Help! How Can I Convince My Husband to Let Me Home School the Kids? |
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By: Denise Willms Posted: 2008-07-31 08:21:49 |
| I always knew I wanted to home school our children. When I was in high school, I babysat for a home schooling family, and they had such exciting projects going on. Later, when I was student teaching in university, I discovered a more important reason to home school. It simply wasn't possible to meet every child's needs in a classroom setting.My husband, however, took some convincing. He hadn't had any exposure to home schooling families, and thought teaching our two kids at home would put too much responsibility on me.We ended up putting our eldest child in a public school, but three years later, he was so unhappy, we were ready to try anything. We took him and his younger sister out of public school and tried schooling at home instead. It's made such a positive difference in our lives, we plan to educate both our children at home all the way through high school.After home schooling for five years, my husband has become one of the strongest advocates for home education I know. In fact, when I feel frustrated and suggest that we consider public school again, he completely shuts me down. He sees what a difference this way of life has made in the lives of our children and our family.Now, none of this is to say that I believe public education is not as good as home schooling. Teaching your children at home is not the answer for everyone. However, home schooling is the right choice for my family.If you believe home schooling is the right choice for your family too, but your husband doesn't agree, there is no magic pill that can make him change his mind. I do, though, have some suggestions that may help.1. Pray. One of my favorite Christian authors, Stormie Omartian, says in her book, Power of a Praying Wife, that before talking to your husband about anything, you should talk to God about your husband.If you believe that God wants you to home school, spend time with God and ask Him to reveal that to your husband as well.2. Get involved in your child's school right now. I had always been involved in our children's education, but when our son's problems became more serious, I volunteered in his classroom every week. I got along well with his teacher, and she was concerned about him too, so this arrangement worked very well.I was able to see the classroom environment first-hand, and see how my son's behavior compared to the other students. Because I was in the classroom so frequently, I was able to explain to my husband what was happening, and where the problems lay. This helped him understand my desire to home school our children, and why I believed our son would do better in a home environment.Volunteering in a classroom isn't always possible, but if you can, I recommend it. If you're thinking of home schooling, watching how your child functions in a classroom can help prepare you for what's ahead. And, if you're ultimately not able to educate your children at home, you're building important relationships with your children's teachers and showing your children how much you value their education.3. Explain to your husband why you want to home school. Does your husband know why you want to home school? Or does he think your desire is a passing whim? Present your reasons and try to explain what's on your mind.This is where I found volunteering in my son's classroom so helpful. I could explain to my husband what I observed in the classroom, and how home schooling could make a difference in our son's learning.4. Explore other educational options. No matter how much you want to home school, it's important to remember that this approach to education is not for everyone. I've met several moms who insisted on home schooling their children, and a year later, realized it was the wrong choice for their family.Home schooling is hard. Being unhappy with your current schooling arrangement is not a good enough reason to home school. Explore your other options as well before deciding home schooling is the only alternative that will work for you.Consider private schools, online schools, or maybe even an after school tutoring program. If your husband doesn't agree to home school, perhaps he'll be more open to one of these options.5. Find current research about home schooling. Gather facts about home schooling to show your husband. Not to shove in his face and prove your point, but so you can be prepared when he does ask questions.Find out how local home schooled students perform on standardized tests; learn if they're admitted to your city's university (usually they are); look for groups you can join to meet other home schooling families, and for your children to make home schooled friends. Then, when your husband does ask questions about home schooling, you'll have all the answers you need at hand.None of these suggestions will guarantee your husband will change his mind about home schooling. But they will help you communicate with your husband about both your desires for your children's education, and help you make educational choices that will work for your entire family.Would you like to learn more about homeschooling? Visit http://www.WAHM-Articles.com to read articles written by real homeschooling parents about their own home school experiences. |
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