Mom Is Teaching

You are set on homeschooling, but your spouse is against it. What can you do now?

The homeschool debate can be a tiring one. For every positive thing about homeschooling there is someone somewhere who has something negative to say. For most of us it can be easy to avoid; step away from the computer, walk away from the conversation, turn off the television, or what ever you have to do to end the conversation. But what happens when the debate is going on right inside your own house? Sometimes one parent can be excited to homeschool while the other parent is set against the idea.

As with any other disagreement over how your children should be raised the best first aproach is to talk it out. Find out why your partner is against homeschooling? Does he have negative experiences with homeschooled children? Does she believe some of the common myths floating around? Maybe extended family members are against homeschooling and your spouse does not want to upset them. Or perhaps your spouse is afraid that it will be too much work. You cannot work past the issue if you do not know what the problem is, so ask questions and find out why your spouse is against homeschooling your children.

Once you know why you can find out what to do to help change their mind. Explain why the common myths that everyone seems to know are wrong. Share your experiences with homeschooling and why you want to persue this with your children. There are many books and articles that you can share that might help expose the realities of homeschooling a little better. With the numbers of homeschooling families increasing each year you might be able to find a local homeschool group that you and your spouse can visit in order to get a real view of children and their families.

For most just being presented with the facts about homeschooling is enough to sway them over. If not then seeing how informed, well researched, and passionate you are about the topic can show your partner that you are serious and can help them feel more comfortable with homeschooling. Sometimes a few compromises might need to be done in order to gain support for this decision. Let your partner share in the curriculum choice and be willing to show them how much the children are learning. Sometimes setting a specific date can help, such as agreeing to try homeschooling for one semester then reevaluating how everything is going. Letting your spouse be an active participant in the education can also help to ease fears and show why you feel that homeschooling is the best decision. Be willing to compromise and allow your partner to take the lead in some areas and you might find a more willing partner and more support.

In the end, you need to make a decision that will fit the entire family. Though you may feel that homeschooling is the best option for your children if your spouse is constantly degrading your choice or making your children feel negatively then it will affect how well they are learning. Find a way that will work for everyone, but if you cannot then decide whether you want to wait longer or drop the subject, or even if you want to go into homeschooling without your partner’s support. Whatever you decide just remember that your children are the ones who will gain or lose from this and they are the ones who need to be concidered the most.

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