Helping with homework is a dad’s job, too
For most parents, overseeing homework can feel like a chore, especially after a long day at work.
But while it’s a difficult task for both moms and dads, I get the sense that moms still tend to shoulder the brunt of this responsibility.
A free pass
I’m lucky enough to be married to a teacher.
It’s a big advantage for our kids, too. They have a mom with a full arsenal of learning strategies, while I have a partner who can always anticipate when they might need help.
I’m not sure whether she takes the lead on homework because she’s a mother or because she’s a teacher. Maybe the answer is both!
At first, I couldn’t help but look on in admiration.
I could tell that my wife was in her wheelhouse, and to be honest, that was a bit of a relief. I knew she was the better person for the job, and I wasn’t keen to get involved anyway.
As a result, while she oversaw homework, I put away lunch boxes, made dinner, tidied the house, handled the bus and childcare schedules, etc. It felt like a pretty good system!
After a while, however, I started having doubts.
A parent is a parent
realized that I was missing out.
I Academically speaking, my eldest was growing by leaps and bounds. He was beginning to grasp words, numbers, logic—and I was just watching from the sidelines.
That’s when I started taking more of an interest in his homework.
Not because I suddenly found it fascinating.
Not because I thought I could do as good a job as my wife.
It simply dawned on me that I was a parent too, and that I wanted to play an active role in this crucial period of my son’s development.
I now know the difference between his red and green Duo-Tangs, and I stay up to speed on how things are going at school. I realized that knowing these details is just as important for dads as it is for moms.
The upshot
These days, I’m occasionally the one who oversees our son’s homework.
I’m not embarrassed to admit that my wife still takes charge most of the time since she does it so brilliantly.
But I now have a better idea of her role, and I pay more attention.
I watch her work much more often than I used to.
And my admiration has only grown.
Most importantly, I can now step in at any time without feeling out of my depth.
Maybe it’s time my wife watched me in the kitchen so that she could make dinner from time to time . . .
Or maybe she also prefers to offer her support from the sidelines!