In most cases, homeschooling primarily involves the teaching skills of one parent, and usually, that’s Mom. Dad brings home the bacon; Mom cooks it and then assigns the kids a paper on the origins and benefits of bacon (because we all know that Everything Is Better With Bacon).

But sometimes, Mom needs some help. And guess what? Quite often, Dad wants to help, but he’s out of the loop of the daily homeschool experience. So he’s not sure where or how to plug in.

The engagement of both parents is absolutely vital to the education of children, and when one or the other is unable or unwilling to be involved, the loss is real. Abigail Adams once wrote her husband, future U.S. president John Adams, of her regret that affairs of state so often kept him, and his fatherly influence, away:

“I consider it as a sacrifice to my Country and one of my greatest misfortunes [for my husband] to be separated from my children at a time of life when the joint instructions and admonition of parents sink deeper than in maturer years.”

Before I get to practical tips for getting fathers more involved in the family homeschool project, here’s a general principle that we often overlook: look to Dad for leadership, even if he’s not the primary teacher. He is the head of the family, after all (I Cor. 11:3), and he sets the tone and vision for the household.

So Moms: ask his advice; share your ideas and concerns, and seek his wisdom for difficult decisions. As the Primary Teacher, the day-to-day management of the family homeschool falls to you, and you will have to make many decisions and judgment calls on your own. But Dad, by virtue of his role as husband and father, is still the School Administrator, and it is important to consult him and look to his leadership on a regular basis.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you Fathers get involved in what your kids are learning:

• Read to them! This is most important. Read the Bible, read classic fairy tales, read good contemporary books (our family recommends the amazing books of N.D. Wilson). Read to the kids every night if you can.
• Watch a short educational video with the children in the evening, and question them on what they have learned.
• Plan a field trip on a Saturday (or whatever day you have off) so you can come along and be a part of the learning and teaching experience.
• Pick a subject from among those your kids are studying, and prepare a few insights, from your own reading, thinking, and conversation.
• Choose your own unique subject to teach the kids.

This last one is important, and deserves a closer discussion: all fathers have accumulated a wealth of knowledge on one or more subjects in life, sometimes related to their jobs, sometimes to their own personal interests. This knowledge can help your kids, and may shape their lives in unexpected ways. You might be surprised. Spending time teaching your own children may prove more fun and memorable, for all involved, than you might think. For example:

• Are you good at mechanics? Teach a six-week Auto Shop 101 class.
• Hunting? Teach your kids the basics of firearms use and safety, target shooting, and hunting skills.
• Fishing? Teach about the fish in your area and good fishing techniques.
• Sports? Work on a sport together, watch YouTube videos on the subject, and develop a fitness program.
• Business? Talk about money: how to make it, save it, budget it, give it, and grow it. Start a little home business together: washing cars in the neighborhood, or a lemonade stand, or an online business.
• Writing? Carpentry? Music? Law? Plumbing? Theology? Electrical Work? History? Sherlock Holmes? Teach your kids what you know.

Dads, your involvement in your kids’ home education, whether every day, three times a week, or even once a week, will enrich the lives of everyone in the family. For fathers, there are few joys to rival seeing your kids drinking deeply from the well of your rich, masculine wisdom.

Comments? Questions? Leave them here. We’d love to hear from you.

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