So am I and so do I. Public school is no longer an option, but the ever-so-coveted (in the nursing world at least) Monday through Friday job poses certain obstacles when it comes to homeschooling a 10 and 7-year-old. So how am I doing it?
As you probably know, homeschooling realistically takes only a fraction of the time that traditional schooling takes. You are able to move at the pace of your child(ren) and only spend as much time as he/she needs to master each topic, or skip a topic altogether if you feel it is not necessary. For older children, independent and/or online study takes the place of long hours in a classroom without the need for a “teacher” to be hovering constantly. For my children, there is a mix of independence and need for assistance. My 10 year old can complete most of her work independently. My 6 year old, on the other hand, works best with assistance.
Some things we do to help maximize our available time is:
- Complete any independent work while at the grandparents’ house during our work hours.
- Incorporate as much learning as possible into everyday tasks—grocery shopping, house work, house and vehicle maintenance, gardening, etc.
- Dedicate specific evening and sometimes weekend hours to the work that needs focus and assistance.
By doing these things, my husband and I am are both still able to work full time while we homeschool our children and continue to try to keep an acceptable work/life/school balance.
If we can do it, so can you! If homeschooling is what you want but leaving your job or working from home is not an option, get creative! As long as your children are learning what you feel is necessary (or mandated by your state, if you are in a state with stricter homeschool laws), WHEN they learn it or HOW they learn it is completely up to YOU!
Your Homeschooling, Full-Time Working Mama,
Olivia
