Becoming an Authority Figure

Homeschooling moms and dads have a big challenge right off the bat. They need to establish themselves as an authority figure. This can take weeks or months. We can help if you struggle with this.

Why is the student resistant to the person in authority?

1. Maybe the parent has not established authority

2. Maybe the parent is the authority but the student is asserting the right to say “no”

3. The student is weak or has a physical illness that is sapping their strength

4. The student knows that the parent will not hold them accountable

5. The student thinks that not getting educated is happiness because it is less work than getting educated. In this case happiness must be defined.

Image courtesy: Tom Mrazek @ Flickr