Working Homeschool Mom: Practical Tips

Tips for Homeschool Moms Working Outside the Home

• Work evening shifts. Homeschool during the day and work in the evening. Dad can be home in the evenings and help kids finish up their school work.
• Ask your employer if working remotely is an option. Perhaps they would consider a part-time remote arrangement, allowing you to work from home a few days each week.
• Consider working a 4-day work week and homeschool on the other 3 days. No one says that homeschooling can’t happen on the weekends.
• Communicate with your children well and set clear expectations. Make sure your kids know the expectations for their schoolwork and behavior while you’re gone.
• Check in with your kids during the day with video calls to monitor their progress and answer questions.
• Homeschool on a year-round schedule. This reduces the amount of daily homeschool hours.
• Enlist the support of grandparents, other family members, or a tutor to assist with homeschooling during your work hours. Leave simpler tasks for them to complete with the kids.
• Try using block scheduling for your homeschool routine. Focus on homeschooling during specific blocks of time, such as early mornings or evenings, and leave afternoons for independent work.
• Make family meals like breakfast or dinner a time for family learning, discussions, Bible study, or read-alouds.
• Consider curricula that allows for independent study, like online courses.
• Swap a homeschool day with another homeschool family. They teach all the kids on a day that you work, and you teach all the kids on a day when they work.
• Create a small “Teaching Pod” with a few other homeschool families. Together, hire a retired homeschool mom to teach a small group of kids daily.
• Plan fun, hands-on family activities like science experiments, art, or cooking for the evenings when you are home.
• Remember to pray together often, be flexible, and give lots of grace to each other. Understand that some days may not go as planned, but you can always fix it tomorrow.

Tips for Homeschool Moms Working At Home

• Using a block schedule for your daily routine provides structure, while also allowing for more flexibility within each subject.
• Choose a time to end school each day and stick to it. If school is scheduled to end at 1 pm, then stick to that schedule even if only spelling and half of a math assignment got done. Mom then has her work time. Pick up where you left off tomorrow.
• Protect your school hours. Don’t do laundry or talk on the phone when you’re doing school. Be focused and limit distractions. Know that every time Mom gets up and leaves the room, it’s a distraction to all the kids.
• When Mom is working and cannot be interrupted, wear brightly colored headphones as a visual reminder for the kids that they are not to disturb mom.
• Communicate your expectations to your kids often. Remind them of when they can and cannot interrupt mom.
• Be flexible. Make a daily list and prioritize what has to be done that day and work on those.
• Understand the recommended number of minutes your child should be engaged in schoolwork based on their age:

• Plan work during nap times, early mornings, or when your children are engaged in independent study or quiet playtime.
• Know what’s coming in your curriculum. Plan ahead so you don’t have last-minute science experiments that need several items.
• Use screen time wisely and save educational videos or documentaries for times when you need uninterrupted work time.
• Create sets of small quiet toys your younger child can play with while sitting quietly next to mom, such as play dough, pattern blocks, or coloring.
• Take advantage of online learning tools and incorporate online classes or tutoring when mom is working.
• Alternate between work time and homeschool time to keep both your kids and your work moving forward.
• During work breaks, connect with your kids and check on their progress, or read books together and play outside.
• Prepare for your day by reviewing your homeschool and work tasks the night before to stay on track during the day. Maximize your meal prep by preparing lunches and snacks ahead of time to avoid disruptions during your working hours.

Tips for Managing Your Home

• Create a visual family calendar to track everyone’s activities and homeschooling responsibilities so nothing gets forgotten.
• Delegate household tasks by involving your kids in simple, age-appropriate chores to help balance household management with homeschooling and work. Consider using chore charts.
• On the weekends, create a meal plan for the week, and prepare dinners together as a family activity to free up time during the workweek for homeschooling and family time.
• Maximize your meal prep by preparing lunches and snacks ahead of time to avoid disruptions during your working hours.
• Outsource or simplify housework. Consider hiring help for cleaning or using meal deliveries to reduce your workload. You may feel like this is money well spent!