I Want To Homeschool But My Spouse Doesn’t.

If you are the husband and it is your wife who doesn’t want to homeschool, than I would suggest you have her read some of the more persuasive books on the market now. Emphasize how much better it will be for the children and promise to help all you can (and of course, then do it!)


Subscribe to a homeschooling magazine or two. Take the whole family to a support group meeting.

Encourage her to use this as an excuse to pursue an area of her own interest (arts, crafts, horses, politics, etc.).

According to the Bible you are the head of the house and you are the one who will be held the most responsible for your child’s education. You have a right to insist on this.

However, use extreme wisdom. As important as I believe home education is, it is more important for children to have parents that love each other and that they have harmony in the home.

Of course, if you can work it out where you can do the teaching, so much the better. Your children get the advantage of homeschooling, you get the blessings of doing the teaching, and your wife doesn’t have to do something she is uncomfortable with.



If you are the wife, I repeat what I have said above: As important as I believe home education is, it is more important for children to have parents that love each other and that they have harmony in the home. Do not pull your children out of school against your husband’s wishes.

You do have the advantage of taking the whole issue to a Higher Authority. I have heard of many cases where the husband was dead- set against homeschooling and the wife simply prayed and then set her mind to be the best, bang up, public school mom she could be. But God worked a miracle and the dad changed his mind! Sometimes Dad becomes the most enthusiastic homeschool advocate around. Prayer really can and does move mountains.

If his objections are academic, you could ask for a one year trial. After all, how much could you possibly mess up in one year? Some women even only teach over the summer break and so impress their hubbies they change their mind with just that much of a trial.

If the objections are social, explain how the child would have so much more time for extracurricular activities. I would also recommend the book “The Socialization Trap” by Rick Boyer. It really puts this issue into perspective.

“Excused Absence” by Douglas Wilson is very persuasive, as is “The Right Choice” by Chris Klika. Either way, God can change hearts and move mountains. Trust Him.