Q:   I really have liked your Thomas Jefferson Education book and want to use it with my children, but I have a husband that does not believe that public schools are bad and is not supportive of me home schooling my children; nor will he read any of your books to help understand where I am coming from. Do you have any ideas how I can still apply a Thomas Jefferson Education for my children?

Hi, L.,

This is a really great question!

As we have said on many occasions, unity in the family, especially the marriage, is a higher principle than where your kids sit for their instruction. There is a great deal you can do to make a difference in helping your kids get a leadership education, and in fact, homeschooling is not the first choice for many families on the Leadership Education path!

I would urge you to make Family Reading a part of your family culture. And I wouldn’t define Leadership Education as homeschool, either. If you and your husband can agree that, as parents, you have all the power to make the difference in your kids’ educational experience, then you can approach this as a team, and not make an issue of the public school question.

* Use the resources you have on TJEd.org to help enhance your vision and purpose as a mentoring parent. There are lots of Freebies. Invest in and digest the other products periodically to add depth and meaning to your approach.

* Consider how you can apply the 7 Keys of Great Teaching in your home environment. Review the 55 Ingredients (see Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning [book] and Core and Love of Learning Seminar Highlights) to help you create a rich environment of family learning in your home.

* Connect with other TJEders to share your experience and ask for suggestions on how to apply TJEd in your situation. There are many, many who are in your boat, and who have much to offer! I recommend the TJEd Discussion group on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/tjed.discussion/

Above all, continue your own education! Your level of depth and wisdom is one of the most important factors in your kids’ education. If you are excited about your education, and actively engaged in learning and sharing new things, that will greatly enrich your family culture of learning. There are suggestions in the back of the Thomas Jefferson Education book to help you get started.

And to reiterate a previous point, reading together as a family is something we all can do, and I can think of no single thing that has more impact on our kids’ education, or our own! To get a copy of our free Family Reading E-book, request it here:

https://tjed.org/family-reading-ebook/

Blessings to you and your family!

Rachel DeMille
TJEd.org