How many professionals are on these forums?

[Michelle in MO]

I've been thinking about this for a while:

 

How many professional moms (and dads) are on these forums? I'll post some poll options, but leave the definition of "professional" open to include other categories other than the ones I've posted.

 

How do you balance your professional career with homeschooling? Is your career on hold for now? Do you still work in your chosen field part-time?

 

Feel free to comment as needed on how you balance homeschooling and career.

[Guest tea]

My husband teaches on week days, and I teach 2 evenings and weekends so we're both keeping our skills current.

[Michelle in MO]

I'm going back to school now myself to become a teacher. How does your schedule work out, balancing homeschooling plus your job? I find myself extremely busy, just taking classes, taking care of the house, and managing three kids and their activities.

[Cammie]

I am a lawyer. I work from home now doing mostly paralegal type work. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to get back into a full time practice but not now.

[Alice]

I'm a pediatrician and dh is an architect. We both work part-time and stay home part-time with the kids. I am home much more than I work, dh works more than he is home. Eventually, the plan is that he will teach the kids as well, although right now I do almost all the teaching. I'm never gone more than half a day so we can get everything done when I'm home.

 

We love our arrangement. It's just enough work for me to feel like I'm staying up to date in my career, and I also do enjoy medicine. Financially what would make the most sense would be for me to work full-time and dh to stay home, but neither of us want to do that. He likes being home the little bit he is though.

 

It does require a lot of organization. We are both also people who are willing to just do what needs to be done around the house and with the kids so although we're both busy, neither of us is overwhelmed.

 

Neither of us put our careers on hold, but both of us have made sacrifices in our careers in order to have this lifestyle. I'd say that's a bigger deal for dh than me. A lot of pediatricians are part-time these days (in fact 5 out of the 11 in my practice are part-time). It's still fairly unusual for men to be part-time in any profession, I think. Dh's office has been great about allowing him to be part-time but he has been passed over for promotions and knows he'll never advance farther because of being part-time. I think it bothers him a little but he's come to peace with it.

[vettechmomof2]

I am a licensed veterinary technician.

I mainly work part time(4 days a week) except for the month of Feb ( where I work 6 days a week).

It is a struggle at times but my hubby takes over where I leave off for the time but I keep everything written down and we discuss it all at the beginning of the week and he peruses it first so that he also has an understanding of what is going on.

[creekland]

Teaching and Civil Engineering here. I work part time (subbing as a math/science teacher in our local public high school). Hubby works full time from our house with his Civil Engineering firm.

 

My kids (all teens) are independent learners, so their job is their schooling. Either hubby or I grade and do discussions. It works very well even if we're both out of the house for the day (but that doesn't happen too often).

[LizzyBee]

I'm a CPA; I work FT during tax season and PT the rest of the year. The firm I work for gives me a lot of flexibility. I homeschool the kids in the mornings and go to work after lunch. I also work at home 2 days/week. My dh has been working on an MDiv degree for a long time, but he's hasn't taken any classes in over a year, so this tax season he is taking on more homeschooling responsbility. He has been doing all the grocery shopping and at least half the other cooking and cleaning for years. He also does all the yardwork, home repairs, and auto maintenance (ex-mechanic).

[AngieC]

I'm an accountant (life long CPA candidate at this point because I will never finish the work requirement and send in the paperwork). I haven't worked since my dd was born in 2004.

 

I would love to work PT, but I was primarily a corporate accountant and it's much more difficult to find PT work than if I had done tax/public work.

[Michelle in MO]

Neither of us put our careers on hold, but both of us have made sacrifices in our careers in order to have this lifestyle. I'd say that's a bigger deal for dh than me. A lot of pediatricians are part-time these days (in fact 5 out of the 11 in my practice are part-time). It's still fairly unusual for men to be part-time in any profession, I think. Dh's office has been great about allowing him to be part-time but he has been passed over for promotions and knows he'll never advance farther because of being part-time. I think it bothers him a little but he's come to peace with it.

 

Yes, I can see where it requires quite a lot of dedication and organization on the part of both parents in order to make it work. I did not realize that many pediatricians are part-time, although come to think of it, our next-door neighbor is a pediatrician and has been working part-time since she had twins two years ago. She doesn't homeschool, but having twins (they already had another child) forced a change in their schedule.

 

My girls are in private school this year, but my middle daughter has asked me about homeschooling her next year again; she doesn't think she wants to return to the private school next year, and isn't sure if she wants to go to the local public school next year. So, all three are in school now, and I'm only taking two classes (although one is graduate-level), and just between the two classes and the rest of my schedule (i.e., activities every night of the week) it's hard for me to imagine being any busier--that is, if we homeschool next year.

 

She will be 16 years old then, however, and has asked us about letting her get her driver's license then and letting her have a car (not sure about that one). She thinks homeschooling again might work, if she could take some classes at our local community college. If we do this, I think I'd have her take online classes for the rest and supervise her work. I just don't think I could be as intensely involved as I was when we homeschooled before. That, on top of my present schoolwork, would make me a case for burnout!

 

I should also add that my dh is a lawyer, and he works easily 50+ hours a week. He helps quite a lot with our kids, but his lack of free time would most likely prohibit him from helping a whole lot more than he already does.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Michelle in MO
additional info.

[OhM]

Registered professional engineer (electrical).

 

I was able to secure a temporary, part-time position with my husband's A/E firm on an as-needed basis. It's working beautifully with home schooling (especially now that I have almost-two teenagers.)

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I'm in school pursuing a PhD. In a long, long time (8 years or so!) I'll be a history professor.

 

Right now, I schedule my classes either all in the mornings/evenings or all on 2-3 days a week. For example last semester, all of my classes were on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we still had the rest of the week to do schoolwork. This semester I have classes MWF mornings and W night, so we still have quite a bit of time free.

 

By the time I get my PhD and start teaching, she'll be 12. By then I'll be able to reasonably expect her to do some of her school work on her own, and we'll do the rest when I get home.

 

At least... that's my plan. :tongue_smilie:

[BamaTanya]

and I'm a part-time adjunct instructor. No job security (term-to-term) and not a lot of pay, but lots of flexibility and I'm keeping current in my profession (teacher education). I also am completing a graduate research project toward my degree. I'm loving it so far -- just started my 3rd term!

[Tree House Academy]

I ama technical writer and my husband is an engineer. I do not work right now, other than some freelance writing here and there (and lately, they are few and VERY far between). My staying home with this kids and teaching them allows my husband to have such a professional career. He is actually a director of engineering and has earned several certifications that put him higher on the ladder during our marriage. He tells me all the time that, without me doing what I am doing, there is no way he could do what he does. It was hard to give up my career (for the most part), but very rewarding to watch him flourish with his. He makes more money now alone that we made early in the marriage with both of us working! And I know that what I am doing for my kids is much more than I could ever do as a writer of technical manuals! LOL

Edited February 19, 2010 by Tree House Academy

[Granny_Weatherwax]

and I'm a part-time adjunct instructor. No job security (term-to-term) and not a lot of pay, but lots of flexibility and I'm keeping current in my profession (teacher education). I also am completing a graduate research project toward my degree. I'm loving it so far -- just started my 3rd term!

 

I am an adjunct, too. The flexibility is great for homeschooling. I tried teaching 3 courses last term and it was too much; the equivalent of full time employment. I chose only one course this term and am much more relaxed and available for my DS.

 

My DH works full time and travels quite a bit for his job. 99.9% of hsing duties are mine.

[Michelle in MO]

I apologize for forgetting about professions like engineering and writing; when I typed this up this morning, these were the professions that came to my mind first thing---before I'd had a full cup of coffee! :)

[aggieamy]

DH and I are both registered professional engineers (civil). Right now we afterschool but our long term plans involve both of us working from home, he would be full-time and I would be part-time (10 hours a week or so). First we have to have kids though!

[katilac]

I'm a writer, dh is a manager, and we are both entrepreneurs :D.

 

Balance? I write very, very part-time, because it's not what brings in the money. We try to make our other business ventures things that the whole family can work on (including dd11 and dd9), so that time is still being spent together.

 

Housework is always the first thing to go, lol! And home improvement in general; we limp along with some kinda funky things that should be replaced, b/c we don't take the time to decide what we want, buy it, and replace it.

[SproutMamaK]

I'm an insurance broker. My career is on hold indefinitely, until I'm not needed at home anymore. At that point I likely won't go back anyways - the stress was insane, and I can make a good living doing photography (I now have a decent photography business on the side - I'd prefer to build that business over one in insurance).

[Vida Winter]

I'm a computer engineer but for all practical purposes am retired from the workforce so I can homeschool.

 

ETA: Not a professional engineer (PE).

Edited February 19, 2010 by Dana in OR

[Alisa in Florida]

much as I hate to say it, homeschooling is what got put on hold when I had to go back to work a few years ago. I'm just barely hanging in there with afterschooling at this point.

 

I wish I could figure out a way to do more, but with dh and I both working, we just haven't been able to do much more that supervise homework. Most of what I call afterschooling takes place during school breaks and in the summer.

[Jackie in AR]

I'm a CPA, but left the workforce when my oldest children were born.

[Guest]

I have a PhD in British Literature and taught part-time at our local university until my daughter was about 8 1/2 and diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Until then I'd juggled work and homeschooling but after that I quit to deal with investigating therapies etc.

 

Since then I've taught at a homeschool co-op, published several articles on homeschooling a child with special needs, and am trying -- not very successfully -- to find time to write a book.

[SusanAR]

I'm a RN. My last job was in administration. Worked on my master's degree, but never finished my thesis. (tough times -my first husband had leukemia). Remarried, had more dc, and never went back to school/work.

[AngelBee]

I may not be a "professional" but I own a dance academy, instruct dance, and coach a high school dance team in addition to homeschooling. :D

[LittleIzumi]

I'm an editor and graphic designer. Dh works in pagination/layout at the same company. We work opposite shifts so I'm at home during the daya nd he's here in the evening. We are paying down debt so hopefully I can stay home while he goes to school soon (but I want to freelance edit).

[spradlin02]

I've been thinking about this for a while:

 

How many professional moms (and dads) are on these forums? I'll post some poll options, but leave the definition of "professional" open to include other categories other than the ones I've posted.

 

How do you balance your professional career with homeschooling? Is your career on hold for now? Do you still work in your chosen field part-time?

 

Feel free to comment as needed on how you balance homeschooling and career.

 

 

Why the (and dads)? What, we are only worthy of parentheses? (Parentheses), humpf. :tongue_smilie: I'm quitting my job and will no longer be "professional". Just amatuer.

[Michelle in MO]

Why the (and dads)? What, we are only worthy of parentheses? (Parentheses), humpf. :tongue_smilie: I'm quitting my job and will no longer be "professional". Just amatuer.

No, I didn't intend this post that way at all. It's just that most people tend to associate homeschooling with mothers only, but there are plenty of dads who are not only involved with homeschooling, but are the primary instructors of their children. :)

[Mosaicmind]

My dh is a chemist and I will finish my bachelor's in psychology in May and then start my master's in professional counseling this summer. We always intended for me to stay home and get my degree as the kids got older. I can take up to 7yrs to finish my master's, although I won't. I want to be done in 3-5yrs and then by that time, if the kids are still at home I will have the flexibility to work part-time or full-time because they will be old enough to stay home alone.

 

I fully intend to hs some of them through highschool and I am not for sure how this will all work out, but the Lord does so I just sit back and relax and let him tend to the details.

[Jackie in NE]

I was a commercial lender until my 1st dd was born.

Now, I am back in school, pursuing my 2nd bachelor's in accounting, with the intent of sitting for the CPA exam when I'm done with my coursework. So not actually a "professional" yet, but studying for a professional degree. I took two accounting courses last semester, and two this semester. It is going well, but it is a lot of work and I AM overwhelmed. My dh works 2/3 time on our ranch in another state, and 1/3 time as a CFO for a manufacturing firm (also in another state). His 1/3 time buys our groceries.

 

This translates to me being alone with 4dc, 3 of which I still homeschool. My eldest goes part-time to public school, and part-time to online Veritas Scholars academy.

 

I can't wait till this part of our life is over, we all live together again, and my dh and I share work-load and homeschooling duties. It has been enlightening to learn how many of you share work and home.

[MaryCatherine]

I'm an RN and currently work weekend nights. I plan to earn my Masters Degree in Nursing Education online and then teach. I'm not near a university right now, so if I'm ready to teach while kids are still at home, I'll teach online. But I'd love to find a quaint little college town somewhere.

[Michelle in MO]

This translates to me being alone with 4dc, 3 of which I still homeschool. My eldest goes part-time to public school, and part-time to online Veritas Scholars academy.

 

I can't wait till this part of our life is over, we all live together again, and my dh and I share work-load and homeschooling duties. It has been enlightening to learn how many of you share work and home.

 

The amount of work that some parents are doing amazes me--truly. I do spend a LOT of time in the evenings with the kids' activities, and our drive back and forth to school is also quite time-consuming.

 

If we end up homeschooling our middle daughter next year again, I think I will enroll her in the online course for Omnibus III, and do perhaps Chalkdust math at home, and then the rest of the courses through our local community college.

[fleischdoc]

I am a small animal veterinarian . I work Weds and Sats and my mom watches the kids on weds-dh gets them on sats. This has worked great for us-it's enough to keep my skills up and I like getting away for a day.

Lisa in MO

hsing 2 dds 12 and 9 and chasing 2yo twinados

[ereks mom]

...a BA in Christianity and another BA in Latin, as well as a MDiv in Biblical Studies & Pastoral Ministries.

[mcconnellboys]

Other, of course!

 

High-cost medical malpractice adjuster attached to the Governor's Office in Louisiana. Worked defense for a fund created by the health care professionals in that state to try to alleviate the problems associated with run away malpractice suits (it wasn't working). Several states have such Medical malpractice funds.

 

What I actually did, on a daily basis, was manage the most heinous level of cases we received, directing my attorneys in their discovery, wheeling and dealing on settlement negotiations with trial lawyers and drawing up settlement documents, taking cases to claims council, etc.

 

I'm also a paralegal and did some part-time work in that vein when I cut back my work hours.

 

Did you say you want to know about our husbands, I can't recall? Anyway, mine is a CPA, CIA, CISA, CMA who works at an audit manager for a high risk workers' comp company.

[gsanmb]

I'm a professor of political science. Currently I do some (infrequent) adjunct teaching, some freelance writing, and some consulting. However I am not in a tenure track position (unless you can get tenure in raising and educating your own kids! heh).

 

Dh is a surgeon; he is a hospitalist at the major hospital where we live.

[ekarl2]

I'm a major in the Air Force Reserve, but I'm on the IRR right now. Haven't done any time since Apr 08. I was active duty 98-02. Public Affairs.

 

I'm also a certified English teacher, 7th grade. I quit teaching when my son was born in Jan 08.

 

I am the majority owner of Analytical Grammar, a company my mother started in 1996. She lives with us now since she's battling cancer (and doing well, thank the Lord!). The international headquarters is my basement! LOL It's a PERFECT set up for us and we're very bless. AG is doing very well and replaced my teaching income to allow me to stay home with my babies and help mom since she's wheelchair bound. Who knew grammar could be so cool!?!?!

 

DH is a computer engineer with a defense contractor. He's home evenings and weekends.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I am a Mechanical Engineer. I don't work in the field though. Homeschooling is enough for me.

 

Dh is an Aerospace Engineer. He works hard and makes it possible for me to *just* homeschool.

[Michelle in MO]

This thread has been very instructive for me! I've been enjoying reading about your careers and educational backgrounds, as well as how you balance your careers and homeschooling and your families.

[Nakia]

I am an RN, and I work 3-5 shifts per month. I love it!!

[Michelle in MO]

...a BA in Christianity and another BA in Latin, as well as a MDiv in Biblical Studies & Pastoral Ministries.

I had no idea you had a BA in Latin! I am very impressed!

[ereks mom]

I had no idea you had a BA in Latin! I am very impressed!

 

He's great to have around when I have a Latin question. :)

[Donna]

I am a physical therapist. I work part time in home-based pediatric therapy aka Early Intervention. I set my own schedule so it is flexible and husband is home with the kids while I am at work.

[Joanne]

Graduate student to become a professional counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor and Licenced marriage and family counselor.

[Liz CA]

Hmmm. How does one define "professional"?

I am a translator/interpreter - dh has degrees in construction management and engineering technology.

Are we professionals? Perhaps we are just amateurs?

 

:D

[Michelle in MO]

Hmmm. How does one define "professional"?

I am a translator/interpreter - dh has degrees in construction management and engineering technology.

Are we professionals? Perhaps we are just amateurs?

 

:D

I'm sure you qualify. :D When I typed my post yesterday, I was barely awake and could only think of a few off the top of my head. Also, in case anyone is wondering, this thread is not intended to be exclusive or elitist; I just wondered how many people here had to balance careers and their homeschooling/family responsibilities.

 

What language(s) do you translate/interpret, if you don't mind sharing?

[meet me in paris]

I voted "other"... I'm a librarian. Not working in a library right now but working as an adjunct university professor. It's perfect for us right now. I get to stay in my field and earn some money, but I don't have to leave the house (much) because so far all my classes have been online. Some weeks are more stressful than others, but overall it's a perfect setup.

[LibraryLover]

No, I didn't intend this post that way at all. It's just that most people tend to associate homeschooling with mothers only, but there are plenty of dads who are not only involved with homeschooling, but are the primary instructors of their children. :)

 

 

My husband is a 'professional' and works at home much of the time (unless he travels) and he is an equal and full partner in our family life. He is also the main parent to volunteer at our ds' high school.

Edited February 20, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Tap]

I don't think I would consider it being a 'professional' but I work as a pharmacy technician. More of a 'skilled labor' position. I work 20-40 hours a week and homeschool dd from 9pm-midnight.

 

Dh is a district manager in a sales company.

[Liz CA]

I'm sure you qualify. :D When I typed my post yesterday, I was barely awake and could only think of a few off the top of my head. Also, in case anyone is wondering, this thread is not intended to be exclusive or elitist; I just wondered how many people here had to balance careers and their homeschooling/family responsibilities.

 

What language(s) do you translate/interpret, if you don't mind sharing?

 

Guess what? It's German (my French is not sufficient for a "professional" level). I just saw you have German in your signature line. :)