I have a series of questions that I want to put out there for home-schooling moms.  We are starting a ministry her in our area for the dads.  What we are experiencing is dads that do not support their wife in home-schooling, do not have anything to do with home-schooling, are not believers, want to put the kids back in public school, do not understand what their role in the home-school family is, and so on.  So, in preparation for ministering to these men we are asking a series of questions to help us with that if anyone has any thoughts or comments we would appreciate it.  Please, only serious contributers.

1. Explain why you home-school and what prompted you to home school?
2. Does your husband support you in the decision to home-school?
3. If the answer was yes, in what ways does he support you?
4. Does your husband understand his role as a home-schooling father?
5. Is your husband a Christian?
6. What kind of curriculum do you use?  Is it bible based or driven or it for educational purpose only?
7. Is it easy or hard to get your husband to be involved in the home-schooling activities?
8. Is your family a member of a local and/or regional home-school support group?
9. What are the biggest frustrations you as a home-schooling mother have during the school day?
10. If you attend a local church, do they support your decision to home-school and if so, how do they support that decision?
11. Is it easy or difficult to home-school in your state?
12. Do you have friends and family that support your decision to home-school?  If so, how do they support you?
13. Do you fill that you are home schooling alone or have full support and freedom?
14. How many kids are you home-schooling?
15. What are some questions that others outside the home-school community ask you about your home schooling?
16. What is the reaction from most of the public that you hear about home schooling?
17. If there was a ministry that came to your area that would help dads understand their role in a biblical way, help encourage them, let them express their heartfelt concerns about home-schooling and really would minister to them for two or three days, do you think your husband would attend?  Why or why not?
18. If you think they would not attend, what would it take to get them to the conference?
19. If you think they would attend, what topics would you want covered so that it addressed each home-schooling families needs from their dad?

 You may answer each of these anonymously…we have no need to know who you are.  Our hearts are being pulled in this direction and we feel deeply that there is a huge need out there for this type of ministry and want to see what the heartbeat is out there concerning this.  This may seem totally off the wall to you, but believe me there are many home schooling families out there that are hurting because the dad is not taking any part of it or feels he is totally left out of that part of the family.  Thanks to all who participate.

Copy Right Scott Bailey 2006

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Posted by Buckeyeblog

~~ Explain why you home-school and what prompted you to home school? When I was 19, my niece went into public school. Being the baby of my family, she's the 1st person I'd ever watched grow up from birth and she changed into a little peer-dependant monster over night! I vowed that I would do what I could to keep ANY kids I might have home. In '82, when I was 23, I met Gregg and Sono Harris (Dayton, Ohio residents at the time) who led me to the LORD, Sono discipled me, they introduced me to the man I would later married (!) and, of course, their awesome son, Josh (7 at the time), was HOMESCHOOLED! Is God GOOD or WHAT?!

~~ Does your husband support you in the decision to home-school? Yes.

~~ If the answer was yes, in what ways does he support you? He is my MORTAL leader, my prayer warrior, my counselor, our superintendent, my sounding-board...PLUS...he works 2 jobs so that I may stay home with our girls.

~~ Does your husband understand his role as a home-schooling father? Yes.

~~ Is your husband a Christian? Yes.

~~ What kind of curriculum do you use? Eclectic. We've used textbooks, workbooks, living books, unit studies and written our own unit studies. I begin their high school academics in 8th grade and spend their entire Senior year concentrating on like skills.
~~ Is it bible based or driven or it for educational purpose only? Bible based.

~~ Is it easy or hard to get your husband to be involved in the home-schooling activities? Hard. Only because he is at work during school hours.

~~ Is your family a member of a local and/or regional home-school support group? Yes, I'm the Miami County Ohio homeschool coordinator.

~~ What are the biggest frustrations you as a home-schooling mother have during the school day? Time management.

~~ If you attend a local church, do they support your decision to home-school and if so, how do they support that decision? Yes they support us; many others are starting to homeschool. Most of the support from church leadership that I see that shows that they support us is that the adults will come to our daughters 1st to see if they will "volunteer" for something because they trust them.

~~ Is it easy or difficult to home-school in your state? HSLDA considers Ohio "moderate."

~~ Do you have friends and family that support your decision to home-school? Yes.

~~ If so, how do they support you? Most of our friends are like-minded and always supported us. Our parents and other relatives started when they saw that they were REALLY learning, learning WELL, and they saw the difference in their attitudes/general behavior/manners/trust level/dress/etc.

~~ Do you fill that you are home schooling alone or have full support and freedom? Full support and freedom.

~~ How many kids are you home-schooling? 2

~~ What are some questions that others outside the home-school community ask you about your home schooling? All the basics: Are you a certified teacher? Is that legal? What about socialization? Do you get your books from the school? Does a teacher have to "approve" you?...

~~ What is the reaction from most of the public that you hear about home schooling? That they must be unsocialized shut-ins. That many homeschoolers are actually drops-outs that can't fit in. That they must not be learning or experiencing all that they should because they are being taught me ME, a MERE mom.

~~If there was a ministry that came to your area that would help dads understand their role in a biblical way, help encourage them, let them express their heartfelt concerns about home-schooling and really would minister to them for two or three days, do you think your husband would attend? Yes. Why or why not? Because that's where his heart is.

If you think they would not attend, what would it take to get them to the conference? $$$$$$ to pay his way.

If you think they would attend, what topics would you want covered so that it addressed each home-schooling families needs from their dad? Interest in their studies - ask questions and expect answers regarding what was studies that day. Mom burn-out. Taking AT LEAST one subject and teaching it - making it their own; that would give them some more dad-time with the kids and would give mom a break for at least ONE subject - especially when they're Jr/Sr. High age.

~~~~~~~Thanks for asking these questions! I'd be intested in how this all comes out. Also, if your group needs a speaker I'd be glad to meet with either your local group, your regional group or your state group. I speak on many subjects but my most requested are "Homeschooling as a Lifestyle" and "Creating Your Own Unit Studies."

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

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Posted by sb2733

Thanks Kim, that was exactly what I am looking for. Someone to open up and let us know their heart in the hoemschool world. It is great that you have a supporting husband...this will still help us to develop the ministry to reach a greater number of fathers and get them engaged in this as a "family" school, not just a "mom" school. Thanks again.
SB

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Posted by tallenmomof5

I homeschool because I feel that if God gives you children then you are responsible for every aspect of thier raising, education included. My dh seems neutral about our hs'ing. I think if I decided to put our children on the next yellow bus that slowed down in front of the house, he'd be all for it...That said, he doesn't complain about hs'ing either, he seems to enjoy telling people that we do. I don't think either of us understand what his role should be in hs'ing. He is a Christian. This year we are using Alpha Omega curriculum, next year we will use FIAR and A2. When the curriculum itself isn't bible-based I do what I can to make up for it. It has not been easy to get my dh to participate in shooling, we used to be a part of a local group, but I made the descision to leave when they publicly announced that "we" were not a Christian organization. That was about 2 months ago, we may join another group in the fall. My biggest frustration is that my children don't take our schooling seriously. They are not the brats that makes them sound like, they just don't see school as a priority. We just changed churches. The old one didn't really support us. We felt like outsiders because of hs'ing, unsure of new church. It is much larger and no one knows us yet. We live in Oklahoma, land of the easiest hs laws ever, as far as I can tell. I have one friend who supports me in this, she was hs'ed, and will hs her children when they are older. I feel pretty alone in hs'ing. I have 5 children, 3 of which are "actively" schooled, the other 2 are too young. I think I face the same reactions and questions as everyone else, "socialization" being my favorite, that and "what about the prom?" LOL!
I think my dh would attend a conference, if his work schedule allowed.
That may be something to consider, I'm sure my dh isn't the only one working nights and weekends...
I guess in closing, I need my dh to realize that I need more from him in this than opening his wallet to pay for curriculum. I wonder how much more attention my children would give me if daddy thought what we were doing was cool? I just need him to be there for me on the days that things aren't so fun...
Thank you so much for doing this, what a blessing!
Trish

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Posted by HeartsatHome4Him

Hi, these were great questions that made me think through some things I hadn't thought through before. I actually sent replies to your questions via email. Hopefully, you will get them that way! Thanks again!

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