Can you be a work at home parent and homeschool, or is homeschooling reserved for stay at home parents?
The economic turbulence of the past couple of years means that for many families, relying on a single income is not an option. It’s not just that one income doesn’t cover the average family’s expenses – it’s also that relying on one income is very risky! If the breadwinner loses their job, the family could quickly become destitute.
Traditionally, homeschooling moms were always good at saving, conserving, reusing, and being as frugal as possible. These days, more and more of them are looking for ways to contribute to the family’s income without giving up homeschooling. Can it be done?
We believe it can. Of course, the older your child is, the easier it would be for you to get work done while they are studying, simply because older kids are much more independent than younger kids. In addition, pre teens and teens don’t have the same emotional needs as young kids – for young children, having you sit with them and pay attention to them is crucial – they need you!
However, even with young children, you can organize your day in a way that makes it possible to homeschool and get some work done. Make yourself available for those tasks that require your undivided attention, and use the time when your child does independent work to finish your own tasks.
Our last piece of advice for combining working with homeschooling: relax your standards when it comes to how your house looks. Just like any working mom, the worst thing you can do is to try and be a “supermom” who works, raises her kids and keeps a spotless home. The pressure and stress are simply not worth it, so get your priorities straight and realize that teaching your kids and contributing to the family’s income are far more important than keeping a spotless home!
