Substitute Teacher--my dh

[merry gardens]

I'm going to see a relative in another state for a special event. I'll be gone a few days. My dh will take off work to care for our children while I'm gone. How much school work should I leave and expect my dh to do with them???

 

Our kids don't work very independently yet on their homeschool workbooks or other assignments. My dh could probably do Singapore Math with them without much trouble, but I don't know how much other stuff I should expect them to do when I'm gone. My husband usually leaves the homeschooling up to me. He's really not very familiar with what we do or the specific details of my homeschool teaching methods. I could make a big list of things I expect them to do, but I'm thinking of keeping it to the bare minimum (maybe just the math) and instead encouraging him to play educational games with them or just take them on a field trip or something.

 

Has your spouse ever filled in to homeschool while you were gone? Did he (or she) follow your usual curriculum plans with the children? Did they do something else? Any insights? Thanks!:)

[Tree House Academy]

I'm going to see a relative in another state for a special event. I'll be gone a few days. My dh will take off work to care for our children while I'm gone. How much school work should I leave and expect my dh to do with them???

 

Our kids don't work very independently yet on their homeschool workbooks or other assignments. My dh could probably do Singapore Math with them without much trouble, but I don't know how much other stuff I should expect them to do when I'm gone. My husband usually leaves the homeschooling up to me. He's really not very familiar with what we do or the specific details of my homeschool teaching methods. I could make a big list of things I expect them to do, but I'm thinking of keeping it to the bare minimum (maybe just the math) and instead encouraging him to play educational games with them or just take them on a field trip or something.

 

Has your spouse ever filled in to homeschool while you were gone? Did he (or she) follow your usual curriculum plans with the children? Did they do something else? Any insights? Thanks!:)

 

 

Oh gosh! LOL If I was in this position, I think I would call it a vacation! haha. My dh is capable of facilitating school, but I am not sure he could do the educating...not just jumping in like that. My older son is 95% independent, so no issues there. I would expect English to be a little messed up and of course, my son would have to deal with a little variation in the "rules." I would not expect dh to teach my younger son at all, really. Maybe math. Phonics - um, no. He doesn't have the patience and the curriculum is not really self explanatory. I would probably just have him do the stuff that my younger is pretty independent with...math, science, social studies, geography, and art. LOL

 

That probably wasn't much help, huh.:tongue_smilie:

[johnandtinagilbert]

Leave them games to play and read alouds :)

 

What if he teaches them a different way to do math...my kids hate when Dad does that and dh hates to hear, "That's not how Mom taught me."

 

Drill sheets would be okay, though.

 

Maybe have them play games with spelling words.

 

Make it light and easy. Give them a chance at pure enjoyment of each other!

[lollie010]

I am not sure what ages you are have, but if they were in the elementary years I would just leave a fun project for them to work on--say for example keeping the house clean.

[merry gardens]

Thanks tina and treehouse. That did help.

 

Yes, dh would probably have a completely different style to his teaching and it might confuse the kids in doing our regular work. I appreciate my dh taking time off work so I can go to this event. As I'm gtting ready, I didn't know if I should prepare something for them to do while I'm gone like a teacher at a regular school. Then again, those substitute teachers at schools don't know the children at all, while my husband is the dad. He's a big boy--he can figure out something worthwhile to teach them. I think I'll just ask them to do math and dh can read or play or teach whatever else he wants.

 

Good. :) I like your answers. This saves me work of preparing all the papers and books and then trying to teach my dh all the details of what we might do in a normal homeschool week.

[merry gardens]

I am not sure what ages you are have, but if they were in the elementary years I would just leave a fun project for them to work on--say for example keeping the house clean.

Great idea! :D I am a little worried of what the house might look like when I get back. If he spends all his time teachings, the house might become a complete disaster. And if he manages to successfully do all the teaching, cooking and cleaning, then he might start to wonder why I can't do it all everyday too.

[RootAnn]

I chose to go to something a couple of weeks ago that would have me out of the house from 9:30 until around 2:30. That's our school day and my husband was going to be home since it was one of his normal days off.

 

I prepared lesson plans specifcally for him and set up everything. When I got home, he'd taken care of everything (except the baby who I had with me) and gotten through all of our "school" stuff except Chemistry. (He tried it but quit when the kids weren't paying attention/couldn't answer his patient questions four times in a row.) I was impressed. I was hoping he'd say, "I don't know how you do this everyday."

 

I know it wasn't all done "my way." That was ok. :)

 

For more than a day, I'd probably just have him do math, listen to the younger one read, and do fun stuff (science experiments, SOTW activities & reading, play games). I find it hard to keep up with things, so I can't imagine trying to figure out how to do it when you aren't used to the routine. I think you are on the right track.

[merry gardens]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I talk with dh last night and he liked the idea just doing the math, then figuring out other schooling on his own rather than doing something I leave for them to do. They'll be fine and I can enjoy a few days off without having to do lots of prep work before I leave! :auto: