Working While Homeschooling
Community Question: “Can you work while homeschooling?” Susan P.
I posted a guest post on Monday from my friend Heather at Upside Down Homeschooling about How in the World do you Homeschool and Work.
Since I worked full-time during our first 3 years of homeschooling I receive a lot of questions about how this can be done. You can read my full series on how the Lord helped me become a stay-at-home mom in Choosing Home. Hear me though, I understand that as mothers we don’t always have a choice. I’m no better because I quit my job, held onto Jesus, and stayed home by faith. After the season when I came home full-time my husband was laid off for 5-months; I had to go back to work on the weekends to EAT and SAVE OUR HOUSE. Read how the Lord provided when my husband lost his job.
In our season of lay off I kept my job, held onto Jesus, and worked weekends again by faith.
Just like the cost of having children, homeschooling is worth the cost. (If you need help and ideas for frugal homeschooling read Homeschooling for Free & Frugal) My heart ached when I heard from a former homeschool mom who felt she had no other choice but to put her children in another educational setting, because she had to return to work. I want to encourage mothers who have a heart for homeschooling that it’s worth any creative wrangling to keep your homeschool dreams alive; even if that means working while homeschooling for a season.
My real life friend Joesette is a testimony of this. I applaud her perseverance and diligence to keep her family’s homeschool thriving while working full-time for the last year! Read her post for tips in support of today’s community question, “Can you work while homeschooling?”
In a perfect homeschool world, dad goes to work every day, mom wears pearls while she vacuums and teaches geometry, and the kids read Shakespeare for fun. Now back to the real world. Typically, the homeschooling parent is a stay at home parent, but what happens when that’s not the case? How do you survive working and homeschooling at the same time? It’s not easy, trust me. I’ve just spent the last 9 months working the graveyard shift, while homeschooling my two girls.
Here’s a few things I‘ve learned the hard way.
1. JUST SAY NO! Seriously, you can’t be all things to all people all of the time. So just say no to the request to help with every group event, church event and homeschool event that comes down the pipeline. Believe it or not, it will get done without you. However, if it absolutely won’t get done without you, then so be it…no event this week, month, year as the case may be. Life will go on.
2. Delegate housework. Your kids, no matter their ages are capable of helping out around the house in some capacity. Not sure what job goes with what age? Check out Jamerill’s Age Specific Chore List. Remember, they may not do it the same way you do it, but it’s ok. Really.
3. Get a substitute teacher. For years I’d asked my husband to help with some aspect of homeschooling, with no luck. Then when I started working the graveyard shift, and getting 2-3 hours of sleep a day (yes really) he started subbing for me. Believe it or not he had fun. The kids did learn. Life went on.
4. Convenience is the key. Ok, for the most part homeschool moms are frugal, believe me I know! However, there are times when the working, homeschooling parent just doesn’t have the time to be frugal. Get take out for dinner, buy store bought goodies for this weeks thing that you didn’t say no to. Come on, you KNOW you didn’t really follow #1 to it’s fullest.
5. Give the kids more responsibility concerning their education. Obviously, younger children need a lot more help than older kids. Still, you can give even the youngest a daily check list. “Read Bible, practice spelling, read 3 chapters in your book, recite your multiplications facts.” The list will look different for each child, but it’ll free up some of your time and give them a sense of responsibility.
6. Use your crockpot. A few moments of preparation in the mornings will save you a considerable amount of time when you get home from work. Try some new recipes, like this yummy French toast, or maybe crockpot roast beef, or how about a melt in your mouth whole chicken?
7. Get some rest. Ok, I fail miserably in this area, I admit that. But when you find yourself slurring your words, or babbling incoherently, you’ve gone too far. Trust me, after pulling multiple 24 – 36 hour stretches without sleep in the last few months, I’ve realized it’s not good. DUH!! Your body can only take so much and then it flat-out says “that’s it, I’m done”. Typically this happens at the most inappropriate times.
8. Pray! Ask God to give you clear direction on what things are necessary and which ones aren’t. Ask Him for strength, patience and sweet rest. Thank Him for giving you the strength and ability to work outside the home and teach your children. Remember, this too shall pass.
Joesette is the mother of two beautiful daughters and they have just completed their 5th year of homeschooling. She can currently be found blogging at Learning Curve and S.A.H.M. I Am!
What are your tips? Do you homeschool and work?
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I believe there are a lot of variables to this situation. When my children were under 12, I would have said, “NO Way!” But as they have gotten older, I have adult and teenaged children in the home, I have learned that you can be creative in this area. But we must remember, that what works for others may not work for us and we should never compare our homes and our families with all the others that we read about.
I do work part-time and homeschool. But I have learned a few things in this area I’d like to share. First, several years ago I worked a full-time job outside the home while my husband was layed off and going to school. It was EXTREMELY difficult. And, it was that experience that led my husband to turn down scholarships and acceptance into a difficult program of study with a lucrative, promising career in the end so that momma could once again be home with her children.
I now work part-time at home. This has worked out wonderfully for everyone. My children are old enough (8 is the youngest) to understand that when momma is in the office not to bother her. I have set “office hours” (mostly when they are sleeping) and the rest of the time I am available for them.
One last comment. If you endeavor to make money to help with the family budget, analyze what you are doing. Are you truly making money or are you just messing around with a hobby or ministry that is a distraction to your home? Also, do you NEED to make this money? Ask yourself what your motivation is for taking the time away from your family when your children need you to be with them. Search your heart, search your husband’s heart, and seek the will of the Father.
I have worked within the home as a self-published author since 1994. For us it has worked well and it is at best a part-time job. I began publishing with two teens and one infant and continued on through teaching high school and having two more babies. My youngest is now 11 and I can say that it takes organization and the entire families commitment to help with everything from household chores to working independently if necessary.
School comes first. In the morning works best for us so that by noon my children know that our “group” school is over. We are a big unit study family and can’t imagine working from home and teaching my children any other way! I looked at my life before publishing and I found my days were spent with many, many, many (did I say many?) volunteer positions taking up my time. While noble in part these really took my time away from my family because it took me out of the home. Not to say that you can’t volunteer but for me it quickly turned into leadership positions and I realized I had to say, no.
Now I run an online webinar series in “real” time and that too has been tweaked to fit around my children’s schedule. Other than the live events my children know they can always interrupt me if needed and we use many techniques to keep us all on track. One of the best is a daily check list of activities. It gives us all a sense of accomplishment and accountability.
If I didn’t feel the Lord was leading, first with the writing of Creation curriculum, a Bible Study for homeschoolers, publishing, speaking, as well as a webinar series that blesses and encourages parents world-wide I would quit today! My husband and I pray often about the Lord’s will and while HE keeps me going in this direction I’ll say, Yes!
I work from home, which may be another topic altogether in it’s challenges re: balancing home, homeschooling, and work. I have found that it is definitely a balancing act that looks a little bit different each day/week as you juggle various activities and situations that life throws your way. That’s one of the things I most love about homeschooling – the flexibility!
Thank you so much for posting on this topic recently! This is a great post, as was the guest post earlier this week. I just finished my first year homeschooling my son and also work p/t from home. There have been ups and downs throughout the year, but knowing I am not alone has been an encouragement. I wish I could be a full time homeschool mom and teach both my kids (youngest goes to public school for now). But this is my season for now and I need every ounce of God’s grace to keep going. He has already shown me ways to make it easier next year, and I am not giving up, the blessings are totally outnumbering the struggles. I look forward to the day that God opens the door for my daughter to be home too.
My husband and I own our own business and work full time 6 days a week. I homeschooled my kids from first grade for the eldest and K5 for the youngest all the way to graduation. They came to work with us every day and sometimes during the really busy times we did a little before work and/or a little after work. They both did well and are in college. Picking curricula with good support materials is one of the most helpful things. It made math and science easier. It can be done but you have to have commitment from both parents.
I love that you asked “do you NEED the money?”! I worked part-time when we did NEED the money, but promptly quit when things were “ok”. Then this past fall my husband was laid off for 3 months and God let us know that it wasn’t His will for me to go back to work, but that we were to trust Him completely. And I must say, this was one of the most peaceful times in our lives! Always seeking God’s will and following it is what makes life’s circumstances bearable and even enjoyable!!
I am in nursing school & plan to graduate next spring. I will also begin our homeschool adventure next year.
I plan to work a few shifts a week while I homeschool. I appreciate the tips.
I work part-time.. I go into the office 1 day a week and then work a couple of hours from home the rest of the week. It can be a tough balance.. but it is where I need to be right now and help the family. It however, works out just fine for homeschooling 🙂
I work outside of the home and homeschool 3 girls – ages 9, 12, 14. I work as a nurse in a local hospital. My shifts are 12 hours and very flexible. I work some days, some nights, some weekends. On the days that I work, the girls have “independent study days” with a list of things that need to accomplish. They are also responsible of keeping things cleaned up. We have done this for 3 years and are loving it. My husband’s call to seminary is how the Lord brought us to this place. I have felt (at times) that I was looked down on because I worked outside the home. However, I know that the Lord placed nursing in my life for this time. I am thankful to have the opportunity to use that skill as well as keep my children at home. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much for this post. I have been wrestling with the possibility of this and what that would look like. Six years ago my husband and I gave up a semi-comfortable lifestyle in the Chicago area for a move to rural MN. We know that we know that we know we are supposed to be here. We lead worship at a small church in a small town with not too many alternate jobs available. Our salary was severely cut in Jan 2012. Along with all the other rising hurts and drama that encompass any situation in a church during a time like this. So not fun, and so ugly. Sometimes enough to make you want to step away from your faith, And yet so many precious times as well. Anyhow, I was surprised when our pastor’s wife suggested we just put our son in school and both get jobs or whatever it would take to make this all work. Oy. Six months into this, the drama is still there, we’re still a spiritual punching bag, and are contemplating how we could do this if we both found part time jobs to make up for the chunk of change we are still getting from the church, maintain homeschooling, and possibly leave a toxic environment until God shows us what to do next.. Thanks for the post and encouragement.
LOVED this!! I am a full-time, stay-at-home-mom who wants to homeschool my son. Thing is, I’ve been wanting to start a business {from home, of course}. I kept thinking that I might have to choose between the two… this post has made me think that it very well may be possible for me to run a home business AND homeschool my child. Thank you for this encouragement!!
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I have been struggling with my son who is now in middle school and does not like himself. I work full time and does my husband and have been thinking that I may need to send him to a boarding school for his sake. Out of desperation and fear of losing him and faith in our home I started looking at working and homeschooling and this may just work! God bless y’all for giving me hope and allowing us into your lives so that we, that are struggling, can see that homeschooling does not have to be just like school but at home.