Getting Dad Involved Part 2
3.) Tell your husband when you’re teaching something he knows better than you.
I am not the best math teacher in the world. When I really started to feel in over my head I asked my husband how he thought I might teach algebra with a better response. I had my daughter sit in on my lessons. He eventually took over teaching new math concepts.
4.)Don’t ask for a huge commitment.
If your husband only has a little free time as it is, try to find something he can teach in one time segment or an infrequent obligation. As I mentioned above, my husband teaches new math concepts. After he teaches the new concept, I give the children daily work to reinforce this skill and check their work as necessary. His commitment time varies and is dictated by him.
5)Do a little school when he is around.
Most husbands have somewhat regular hours. If your does, then plan some school time for when he is home. If not, leave a little unit study on the back burner for when he is home. I recommend taking something that doesn’t require a large amount of time. Something as simple as reading historical fiction out loud to your family would qualify. He may know you home school, support home schooling, and even brag about it to his friends. But if he never sees your home school in action, he may not really understand what goes on. (Caution; if your husband has little free time, be very careful about this. No one wants to spend the only ten minutes they have to clear their minds doing what they might consider work!)
My husband was so surprised when my six year old starting explaining in depth about Ben Franklin to a person inline at a carnival ride. He asked, “Where did you learn all that?”. I laughed out loud because we had been discussing Ben Franklin for weeks at home and my husband just didn’t know because it hadn’t come up.
These are just a few things that might help your husband get involved. The best way to get him involved is pray and open dialog. Ask him what he thinks should be involved in home schooling. Maybe your husband believes all home schooling falls to you. If this is the case, be grateful he is supportive of home schooling. If he just thinks he doesn’t have time, be considerate of his opinion. After all, God is in control. Your husbands ideas may not be the exact same as yours, but it is his job to lead. And often times it is his willingness to support your family that allows you the opportunity to home school.
And if you’re a new home schooler, be patient. I have seen that is often takes new home school Dads a year or two to really believe their wives will stick to it and that their children will learn through home schooling. Once it becomes a way of life he will be more open to participating in this. In the mean time, be all that a home schooling Mom can be.