You think it is only the moms who do the job? Dads should, too!
When you think of homeschooling the first thought is of mom sitting at the kitchen table with 2 to 10 kids sitting around with everyone looking at books and learning. And yep that is somewhat like how it is in our house. But, somewhere in that picture there should be a Dad peeking up over the table with an eye on whats happening and some involvement.
Why the “sort of” thing?
Regarding the “sort of” in the title this article is written by a father of four. We started out homeschooling all our children, then all went to a university model which is part time at school and part time at home. Next we are moving to our two older children to going full time and our two younger will have another year home schooling if not longer.
Tips for homeschooling dads
After 8 years of homeschooling, here are a few tips to think about as a father:
- Make sure you’re carefully monitoring how the schooling is going and ensuring you know when mom needs a break
- Pick a subject you’re strong in and help tutor your kids or teach the subject if you have the time
- Assist with basic tasks like reading to younger children, assembling materials for projects, being the “audience” for oral presentations
- Look for teachable moments with your kids no matter what the situation – help to reinforce what they are learning.
- Keep up to date with how each child is doing and what they are learning
These are just a few tips on how you can be involved with your children’s home schooling.
The benefits of homeschooling
Homeschooling has been growing in popularity in recent years due to different reasons. One is the children getting bullied at school. Another reason is that many people believe that one-on-one teaching is a more effective way to educate the kids rather than teaching with a large group of students. Aside from that, parents themselves personally want to instill good values to their own children.
Homeschooling is not a piece of cake, but parents who decide to do this need a lot of support, unconditional love, patience and understanding to one another to be able to perform this task on their own children. The parents should know that they are a team when homeschooling their own kids.
More related links for further reading
- Supportive Homeschool Dads – Share Your Story
Dads are involved in many ways in the homeschooling of their children, some more than others. It’s helpful to hear about what others are doing. What is your family’s experience? What role does the father take? How does he help out? - HomeSchool Dads
Geared specifically for the fathers who homeschool. Get the latest homeschooling news, articles, organizations, events, Homeschool Mall, and much, much more! - My Life As A Home School Dad – National At-Home Dad Network
When I write, I like to start with a killer opening, a real attention getter that has the reader salivating to see more. This will have to suffice. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the term home schooling?