How Dads Do Homeschool

Written By: The Good and the Beautiful Published On:

Wondering how dads homeschool? In many homes, both parents bring something different to the table. In this post we explore ways dads uniquely contribute to homeschooling and how children and moms benefit from having dads actively involved.

A Tribute to Homeschool Dads

There are many blogs and podcasts for homeschool moms out there. We wanted to make this blog post just for dads to highlight some of the ways they can have a lifelong impact on their children’s education and character. Many lessons dads teach may appear to be hobbies or personal interests, but they are invaluable insights and experiences for kids. 

Whether you are a full-time homeschool dad, a supportive homeschool dad, or a dad who is curious about homeschooling, these ideas are for you! Read on to learn some of the ways dads make a difference, through both traditional homeschooling methods and wholesome fatherly care.

5 Ways Dads Do Homeschool

1. Dads Model Life Skills

Dads teach by example. Learning to keep things clean, organized, and maintained gives children a sense of responsibility and appreciation. When children help with these tasks, they learn the importance of family and of working together—they will be parents too someday! 

Young children can help with daily and weekly chores. Older children can learn maintenance skills while watching or assisting their dads. Here are just a few of the invaluable life skills that dads can teach or model for their children:

  • Chores: keep rooms tidy, laundry, dishes, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, etc.
  • Indoor maintenance: change a lightbulb, patch or paint a wall, repair furniture, fix a leaky faucet
  • Outdoor maintenance: yard work, gardening, snow removal, clean the garage
  • Car maintenance: fill or change the tires, change the oil, refill washer fluid, wash the car
  • Simple construction: build a birdhouse, hang drywall and trim, build shelving or furniture
  • Cooking: simple meal preparation, food safety, kitchen tools and appliances use
  • Budgeting: teach children how to give, save, and spend
  • Childcare: model caring for and playing with children 
  • A father teaching his school-aged son how to sand wood | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A school-aged girl helping her father pick up trash outside | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A father and his two school-aged kids painting a wall with rollers | The Good and the Beautiful

2. Dads Engage with Their Kids

Dads are busy! They juggle long days at work or homeschooling, household maintenance and chores, volunteering, committees . . . and the list goes on. When dads devote special time to their children, experiencing interests together, they build life-long connections that carry through every part of life, including homeschooling. Interests vary, but here are a few ways dads can connect with their kids:

  • Book lovers: read aloud together, watch the movie or see the play—after reading the book, of course!
  • Nature enthusiasts: take a hike or bike ride, go to the lake, go birdwatching, identify plants and animals, visit a zoo or nature center, take pictures outside
  • Sports fans: cheer for your child when they play and practice; sign up to be their coach; practice hitting, catching, throwing, kicking the ball in the backyard together; take a class together; go to the gym; catch a game together 
  • Gamers: play card or board games, make a board game together, play a short two-player game on a device together (following your family’s device rules) 
  • Artists: paint, draw, sculpt, sew, knit, or bead together; go to a museum, take an art class together, play or listen to music
  • A father and his three daughters playing a board game together | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A school-aged boy and his father playing with a soccer ball together outside | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A father teaching his school-aged daughter how to play the acoustic guitar | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A collage of elective course covers | The Good and the Beautiful

  • Engaging Electives

    The Good and the Beautiful Electives program offers a variety of easy-to-use courses that teach valuable skills and inspire a love of learning.

    Dads, these courses are great fun to do along with your kids!

    Shop Electives
A father with his arm wrapped around his young son while he reads a book and more Kindergarten books displayed next to them | The Good and the Beautiful
A school-aged boy and his father working in the Math 2 course book together | The Good and the Beautiful
A school-aged girl sitting with her father and holding a Geology student journal | The Good and the Beautiful
Two school-aged kids and their parents with History Year 1 course books on the table in front of them | The Good and the Beautiful
Three school-aged kids and their dad cutting into food with the Cooking 1 elective book displayed next to them | The Good and the Beautiful

3. Dads Teach a Homeschool Subject

Homeschool dads bring something irreplaceable to the table! 

Here are a few ways dads participate in the teaching of core subjects:

  • Language Arts: read together, teach a daily lesson, listen to your child’s stories
  • Math: teach the daily lesson, quiz/practice math facts, play a math game, teach area and perimeter as you build a birdhouse together, teach budgeting and spending
  • Science: teach a science unit, conduct lesson experiments, show kids how things work
  • History: research an event or person, teach a lesson, visit historical sites and museums, read historical fiction aloud
  • Extra Curricular: teach skills such as physical education, building, cooking, music, arts, nature, and all the life skills listed throughout this blog post 

  • Dads Do Homeschool Full Time

    Moms tend to be the full-time homeschool parent in most families, but for a growing number of families, Dad is the primary homeschool parent! 

    With more and more work-from-home careers available in recent years, homeschooling has become more accessible for many families. The convenience of working from home has helped many families make the switch to homeschool! It has also opened up opportunities for more dads to be the primary homeschool parent.

    Dads Do Homeschool Long-Distance

    Dads can even participate in homeschool long-distance! One mom using our FREE downloadable language arts course shares her family’s experience:

  • My husband was recently unexpectedly deployed with the military soon after our newest arrival was born on Thanksgiving, so the transition has been challenging. [While on location,] he was able to download the free Level 3 Language Arts course books and read along with my oldest daughter on a semi-regular basis. They just finished up Timothy on the Tenth Floor together via FaceTime. WHAT A GIFT! They both loved it and are looking forward to the next book in this course level.
    —K.C.B.


  • 4. Dads Encourage Adventure Outdoors

    Homeschooling extends beyond deskwork. Pack up your bags and take the family to learn outside! One of the perks of an open-and-go curriculum is the ability to take it with you. Whether dads take the day’s lessons to a shady spot under a tree in the backyard or pack the van for a cross-country trip, learning can happen anywhere! There are many outdoor skills dads can teach:

    • Nature skills: fishing, hunting, farming, gardening, birdwatching, identifying plants and animals and their importance in God’s beautiful creation
    • Survival skills: fire and water safety, how to use camping equipment
    • Navigational skills: using a map and compass, using the sun for directions
  • A father and son putting up a tent together | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A father and son looking at a map outside with a compass | The Good and the Beautiful
  • Two school-aged kids holding fishing poles by a body of water while their father sits behind them and helps | The Good and the Beautiful

5. Dads Lead Their Families

Parenting is one of the most challenging yet most rewarding things a person does in their lifetime. The Bible offers much wisdom for parents:

[H]ear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

—Proverbs 1:8

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

—Proverbs 22:6

[K]eep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

—Proverbs 6:20

What better source of truth is there than the Bible? It teaches that both parents have the sacred responsibility to teach and nurture their children in light and truth.

Parenting was not meant to be done alone. A husband can support his wife in the following areas:

  • Biblical leadership: pray for and with his wife, lead family devotions, read the Bible with his family
  • Homeschool leadership: encourage and uplift his wife, teach a lesson or a subject, discuss goals
  • Home leadership: help with chores, home maintenance, budgeting and planning, setting family goals
  • A husband and wife holding hands and praying together over their bibles | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A husband and wife doing dishes at the sink together | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A man sitting and typing on a computer while his wife holds his shoulder and writes in a notebook | The Good and the Beautiful

Children with engaged fathers tend to show stronger academic outcomes, better emotional regulation, and greater confidence.

Thank you, homeschool dads!

Homeschooling includes daily academics, but it includes so much more! Homeschooling is about shaping your family; sharpening your children’s character; teaching love, patience, gratefulness, forgiveness, and generosity; and passing on knowledge and wisdom. When dads participate in homeschooling, kids feel loved and moms feel supported.

Homeschool dads bring something irreplaceable to the table! You do incredible work for your families and for your children in educating them in light and love. Whatever your strengths, hobbies, or circumstances, we know you are shaping your children’s lives for the better through the incredible journey of homeschooling. 

Dads, how do you do homeschool? Share your contributions in the comments below!

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A Tribute to Homeschool Dads

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Frequently Asked Questions About Homeschool Dads

What role do dads play in homeschooling?

Dads play a vital role in homeschooling. The Bible teaches these three truths about both fathers and mothers teaching their children:

  1. Proverbs 1:8 [H]ear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
  2. Proverbs 6:20 [K]eep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
  3. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

How can dads homeschool?

Every homeschool dad brings his own strengths to the table. Here are five ways dads commonly contribute to their children's homeschool education:

  1. Dads Model Life Skills
  2. Dads Engage with Their Kids
  3. Dads Teach a Homeschool Subject
  4. Dads Encourage Adventure Outdoors
  5. Dads Lead Their Families

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