Thursday, September 20, 2007, 05:33 AM CST [Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." ( Eph. 6:4)
Keeps popping into my head. We have lived for years, as a nation downplaying the roles of dads in the home. Even though women now have a lot of rights, we still tend to cling to the idea that the raising of children is the mother's job.
We have an unusual situation at our house. Because my husband is unable to work a full-time job, he is actually here with us every day. Sometimes he feels like he isn't as good as other dads, especially home school dads, because he isn't out there breaking his back to put food on the table. Praise God that we live in a place where there is a thing called social security disability, or we could not homeschool. There is still work,but it does not cover everything since it is part time.
Our being together is a direct result of his having a bad heart. A blessing in disguise. We do not know how long we will have him with us, but in this way, we can spend a LOT of time together.
This is unusual now, but up until about 100-150 years ago, fathers were in the home a lot more. Many fathers worked out of their homes, and did not go away for 8+ hours a day several days a week.
Today, our homeschool group has an enrichment day. I was not going to be there since I am sick, but I feel a bit better, and I just might go anyway. Dh will be there to help homeschool.
Do we LET the dads in our homes get in on the schooling- or do we assume we can do it best and don't want to take the time to help them understand where we are at and what the kids are learning? Do we assume that how they teach has to look exactly like how we do it? There can only be one mother- and the father's way of doing things is different. Sometimes I have a hard time accepting this. I can't count how many times I have heard my hubby talking to the kids about a school subject, and I have had the urge to jump in and try to tell him how to do this, or to just take over teaching- it is natural to me. I do not always resist the urge.I mess up quite a bit sometimes. Dh usually says something like " Am I teaching this, or do YOU want to do it? If not, let me alone- I can handle it." He can too. According to scripture, Sarah's daughters do not give in to fear. What is it that keeps me from letting go in this situation? FEAR. I don't want to mess up the kids' education. I have fear when I am not letting God be in charge, and I have to relinquish the reins.
Why not ask your husband, if you haven't lately, if there is something he would like to teach the kidlets? You might be surprised. God's word is clear- fathers must be in on their children's education- at the very least for training them in the ways of the Lord.
Some dads may be reluctant to call what they want to teach "school". sports, math, science, language, building trades, even things like cooking and textiles can and have been taught by fathers.
Here are some places to read more about dads and education
http://www.home-school.com/Articles/phs23-wescallihan.html
http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm00/fs08.html
http://www.connectforkids.org/node/4250
http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt2000-08.html
What Dads have to say about homeschooling:
http://www.nhen.org/dads/default.asp?id=306
and a place on the web just for FATHERS who homeschool!
http://www.homeschooldads.com/
