How to Homeschool and Work Full-Time
May 16, 2022If you’re reading this post right now, my guess is that you’re either overwhelmed by working full-time while homeschooling or worried that you will be in the future. Whether you’re juggling working and homeschooling because you have to or because you want to, what you’re feeling is completely understandable.
Homeschooling while having a job is definitely challenging, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to feel impossible. With a little flexibility and creative thinking, you can work full-time and homeschool without losing your sanity. Here are six ways that you can do that now!
Create a Schedule
A set schedule is an absolute necessity to pull off working while homeschooling. Without it, you run the risk of dropping the ball on one of your obligations and failing to get things done. Your homeschooling schedule may not look like everyone else’s, but that’s ok. While other people may homeschool during traditional school hours, your homeschool hours may be early in the mornings, late in the evenings, every other day, or even on weekends. As long as you are following your state homeschooling laws and your kids are learning and thriving, the particular time that you homeschool doesn’t matter. Just be sure to create a set schedule and do your best to stick with it.
Click here to download a printable schedule for free.
Select the Right Curriculum
Picking a curriculum that works for your family and circumstances is extremely
important. If you work 8 hours a day, you probably don’t have time for a curriculum that requires you to sit next to your child for hours and read step by step from a teacher’s manual. So how do you find a curriculum that will work well for a busy parent with a full-time job? Ask for samples and look at reviews!
If the curriculum requires that you read a script for the entirety of each lesson, don’t buy it. Look for an open-and-go option that only requires you to teach a short lesson before allowing your kids to work independently.
Outsource Subjects
Being a homeschooler doesn’t mean that you have to teach every subject yourself. Outsourcing subjects is completely ok and sometimes absolutely necessary for parents who work full-time. No matter what anyone says or thinks, hiring a tutor or enrolling your kid in an online class doesn’t make you less of a fantastic homeschool parent. Outsourcing is actually a smart move because it saves time, reduces stress, and your kid still gets a good education at the end of the day. If it makes you feel any better, I’m a former teacher and I STILL plan on outsourcing certain classes when my boys get older.
Ask for Help
Asking for help can be hard, but so is doing everything on your own. Ask your parents or friends to help watch the kids while you work sometimes. Ask your partner to help with lesson planning. Ask a veteran homeschooler for advice on how to make homeschooling easier. If you need help to make homeschooling while having a full-time job work, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Don’t Make Comparisons
“Comparison is the thief of joy” is one of the most accurate quotes I’ve ever heard. As a working parent who also homeschools, you may not have the time or energy to do every fun project, field trip, or cute activity that another homeschool parent does, but that’s ok! If you’re doing your best and your kids are learning, don’t let comparisons to others steal your homeschool joy.
Find Your Tribe
Connecting with other homeschooling parents who work will help you feel more supported and understood. Make it your mission to seek out connections with like-minded homeschoolers on social media or in-person via co-ops and events. Homeschooling while having a full-time job will have its challenges and tough days, but that’s a normal part of any homeschooling journey. With a solid plan in place to balance work and teaching, your family’s homeschooling experience can still be everything that you hoped it would be.
More about the author:
Victoria Jones is an educator and the founder of Curriculum & Culture. She is passionate about sharing her love of books with students and inspiring them to develop an authentic love of reading.
Additional Homeschool Resources
Parents Share Their Best Homeschooling Tips
How to Handle Homeschooling and Working
Podcast: Tips for Single Parents Who Are Homeschooling and Working
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