Understanding Dads To Help Them Understand “Unschooling”

Scott Somerville asked me last year to help him help Christian homeschooling dads begin to understand and appreciate (if not necessarily embrace) unschooling as an alternative to the traditional schoolish rules and structure with which dads so often seem more naturally comfortable.

Thanks to Colleen and her family’s quest to unschool, I just found this terrific essay for Snook’s blogroll, “An Unauthorised Guide for Unschooling Mums dealing with (still developing) Unschooling Dads”:

. . . you want to understand that guy that has become the father to your children? Here are some pointers, dare I say, “A Beginners Guide to Understanding the Average Dad”… believe me I know… I am often extraordinarily average.

PROBLEM: DADS WANT TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE

. . .We Dads love focus. . .most Dads are already focused on their jobs, their career and bringing in the cash. . .why would a Dad want to suddenly break rank, flip around and swim against the current? All that effort and for what?
Yes you have all the supposed benefits but we can just see the potential pit falls. Meanwhile its drawing our focus from what is important.
. . .Yes kids are important too… but bringing them up should just be as simple as possible.

That’s why your work is cut out for you. . .

Also study popular sports, from baseball and football to NASCAR, for help understanding dad-think about education.