Table of Content
I love connecting with readers and seeing what they’ve been up to. I know it’s 3 years later but are you still working and one more question. We have to laugh about the socialization – in a big family like ours, it’s never an issue. We have a rule of one extracurricular activity at a time, to minimize cost, stress and travel time. My kids are extroverts, and there’s no shortage of fun things to do in our town. We share a Google calendar so that we can get a glance at what everyone has on tap.
I’m not patient, I’m not consistent, etc, etc. I’m slowly learning that homeschooling is a LIFESTYLE, and that it doesn’t look like a classroom, like most of us are accustomed to. Great advice – school isn’t for everyone! My cousin home schools in NY and here in the UK I know many hugely well socialised, well prepared children who are homeschooled, one by parents who work. Those are wise words from Dan Morris about hiring someone out. While someone cleans my house, I can work on planning my homeschool week, or take the kids out to the park.
Take Care of Mom, Too
Right now, though, this is the situation we’re in, and we’re committed to making it work. I have to be careful here, because I absolutely want to be clear that I believe there is no universal right curriculum or right homeschooling “method” or style. We’re very far on the informal end of things, but I believe that for some families, a much more structured approach is the right one. I bet yours is too – so give yourself the freedom of writing it down. The title graphic for this guide shows my ACTUAL to-do list from 2012, from a calendar pad I got each year at the kiosk in the mall. I generally wrote part-time job items toward the top, full-time job items in the middle and personal and family items at the bottom.
Don’t forget the reason you’re working and homeschooling – it’s because you feel homeschooling, and more importantly, being with your child, is important. That means, to me, that I never give Ashar the impression that I’m consistently too busy for him. When you DO go back to work after an “interruption” like that, it’s almost always with a positive, rejuvenated attitude. I currently work a full-time job and co-run a business as a “large-hours part-time” job.
Question 6: What was one fear you had when it came to working & homeschooling?
Some days I don’t make a single portion of food in the kitchen. I’ve gone from the mom who does it all to the mom who is rushing around wondering what she’s forgetting. However, I love getting to peek into someone else day to find out what homeschooling and “Life” look like. Yet our childcare situation is not solid. Our parents are getting older and may not be able to help indefinitely.
They were happy to have jobs, some were married, others were widowed or divorced, but those women – they were real life survivors. I settle into work, reading and finally emptying my inbox remarking unread to those I need to take action on. Around 4 pm my husband and I go to the gym. We talk about the day and what workout we have to do.
Alternate Shifts With Your Spouse
It might not seem like much but it is nice to connect. My time to think, reflect, find the good moments and get rid of stress. A whole 30 minutes to hang out in my head. Sometimes this is a good thing, others, not so much. I have dragged myself out of bed, filled a cup of coffee. I love that I can set it the day before and it is hot and waiting in the morning.
I have 4 boys between the ages of 3 and 9. I’ve worried that I won’t be able to give my kids and house the attention I should, but it really comes down to priorities and organization, doesn’t it? I’m a single mom working outside the home part time+ while homeschooling my 2nd grader. WOW am I glad I have foud this…..so many gems here! While I live in Pennsylvania, one of the best resources I’ve found for working parents who homeschool is this list from Homeschooling in North Carolina. There are forums, essays and all sorts of help, from practical tips to simple reassurances that it CAN be done.
The Hobbit Unit Study - integrated writing lessons for The Hobbit
We haven’t looked back since that “Leap Day Leap” out of public school. I’m not a mother doing home-schooling but a manager trying to find some resources on how to help the people I work with that have been pushed into it by COVID. The situation is definitely one of a kind and not being a parent is pushing my boundaries as to what I can do to support my gals on this new role.
You might also consider mixing independent work that your children can do during your work shifts with more activity-based lessons you can do in the evenings or on weekends. If you and your spouse both work full- or part-time outside the home, you may think homeschooling is out of the question. Although having both parents working outside the home does make homeschooling trickier, with efficient planning and creative scheduling, it can be done. Here are some practical tips for successfully homeschooling while working outside the home. It feels like it was personally written for me. You sure speak like you’ve figured out ways to stay sane, on those crazy days when schooling, life work just gets too much.
I have to communicate with my husband about school days, my work schedule, doctor’s appointments and field trip plans. Don’t get stuck in the rut of thinking that homeschooling has to look like a traditional school setting. Learning can happen at any time, not just Mondays through Fridays, 9AM until 3PM.
Keeping an organized homeschool will benefit any family, but is vital to moms who are juggling even more. I’m also flexible on what comes first for each day. If I am awake with the little kids before the older kids wake up, I do independent work with them first. By the time we are finished, the older kids are usually ready for our group subjects. My kids cook because they want to eat, and if they want to eat, they must cook because this momma is not going to do it for them.
When we get home from work, we will review their work, or tackle a subject that requires our help or attention. They have sports, meeting with a tutor, and other extracurricular various days of the week. Homeschooling allowed us to travel off-season, to expand our kids’ interest deeper into subjects they were passionate about.
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