Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
Scott, dads play such a vital role in their family’s homeschool—and their wives and children want them to be involved. What have you discovered about why some dads just don’t get it?

Scott Somerville:
Mike, it turns out there’s about as many reasons as there are dads. The fundamental reason—the big one—is, a lot of dads just don’t have the homeschool vision. The Bible says, “Without a vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18a). That is certainly true of homeschooling. So part of what we're doing at the K-Dad Network is just reminding dads how much this matters, and why it matters—remembering the reason behind homeschooling. But there are also dads who are very committed to homeschooling. They want to succeed, but they just don’t know how. They’re looking for the tools to be more effective as a homeschool leader. For years I’ve been doing a speech called “What Wives Wish Husbands Knew about Homeschooling,” just helping them understand basics like leadership, accountability, making sure your wife has the resources she needs, bringing joy into your homeschool experience. So that’s part two, is providing the specific tools to help dads succeed. Turns out, though, that there are other issues as well. There are dads who are scarred, there are dads who are anxious, there are even dads who are bitter—we’re going to be dealing with those, too, to unleash the untapped potential of homeschool dads.

Mike:
Well, thanks, Scott. Next time, we’ll actually talk about how to overcome these hindrances. And until then, I’m Mike Smith.