In most homeschooling families the pattern that is followed is that the mother is the homeschool teacher and the father is the primary bread winner. In this case the mother spends most of her day in the company of the children and grows closer to them in a way that would never be possible if the children were attending a regular school.This does not happen with the father.
Not the best thing for the family
While the stronger bond that the mother and children forge is a beautiful gift in itself, it can have one slightly ugly fallout. The homeschool clique consisting of the mother and childre unintentionally disconnects itself from the father. The kids are much more comfortable speaking with the mother and are not quite as quick to share their thoughts with the father. While it is only natural that a child feels more comfortable with the parent he is spending more time with, the eventual outcome of this situation may not be the best thing to happen to the family.
Involving Dad in the daily thread
It is important that the homeschooled children spend some quality time with their father. Since there is not much scope for a long activity at the end of the day it could be something simple like playing a game or reading a book together. The shared hobby such as stamp collection or building a model plane may also work well. It should be something exclusive to the children and their father. What is important is that they spend some time together everyday doing a common activity which both look forward to. It is equally important for the mother to sit this activity out.
Exclusive family outings
The best way to bond as a family is the spend time together. By planning weekends where the family goes climbing a hill, or exploring a museum, or playing an out door sport, the children will get to spend time with Dad and Mom. This will enhance the family aspect of their lives. The bonds that they forge will now be with both parents as a set rather than with just one individual. With a little effort and a lot of love it is easily possible to make Dad reconnect with the family.
