Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Both dads and moms play important roles in their children's lives. Michael Farris, Chairman and General Counsel of Home School Legal Defense Association, believes that dads play a special part in preparing their older children for the adult world—for college, career, and family. Join us today on Home School Heartbeat as we discuss this role.

Michael Farris:

While moms and dads share responsibility for raising children throughout a child's life, we all recognize that moms have a special responsibility with little ones. By the same token, I believe that dads have a special responsibility to prepare their children for the adult world.

One of the areas that we must address as dads is our duty to prepare our children for a career. The usual mindset is to prepare them for college. But college may not be right for everyone—in fact I would say, if in doubt, don't. There are a lot of shoe salesmen in this country with PhDs in philosophy. If your children can get their career training in another way, consider those options.

Dads, teach your children to work as they're growing up. You can begin by making sure that they are learning to do simple household chores. Hold them accountable to ensure that their jobs are done properly and on time. Not only are they learning discipline and responsibility, but they're also relieving some of the pressure that mom is under right now.

Most American teens have lost the work ethic. As homeschooling dads, we need to make sure that our kids know how to work. If we do, our children should have little trouble being hired and becoming leaders on the job and in every sphere of life. This is Michael Farris.