Like many parents, you and your spouse were tossed into the homeschooling realm with a few tidbits and a new classroom in your living room. You both were able to juggle the responsibilities of schooling and work, but if you’re worried about further homeschooling at home and more juggling acts between the two of you, how can you make the process easier for everyone involved?
Structure Is Key
Most likely, when you and your spouse first started teaching your child at home, it was a mess. Which is perfectly fine! Everyone needs to establish a routine and build some sort of structure, especially when something is new for all parties involved. Depending on both of your jobs, there may or may not be flexibility in either of them, but figuring out where and when you both can cut away from work to spend with your child on schoolwork can help to build a routine. You both don’t want to be teaching your child the same material, right? Picking a schedule and setting a schoolwork load and subject for each day can keep you both on the same page, especially when you each have to step away and deal with your own job and responsibilities.
Teach What You Enjoy
Maybe your spouse loves science, and you loathe it. Maybe you despise poetry, but your spouse knows every Shakespeare sonnet. Find what you enjoy to teach, and what your spouse enjoys as well, and structure the schoolwork to flow with both of your schedules accordingly so you both look forward to teaching your child the basics. If it happens to be a subject you both don’t care for, split up the lessons so you each have to take on the responsibility of the material, and help each other out when needed. You most likely know by now that your child isn’t the only one learning at this point!
Stay Connected
Depending on each of your workloads, you may not have a chance to talk to your spouse throughout the day, from rushing out the door to work in the morning to coming home in the afternoon for a few quick lessons with your child, your spouse may be in a meeting or heading out to start their workday. But keeping in communication and staying connected as often as you can will help you both understand how the curriculum is going for your child, what he or she seems to enjoy the most, and how you can better mold the material to help him or her learn easier. This will not only help your child to learn and grow, but also help you and your spouse learn and grow not only as teachers, but also as parents.