Ask HN: First-time dad-to-be. What do you wish you'd known back then?

Homeschooling has so much more freedom. You don't need a desk or set hours to do subject A. You don't need thick textbooks or long lectures (although your kids might want those as well).

We've always focused on teaching our kids how to learn. Once you get them there, they can find their way to anything they need for the rest of their lives.

In the early years (think k-3rd), that means they need the skills of reading and writing and basic math. There's a lot of repetition required to get those skills. Those are the hardest homeschool years.

We focus on unit studies on subjects that the child is interested in. If it's Dinosaurs, we read history about dinos, watch videos on science about dinos, do math about dinos, visit museums, go fossil hunting - dive deep into everything dinos and the child hardly knows they're learning along the way as their interest is driving and motivating them. Soon enough, dinosaurs aren't fun anymore so we plod along until the next thing catches their excitement and now we're studying the history of cars, the science of cars, we're out in the garage working on the car...

These are teachable moments and we have to take advantage of those opportunities to take leaps forward in learning.

There will be some things they aren't interested in that they need to learn anyway. We sprinkle those 'have to learn' things in with the 'fun to learn' and try to keep the knowledge gaps at a minimum.

Teaching them how to research, where to find information (book and experiencial), is the best thing they can learn because it will help the learn anything else they'll need in life.

Don't forget moral training. That's where local homeschool co-ops and enrichment programs can be helpful so your kids can share social experiences in a learning environment.

As a wise man once said about raising kids, the days are long but the years are short. Make the most of them.

To be fair, Germany got an awful lot of income tax out of me the ten years previous that I might have otherwise saved and invested, but I’m ok with this - this system means that long maternity leaves are expected and more easily accommodated, and two months of paternal leave is considered doing your minimal fatherly duty.

I will add that our kid is in 500 EUR/mo daycare, even with parents pulling down 1.5 engineering/IT salaries.

The 0.5 is the 20 hour work week my employer was obliged to let me choose during the first 3 years of my kid’s life. After that, I can convert my contract permanently to part-time, or go back to full-time. They can choose to be more flexible, but that’s their minimum obligation. None of my female friends back home in the States has managed to stay in a technically/professionally-demanding job only part-time after kids: they either drop out of paid employment entirely, do something they’re overqualified for part-time, or deal with 40+ hour workweeks to keep doing what they’re good at.

I want Americans to know what’s possible.

Such a great idea. Alternatively, get a snow shovel to use when cleaning up the house because there will be a lot of plastic junk.

We didn't set out to have two at once, but we're really pleased with how it turned out for us.

To the OP - Congratulations. Becoming a father has been an amazing experience for me. I wish you all the best!