Homeschool AMA: How Do I Protect My Marriage?

Hi! Thanks again for sharing your homeschool questions with me! In these Homeschool AMA posts, I’m sharing with you some of the great research I’ve had fun with while writing Everything You Need to Know About Homeschooling! For several weeks, I’m answering YOUR questions. Got something on your mind? Catch me on Facebook, join my email list , (where I share so much more real-life stuff!) or contact me here. Whatever you want. I can’t wait to talk with you personally!

Here’s a question I actually receive quite a bit.

How do you keep your marriage strong while homeschooling?

— Cathy, via email

My friends, you’ve messaged me and emailed me this several times. It’s an issue we all face, a question that a lot of “here’s how you homeschool” resources miss. But sometimes we wonder or we struggle and we really don’t want to mess this up!

How do we protect our marriage while homeschooling?

So, here’s the thing. I only started homeschooling because of a knock-down, drag-out fight with my husband. No way did I want to homeschool! He made me do it.

And homeschooling doesn’t really work if you aren’t in agreement. He negotiated the “only one-year” clause, so I could stomach that. And you can see how that ended up …

We have not always been in agreement about our homeschooling since then, either. But we, again, have usually negotiated something, often a trial period of a new strategy. That has worked for us.

How do we keep our marriage from falling apart — or even strengthen it — while homeschooling? Here are a few ideas:

1. Make the marriage more important than the children. Every day of the week.
2. Make the family more important than the homeschooling. Always.
3. When a disagreement arises, see 1 and 2 above.
4. Take time out from homeschooling on a regular basis. If my head is clear, I can look up at the bigger picture of, again, number 1 and 2.
5. Schedule regular time alone with my spouse. I go out to eat every Friday. My friend spends early morning hours having coffee with hers. Just SOME time needs to be sacred marriage time. We can’t cultivate what we never spend time for.
6. When a disagreement arises, take a deep breath and remember it’s not the end of the world. Almost nothing is worth that knock-down, drag-out fight like I had. Learn from my mistake and calmly work it out.

Ok, do you have more ideas? Comment below and share them!

And seriously, I’ll tell you ever, ever so much more in my book. It’s just the truth–my publisher won’t let me say it all right now. Even though I really, really want to.

This question is answered in way, way more detail in my upcoming book, Everything You Need to Know About Homeschooling. In it you will find developmental milestones, what your child will learn academically during this time, and even how to “teach” Early Learning through real life. Be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Do you have a question? Be sure to comment below, message me on Facebook, or use my comment form. I would LOVE to hear from you!

Your friend,

Lea Ann