experiments
• choose curriculum
• grade math tests.

That’s where I always failed. That’s why I thought he couldn’t teach. That’s where I bombed the test.

I thought since he wasn’t involved in the “small” homeschooling things that he wouldn’t have anything to offer besides support for me.

Sheesh. I was so wrong.

While I do still struggle with this mindset from time to time, I have learned to prioritize not just including my husband, but rather allowing him to lead us in our homeschooling adventure.

How does My Husband Lead without being the day to day teacher?

1. He helps cast a vision for our homeschooling.
2. He keeps me focused on the Lord.
3. He reminds me that character trumps curriculum. Every. Single. Time.
4. He reminds me to focus on life skills and “an attitude of learning” rather than any particular topic.
5. He helps me regulate my own schedule so I do not spin myself into the ground.
6. He trusts me to choose curriculum and teaching topics that align with our family while educating our boys.

Ways to Celebrate Dads 

Happy Father’s Day Craft

Cute toolbox filled with pages picked out just for dad.

Father’s Day Craft: 14 all About Dad pages

Perfect for Gift for Dad this Father’s Day

Kids of all ages will love giving dad this heart felt gift for Father’s Day

(Grandpa and Uncle pages included as well!)

Includes:

• Father’s Day Craft Toolbox
• directions with photos
• 14 customizable father’s day booklet pages
• cut and paste activities
• scissor skill practice
• creative writing
• games
• and more

Also included:

Pages to create a booklet for grandpas and uncles