Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
On our last program, we discussed how parents might guide children who are having difficulty discerning their vocation. Dr. Veith, how can apprenticeships help homeschoolers recognize their calling?

Dr. Veith:
Well, in college, we have apprenticeships that lead directly to employment. A lot of times, that doesn’t happen on the homeschool level. But I like the practice of dads taking their kids to work, showing them what to do. Again, what they do, and help the child emulate that. It’s not always the specific task, but simply the act of working, following a schedule, getting the job done, whatever it is, that a child really can learn a lot from.

And, again, looking for the child’s interests, letting the child go in a certain direction. One of the great things about homeschooling is that it can be very flexible and tailored to the individual child’s interests and talents. And give that as much reign as you can. And it may be that you've got a friend, maybe in a certain profession, if a young man is interested in fixing cars, and you’ve got a friend in the auto mechanics business, see if he’d let him go to work and hang out and just watch, maybe, and maybe start helping a little bit. And that can be an invaluable way of helping the child really come into his calling.

Mike:
Dr. Veith, thank you for joining us this week. I know our listeners will gain from your wisdom. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.