If you’re a homeschool mom, it’s likely that you are the one that is home with your children the majority of the day with your hubby off at work. Are you may be work part-time with and different schedule then others but are primarily responsible for the way your homeschool runs. Of course there are also homeschool dads who are at home as well, but a dear homeschool mom/dad series just didn’t sound as catchy, so that’s why it’s don’t forget your SPOUSE.
If you are at home with the kids and your spouse is off at work, they miss out on your whole day and may not even have a clue what you are working on. I know my hubby’s eyes glaze over when I talk to him about homeschool curriculum. He just wants to know how much it is going to cost. As long as I’m teaching the kids, he doesn’t care how I do it. The cheaper the better but as long as it gets the job done, he trusts me to do the best I can.
Get him involved in school (if he wants)
My hubby prefers to do the fun hands on activities like gym and field trips, really. Everything else is left up to me and that’s what works in our family. If the kids have questions about geography, politics or space or physics, then he’s the man to go to. Otherwise, I plan and implement everything else. We’ve discussed what our priorities will be for our children and what subjects that we’d like for them to learn to get a rounded education. This has evolved as we homeschooled so that we could accommodate our children’s preferences and talents as well.
Ask for his opinion
Sometimes I’ll be worrying about something related to our homeschool and I feel as though I’m carrying this burden alone because my hubby isn’t involved in the daily school activities. However, whenever we discuss the issue, he always seems to have a great solution that I never thought of. He’s able to look at things objectively and give his opinions while I get wrapped up in the little things that blind me from seeing the solution.
A relationship is work and requires your attention
How much time are you putting into your relationship with your spouse? We get very little time together particularly on the weekdays so our weekends are family time and include our time to catch up as well. I have limited time to spend on my blog and business so I have to get everything done during the week. I do not work on the weekends. Period. I do not want to be attached to the computer when this is really the only time that we get to spend the whole day together.
Some people are morning people but we are night owls and enjoy our time together after the children have gone to bed. We’ll spend it watching a show or a movie and just chatting about our week. It’s nice not to be caught up in the weekday routines that are set by his work schedule.
As a homeschooling mother, we end up having to manage the home, the kids and their education, it’s nice to make a little effort to your partner in all this chaos who totally and wholeheartedly agrees with what you are doing as well.
Read the other posts in my Dear Homeschool Mom series.
Leave a Reply