30 Sep The Best Tips for Homeschooling and Working Parents

Homeschooling is not an easy task. If you are a working parent, it’s even harder. Finding a balance that works for your family can be a challenge. I know – I’m there in the trenches with you! I’ve been homeschooling my children from the beginning and we are now entering the high school years. I’ve also been a full-time night shift nurse for almost 30 years. I was determined that my need to work was not going to stop me from homeschooling. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Through the years, we have found a system that works for us – and I know that you can do the same. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy (it’s not!), but it’s possible. In this blog post, I’m going to share my best tips for homeschooling and working parents. They are valuable tips that I have incorporated into our lives while homeschooling with both parents working.

Teach Your Children Independence

Your success in homeschooling is going to be a family affair. It’s going to require the participation of every single person in your family – including your partner and the kids! One person cannot work full-time, homeschool the kids, manage a household and sleep. It’s physically impossible. So sharing household tasks is vital.

I started teaching my children independence as soon as possible. This has been a life-saver for me. We started small, and as they grew older, they were given more and more complex tasks and responsibilities. When the children could crawl around and play with toys, they were taught to clean those toys up when they were done. They learned how to make simple sandwiches for lunch. Now as pre-teens, they are responsible for laundry, dishes, vacuuming and other various chores around the house. They have been taught how to follow a recipe, and they know their way around the kitchen. Thankfully, they love to make meals and bake, so they will often look after dinner.

Now, to keep it real – there were many days, where I thought “WHY AM I DOING THIS?!” Teaching young children can be extremely time consuming and exhausting. Yes, it’s much easier to do it yourself, but take my advice and stick with it! This is a long-term project and it is so worth the time that you put in to it!

Make a Schedule, Then Get Creative

There is no way that I could homeschool without a schedule. Especially with two children. There are too many things to remember. So each week, I sit down for an hour or so and make a plan for the coming days.

Being organized and planning ahead is one of the best tips to manage your time as full-time working parents and homeschooling. However – don’t make the mistake of making your schedule your master! It is there to serve you, not to enslave you. Read more about this when you have time.

My schedule is an Excel spreadsheet that I change and adjust weekly to fit our needs. We call it the “Checkoff List.” Sometimes everything gets checked off, and sometimes they don’t. It’s not something I stress about.

When you are making your schedule, don’t forget to make time for extracurricular activities and downtime. One of the great benefits of homeschooling is that you can tailor your child’s education to their interests and passions. Take advantage of this by scheduling in activities that interest your child, like sports, music lessons, nature walks, and art classes. I also make sure that I include some downtime each day. This can be used for relaxing, a short nap, playing outside, hobbies, or anything else that we may enjoy.

Schedule Homeschooling Around Your Schedule

While many other homeschoolers are working their life around homeschooling, us working parents don’t typically have that luxury. I have scheduled hours when I have to be at work. So, for the most part, homeschooling happens when I’m at home. The great thing about homeschooling is that it doesn’t matter when it happens. You can homeschool during the day, the evenings, or even on the weekends – whatever fits your family! If the weather is beautiful, we will often take a day (or month) off, and work through our hot summers.

Don’t get bogged down with the idea that you have to imitate public school and have operating hours. You don’t. Make your schedule work for you and your family!

Set Realistic Expectations

One of the most important things you can do as a working parent who is also homeschooling is to set realistic expectations for yourself and your family. You’re not going to be able to do everything! Your house is not always going to be spotless. You’re not always going to be able to complete everything on your checkoff list. Sometimes dinner might be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (again). You might have to take a nap while the kids veg in front of the TV for a couple of hours. It’s okay! Just focus on doing the best you can with the time and resources you have available. I promise you, your children will not suffer.

Take Advantage of Technology

Although I’m not a huge fan of technology, I recognize that it can be a great resource for both parents and students when homeschooling. We use tablets to access ebooks, listen to audios, watch videos, and to do research. As a Charlotte Mason homeschooler, I have my children narrate everything that they read, and often have them send me their audio narrations through a chat feature. This way I can listen when I have time.

There are tons of online resources available that can make homeschooling easier and more fun for everyone involved. Make sure to take advantage of them!

Homeschooling while working full-time can be a challenge, but it’s definitely doable with some careful planning and organization. I hope these tips for homeschooling and working parents will help you achieve some balance, so that life can be easier and more enjoyable for you and your children.