At the outset of family life, every Dad needs to throw out the idea (if he ever believed it) that he "works" while his wife "just" stays home with the kids. It is a very big mistake to define "work" as being only what earns an income. Stay at home Moms often work more and harder than do Dads who earn a paycheck. And that paycheck, however large, is small compared to the benefit to the family of what a stay at home Mom accomplishes in the lives of each of her children. So the idea some men seem to have, that Dad can be "off duty" (while Mom remains "on duty") when he comes home from his job needs to be consigned to the dumpster. Dad needs to be an active participant in his family and household. Understanding this is even more critical for a homeschooling family. If Dad tries to remain uninvolved in his familys homeschool, he undermines it. His lack of support communicates to his children - unintentionally - the idea that since it isnt important enough for him to support it, homeschooling isnt very important.

In saying this, Im not ignoring the fact that most homeschooling Dads are away from home for 9-12 hours a day every week day. My point is that while a homeschooling Dad will have a different role in the familys homeschool than will his wife, he should not have no role. A homeschooling Dads role will be largely defined by time - he is only home during evenings and weekends - and the day to day things Dad does will be fitted around this fact.

So, what can a Dad do in evenings and weekends as part of, or in support of, the familys homeschooling? Plenty, if Dad can bring himself to pass up all those forgettable TV time-burners known as game shows and sitcoms! He could teach Literature and Bible "classes" through reading books aloud and telling stories at bedtime . Dad might teach a subject that he understands better than does Mom. He could help with the reading and correcting of schoolwork (this will also help him know how his children are progressing). Dad should help by taking on - gasp! - some of the household tasks (e.g. dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning), which will free Mom to focus on school and relieve her from the pressure of feeling obliged to do all the household things on top of the familys homeschooling. Dad might handle some of the special events and activities - e.g. trips, concerts, museums, scouts, clubs, sports leagues - that supplement the learning accomplished in the home. He should regularly - scary thought! - send Mom on a weekend retreat or to a relaxing motel for a day or two by herself (and learn some of what she does every day!).

Most of this article has talked about "practical", "doing", kinds of stuff. There are two other things that are of even greater importance. Dad needs constantly to be encouraging his wife. There will be many days when Mom will be tired and discouraged - the kids were fighting all day, or one of them doesnt want to do school work, or some concept just isnt being grasped (Ill bet the reader could add half a dozen more such problems). Along with (possibly before) working on solving the immediate problem, Dad needs to reassure Mom that her kids dont hate her and she isnt ruining them for life. Usually, this encouragement is more crucial than working out the solution to the immediate problem. For Dad, this can be difficult to remember.

Just as God (Jesus) is the foundation of our Christian faith, He should also be the foundation of Mom and Dads partnership - in the family and in its homeschool. Educating their children in the Lord - the high level goals and the day to day doings - needs to be a regular, daily if possible, matter for prayer and discussion between Mom and Dad.

And yes, I have been preaching to myself, too.