Homeschooling and Marriage

It’s easy for one parent to feel some resentment — to feel out of the loop. Maybe Dad gets to be the fun guy while Mom is the one stuck making the kids do their work and focus on their education.

Do you find that homeschooling has affected your marriage? We have! Homeschooling impacts your whole family and the relationship you have with your partner isn’t immune.

We’ve all been there. It’s normal. But it’s also important to address these feelings and issues as they come up so they don’t create roadblocks in your family relationships and in your homeschooling.

You are a Team

Working together as parents means you are a team in homeschooling. It’s important to keep each other in the loop and to keep the lines of communication open. Share what you are learning, what your monthly theme is or what your kids are reading.

Also, make big decisions together! It’s easier to be on the same page when you’ve both made those decisions together.

It’s Not 9 to 5

Remember that homeschooling isn’t a 9-5 job. This means you can include your partner in some aspects of your child’s education. Maybe it’s reading bedtime stories together (literacy and language arts) or going on a hike in the woods on the weekend (physical education, science, and nature studies). Find those moments when you can include your partner.

No Hierarchy in Subjects

It’s easy to get caught in the “school mindset” where completing certain subjects becomes the most important thing.

But it’s important to remember, that in the real world, there is no hierarchy in subjects. Math is not more important than art. Language is not more important than Phys. Ed. When you remove the thinking that one is more important than the other, you don’t get stressed when your partner takes the kids for a run in the park. Or, when they stop reading to go watch a science video with Dad.

Take Time Together

It’s important to take time together. Easier said than done, right? But it’s important to make some time to spend together without the kids. We try to plan little date nights weekly. Sometimes it’s a little “staff meeting” where we talk about what the kids are learning and doing. Sometimes we go out for an evening. At the very least, we have a Netflix night where we sit back with a big bowl of popcorn and some Brooklyn-99. Either way, the point is to reconnect with your partner.

Homeschooling doesn’t have to put a huge strain on your relationship with your partner. By keeping your lines of communication open and making time for each other, your relationship and ultimately your family can come out on top.