I love being a homeschool Dad. But there are some real challenges for homeschooling fathers. Sometimes I feel out of the loop on what's going on with our homeschooling. My wife makes a herculean effort to bring me up-to-speed on what she has planned for our kids' education, where each of the children are in their education, what they're struggling with, etc.

 Still, I sometimes feel as if the children's learning is a mystery to me. I just don't want to wake up one morning and find that earning money to support this family has caused me to miss out on all the things homeschooling families enjoy about homeschooling.

So, I've got a plan to keep myself involved in our homeschooling, and even do a little teaching myself.

1. 30 minute overview of the coming year. Before the school year even starts I'm going to spend some time talking with my wife about what she has planned for the coming year. It will give me an idea of where the children are now, and where they should be at the end the year.
2. Monthly update on progress. I want to know if my children are making progress. They don't have to be making leaps and bounds. Some times they'll make faster progress than other times. I just want to know that they're getting a good education.
3. Weekly updates. Admittedly, this is more for my wife's sake than for mine. Sometimes homeschooling can get frustrating, even for a wonderful woman like my wife. If I spend time every week asking her how the homeschooling is coming it does several things for her. Most importantly, it lets her know that I care about the kids' education. She doesn't have to feel like she's alone in this work (and a homeschool mom alone in her efforts to teach the children is far to commonplace). Lastly, it gives her a chance to vent frustrations. I'd rather she share her frustrations with me and get them out of her system than let them build until one of the children gets caught in the crossfire.

Last update : 20-07-2008 14:52

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