Homeschooling mamas who also work at least part-time

[texasmama]

This will be our third year homeschooling. I have primarily been a stay at home mom for the past seven years, but I have been doing a few hours a week of part-time work for about a year now. (I am a psychotherapist.) I will return to a previous position as adjunct professor at a local university in a few weeks, teaching one graduate level course. People keep asking me how I will do all of this. I mostly say, "Not too gracefully.":tongue_smilie:

 

I'm sure I am not the only one who is juggling part-time work with full-time mom/wife/homeschooling. So if you are in this boat, post here.:001_smile:

 

(I am actually very much looking forward to teaching the class. I love being in the teaching role at the university level, particularly with graduate students.:001_smile:)

[Firestar Academy]

My situation is totally different than yours.

 

I work part-time on weekends during the fall and spring months. I also work full time for 7 weeks over the summer. I am a Lifeguard, Archery instructor, and canoe instructor. I work for girl scouts when the troops weekend camp and for summer camp. (currently finished 5 weeks of camp)

 

So, see, I can't wait for september...I will get to SEE my kids in the fall.....

 

Robin in NJ

[katemary63]

I homeschool 1 child and farm. It's a lot of work. She sometimes brings her school down to the barnyard so I can work while she studies. She doesn't like to be alone at the house, so she either comes with or I can't do the work till DH gets home. Of course, after her school is done, she has her own farm chores and she really helps me a lot. But we make it work. I am tired all the time.

[Tap]

I work from 24-30 hours a week, have 3 kids going three directions, one in competitive sports 6-7 days a week year round, the others with bi-weekly classes/appointments.

 

My sanity is based on two things....I get started on my day at 7am and run solid until 9pm (sometimes later). At 9.....I am no longer mom. I don't want to answer questions, I don't want to be sat on, I will tuck into bed but not sit and chat. My kids know this and are pretty good about it. I have spent hours with each of them all day, so it isn't like they are being shortchanged LOL. I usually ask the kids to go to bed by 10pm (dd3 at 9) so I have from 10-12 at night to myself. DH goes to bed early so I can watch TV and do any homeschool chores at the same time without driving someone nuts with the ffwd/rwd on the TiVo remote.

 

Sundays are the only day I do real cleaning other than general pick up. I also leave the house for about 1/2 a day just to disappear and get some quiet time. It is often spent doing errands, but I go alone to recharge my introverted personality that I force outward all week. God Bless the chatty store clerk who must think I am a royal B when I don't chat back. LOL

 

I also do my subjects in order of what is the most important to the least...so if something doesn't get done...It is okay.

[OnTheBrink]

Well, I don't have a husband to contend with, but I do work 24 hours a week and homeschool. My adult son is moving back home in a week, so there's that to deal with.

 

Right now, it's all overwhelming.

[Cricket]

Dh and I manage an RV park. It's a six-day a week job. We school year round because summers are the down time around here. Once October comes and the snowbirds flock in, it is very crazy until the end of March. Seems like the only down time we get is attending one of the boys' baseball games. The kids have a desk in my office so I can keep an eye on them even when people come in.

[Saille]

Ohgosh, I can feel my heart rate going up just reading this thread.

 

I tutor part-time and teach RE at my church; that's also a paid position. From the end of August to the beginning of October I will see little of my family on weekends. After SAT prep is done, it will get a bit better until spring, but I'll still work both weekend days and one weekday evening. We also homestead, so there is always the garden and the poultry to consider, and most of that falls to me b/c I am home during the day. Summer was supposed to be calmer, but has not been, due to dh's POE being short-staffed. He's working weekends and having random, single days off (not necessarily two in a week). He's salaried, so there's no overtime. I'm very tired, and very much counting on dh taking the kids to Ohio during the last week of August.

[Dana]

I teach math at the community college in the evenings. When ds was younger, I taught 4 classes, so I'd be gone 4 nights - leave the house at 5, get back about 10. It wasn't so bad, although dh and I rarely spent much time together. I'd intended to move to days when ds started school. :glare:

 

Now that we're homeschooling, I only teach 2 classes in the evening. I took off summer semester last year since the classes didn't get enough students and were canceled. I really liked the break and so took this summer off as well.

 

Fall semester starts in 2 weeks. EEEEEEK!

I don't wanna go back. The start of a semester is always a bit rough and I don't want to deal with the transitions, with eating dinner at 10pm when I come back, with the emailed questions, and with the attitude from students who think that since they took algebra in high school they learned algebra. Sigh.

 

Burned out? A bit.

However, every semester I do have students who have felt beaten down by math in the past but who are hard-workers and succeed when they didn't think they could. They're wonderful to help along their journey. So I know there'll be good too, but I'm just so tired.

[sparrow]

We are also in the campground business, with the opposite schedule of Cricket :001_smile:. We are 7 days/week, May 1-November 30, typically 9-5, but are on call 24/7. I do the 9-5 shifts on Saturday and Sunday, but of course there are busy weeks leading up to holiday weekends, etc. where dh needs my help and I have to drop everything and go. For this reason, we homeschool year round, so we can take a week off when needed for the business.

 

I couldn't work/homeschool/mother/wife without the support of my incredible dh. We are truly a team at work and at home. Dh respects what I do at home as work, too.

 

I find all things are possible with a supportive family!

[Desert Rat]

I started working part time a couple months ago for the first time in 10 years. So this is going to be my first school year trying to juggle it all. I clean houses in the afternoon 3-4 days a week and work at a charity doing bookkeeping and general office one day a week.

We start school on the 16th and I'm so scared that I won't be able to do this. At least do this gracefully. My dh is still laid off so for now I don't have to worry about childcare in the afternoons. And I try not to think ahead and worry about what's to come when he does find a job.

My main concern is not being able to be relaxed during school and rushing them. I like the PP's idea of teaching things in order of importance. I'm going to do that. And I'm prepared to do some extra stuff on the weekends, like science projects. I don't know how my boys will react to that idea though!

[coffeegal]

I've been working part-time (23-30 hours) for 7 years, and homschooling the whole time. First there were 4 children, now 5, and soon 6. My life is insane, and I wouldn't change it. ;) Some accuse me of being organized, I'm not. I've simply developed quite a few survival tricks to keep my sanity, one of which is to start the crock pot first thing in the morning.

[mmasmommy]

I'm so glad to see this post. This is our first year homeschooling. I work PT 20 hours a week evenings at our local community college. I am very nervous about having enough time to get everything done. We're already missing out on a couple of field trips because they won't be over in time for mw to get to work.

[regentrude]

I am teaching at a university. Two classes (one four hour class, one three hour class). Including help sessions, grading and class prep I would estimate that I work about 25 hours a week, sometimes 30.

My kids are able to stay home for a couple of hours by themselves which helps a lot. Some days they come to work with me. Some days I work with them at home in the mooning before going to class. One morning dad stays home with them. Lots of scheduling and organizing, but it works.

The one thing I find hard is participating in local homeschool activities which always happen during the morning or early afternoon, at a time when I have to be at work.

regentrude

[Lilymax]

I'm glad to see this thread. I've been a freelance writer for years, but the only regular gig I had until now a was a bi-weekly, slice-of-life newspaper column that took maybe 5 hours to write and edit. I had an occasional bigger project, but nothing I had to schedule daily.

 

Over this summer, I started writing with a company that provides content for sites such as eHow. I can still decide how much I work, but to bring in the amount we need to help ends meet, I need to write 20-30 hours a week. (It does not pay a lot, but it's something I do well and can do at home.) This summer, I've made it work by squeezing in writing wherever I can throughout the day. I also stay up a few hours later than everyone else, and that is when I get the bulk of my writing done.

 

I don't really know how it's all going to fit when we start back to school on the 16th. Because the time I've been writing at night was also the time I spent on lesson planning, grading, prepping for the next day, etc. We also have an almost-walking 10 month old baby, and I've never homeschooled with a toddler in the house! He is not a very good napper, either.

 

It's going to be an INTERESTING year, for sure. I'm going to have to figure out how to be more organized than I've ever been, something that does NOT come naturally to me! LOL

[Mama Lynx]

I work outside the house about 10 hours a week (some weeks less, some weeks more).

 

I like my job, and the sense of accomplishment it gives me; but it is often frustrating to have even 10 hours a week taken away from homeschooling, and to have my focus split.

[meet me in paris]

I'm an adjunct professor as well... it's not too hard to balance. I really like doing something professionally, and my husband is very supportive. I teach online now, and that's actually trickier because I'm in the house and working - I think it was easier to separate work from home/school when I was working outside the house. But it's much easier to be home all the time and I love the flexibility of online teaching.

 

Good luck!

[laurad1125]

I'm a software developer and I work 20 or more hours per week. I go into the office 1 day (4 hours) a week and the boys stay with my in-laws. The rest of the time I work from home.

[MamaAkins]

I am homeschooling my four, plus babysitting in our home full-time for another toddler, plus watching a rising 5th grader during track-outs from year round school. My husband and I also work 2 nights per week cleaning the dance studios where my girls take dance classes. The pay is good and the hours work well with our crazy schedule. We go in around 9pm (after our kids are done with activities and tucked into bed.) My dad lives with us, so he is here to watch over everyone while they are asleep. Then dh and I clean the studios (usually finishing up between midnight and 1am). It means less sleep on those two nights, but it's a blessing because it gives my husband and I time to talk while we work, we don't have to pay for a babysitter, and the income helps ends meet!

[ChemMommy]

I work 20 hr/week Sept-April, an 50 hr/week May and June.

 

It's crazy! Here's what's helped me:

 

1. plan--I plan all lessons for the year on HST during the summer. The rest of the year, I click and print and have the week's work ready to go in about 15 minutes on Sunday evening.

 

2. scheduling--I keep a large-ish weekly calendar in my purse and every single thing goes into it. I gave up trying to remember obligations.

 

3. husband help--dh has been great to direct school while I'm at work. We've treated hsing as a two-person endeavor from the beginning.

 

4. chores--every child has significant housework that they have been taught to do. I rarely run the dishwasher or washer/drying, for example. The older two kids can cook simple meals for the family and I have them do it at least once a week.

 

5. year-round schooling--we school year round and sometimes add in a Saturday here and there. That way, if I'm swamped at work and can't do some teaching one week, there's more than enough school time available to catch up without worrying so much. I often run 2 hours of school on Saturdays. That still feels like a nice break for the kids and we gain a bit of school time painlessly. I also pack up some school subjects when we travel. It's a rare vacation when we can't squeeze in an hour of school in the morning.

 

6. on-line classes: as the kids hit high school, I've been more open to using an on-line class for, say, foreign language, which in a class that would take me a lot of time to teach and prepare for and can probably be better taught by someone else.

 

HTH!!

[misidawnrn]

I am a Labor and Delivery nurse and I work two 12 hour shifts a week. I homeschool on my days off (during the week) and DD goes to her dad's house the days that I work so I always send worksheets for her to do there too. My DH is a farmer and this will be the first summer where I am going to have to fit work, farming, HSing all in one schedule so it will be interesting. I have chosen to HS all year knowing that we won't do a full schedule during the summer but will continue math and phonics and reading and fit extras in if we have time. So far it has all worked well.

 

It actually works better than having DD in "school" because I can go to the farm (80 miles from our house in town) and take DD and her work with instead of not being able to go and help DH because DD was in school.

[southcarolinamom]

I do medical transcription at home in the afternoon/early evenings, about 20-25 hours a week. Wish it was more, b/c my husband has been out of work for 7 months!

 

I tried to pick curriculum that the kids can handle mostly on their own - they are both teenagery and like to work independently. We are done with school by 1 PM, so I can start right in on my typing, which starts coming in around 12 or 1 (the morning dictations) and then around 5 PM (the afternoon dictations).

 

They are both old enough to get their own lunches if need be, and do some household chores. We have 2 computers side by side in the dining room - one is mine for my work, the other is the family computer that way, I can keep an eye on the kids when they are on-line or working on school stuff.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

It's nice to see so many professors on here, since that is what I hope to do eventually! I'm enjoying reading what others have done, and happy because many of the ideas I had for myself seem to actually be working out for others! Maybe this plan isn't so crazy after all... :tongue_smilie:

[texasmama]

Thank you all for telling your stories. :001_smile: I love reading about other people's lives and how they make things work for them. It is also evidence that homeschooling can work for almost any situation. Keep 'em coming so we can all be inspired and learn. :001_smile:

 

I am a very social person and very much enjoy what the professional part of my life offers me. I know it would be easier/simpler to only homeschool, but (besides the money), it is nice to exercise a different part of my brain.:001_smile:

[texasmama]

I should also mention that my dh owns his own business and offices out of our house so he is at least somewhat flexible with childcare needs and such. I am the only one who is doing the homeschooling (which is fine with me), though I love hearing of families who share the responsibility between the parents. My dad lives nearby and is available for childcare, as well, which is a saving grace for us.

[phathui5]

I am a homeschooling mom who is also a doula. Some weeks my work is part-time and some weeks it ends up that I don't see my family for days in a row. Just last week, I was "at work" from Saturday night to early Tuesday morning. When I end up working at night or on the weekends, dh has the kids. We also have a list of babysitters that we can call if I'm at a birth on a weekday.

 

We've been homeschooling for five years now, going into our sixth, and I wouldn't change it. I love homeschooling and the kids are happy with our choice.

 

For the housework, I do use the services of a cleaning lady once or twice a month. Working, homeschooling, and doing all of the cleaning is a little much for me. I'd rather outsource the cleaning than work less or not homeschool.

[hsmom3tn]

I work outside of the home about 24 hours a week - sometimes up to 36 - in 12-hour shifts, so it's 2-3 days. I just started this job in April and we were already wrapping up most of our curriculum from the last school year, so it wasn't too hard to get it all done. We school through the summer, but those months are pretty laid back, too. Now that we're about to start a fresh school year, so I'm a little nervous about being able to make time for everything.

 

We will probably do school on the days that I'm off and take off from school on the days that I work (instead of the traditional M-F school week). Or if that doesn't work out, they can do as much as they can on their own while I'm working, and we can do the things that I need to teach/help with when I'm home...

 

I don't know, but I think we'll be fine. We'll make it work. :)

[Sunshine State Sue]

I am tired all the time.

Between 30hrs/wk of work, hs'ing a hormonal teenage boy, and peri-menopause, my butt has been kicked. There are days that I say "I can't do this anymore". Then I do it.

 

My hat is off to you who have multiple children and work and homeschool.

 

I worked 20hrs/wk until ds turned 12, then 30hrs/wk in order to maintain health benefits. I'm a programmer. I greatly prefer 20hrs/wk. Sigh.

 

When we first started hs'ing, dh was in school changing careers, so he was my childcare provider and ds's reading teacher. Eventually, we moved so dh could go to graduate school and I was able to continue working from home. Once dh graduated and returned to work full-time, I used hs'ed teens and after-school care for child care. That all ended after 5th grade. Dh has always participated in the hs'ing, first doing language arts, then 1/2 science. He has M/T off, so he's in charge on Tuesdays.

 

We schooled year round for many years. In middle school, both ds and I needed a break from year-round school, so we take some time off in the summer now.

 

I choose curriculum that is mostly not teacher-intensive. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. CC is free in 10th-12th grade here. Ds knows he'll be starting next year.

 

Best of luck in your hs'ing journey. I am not often on the general board.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Sue in St Pete

[TxMama]

I'm a NICU nurse who works two 12 hr shifts per week. I've been combining working and homeschooling for the past 10 years.

 

I feel that I have the best of both worlds and wouldn't change a thing.

[kpnick in nc]

Wow! You are some amazing women!

 

Up through June, I worked 15-20 hours/week for three years (9 of those outside the home). I resigned since my oldest is beginning K this year, and I, personally, was having a hard time keeping home and work separated since I had some time sensitive tasks and almost always had work email open. DS really needs a consistent (somewhat at least) schedule, so we decided to have me quit working for now - I felt so stretched, but I had nothing on many of you! :tongue_smilie:

 

In a few years, once my children can contribute more to household things, I hope to land some type of teaching job. Glad to see it working for so many!

[Truscifi]

This is my 3rd year homeschooling ds (my only). I work 10 hours a week at a pharmacy, but will soon be leaving there to work 15-20 hours a week as a tutor. I also work temp jobs for Pearson's (grading papers) in the spring. It is sometimes stressful trying to balance everything, but I enjoy having something to do outside the house.

[Pretty in Pink]

This is my 8th year homeschooling.

 

I've been a full-time student for three semesters and part-time a few before that. Starting Aug. 18th I'll be taking two campus-based courses so my children will be in daycare for ~ 14 hours per week. I'll also have one online course this semester.

[workingmom]

I have my own clinic two days week. DS will be starting his third year of homeschooling and its working out great.

 

The two days I work ds goes to a home day care where he gets private foreign language lessons and just hangs out with the younger kids (whom most are his cousins) and the caregiver's two homeschooling high school students. He either takes his free time reading or plays there.

[Karen in CO]

I'm a computer systems administrator. I used to work 3 12 hour days a week, but last spring I changed to working "8" hours 5 days during the week with on call shifts. I go into the office 1-3 days a week. I work from home the rest of the week. My husband works for a different computer company and typically works from home 4 days a week with one day in the office.

 

Since the shift change, I've been waiting for it to either blow up or get better. Its really done neither. We're learning to deal with it. Its amazing how flexible we can be when we try. Homeschooling is important to us so we make it work. We eat out more; we have a maid come in every other week; my mom helps out a ton.

 

The important thing for us is that we keep on. My job lets me have quite a bit of flexibility so I can take the girls to the park or help with a difficult math concept if things aren't too busy, but when I'm busy anything that needs me has to wait. We're all learning to work around that and take advantage of the slow times. It isn't anywhere near a perfect arrangement even if my schedule looks great on paper.

[Mona100]

I am a single mom and I also work full time. My schedule is 7 days straight on and 7 days off. My daughter stays with my parents during my work week. She is a teenager so she is able to do stuff on her own. Also, she can ask my parents or just call me on the phone. It's difficult but she knows it has to be done.

[Rivka]

I'm another academic. I'm a researcher at a med school - on soft money, which means that I am expected to bring in my own salary in grants, etc. I work about 75-80% time.

 

I've just found out that I'm going to be getting a good NIH grant which will improve things considerably at work - among other things, I'll be able to hire a full-time assistant.

 

The hardest thing for me is feeling out-of-step. Academics are supposed to be incredibly ambitious and high-powered. I am at an excellent institution, went to a great graduate school with a fellowship, am getting grants, etc - but I don't want to work full time, much less the 60+ hours a week that an up-and-coming researcher usually puts in. It is very, very hard to explain - or to admit, even to myself - that I just don't want to be at the top in my field.

[Karen in CO]

It is very, very hard to explain - or to admit, even to myself - that I just don't want to be at the top in my field.

 

That is the "Mommy tract" in business. :) It is where I have been for years. Its hard to explain to managers that I don't want to be promoted into management. I don't want to work on that bigger project that will get me more hours and a promotion. I'm happy and enjoy my job; I've even been on the fast track to the top jobs before. I just don't want that. I have other priorities.

[texasmama]

It is very, very hard to explain - or to admit, even to myself - that I just don't want to be at the top in my field.

 

This reminds me that years ago when faced with the choice to get a PhD or have a baby, I had the baby. :001_smile: I knew at the time that, for me, the permanent choice had been made. Many, many people manage to do both. One of my good friends got a PhD while having 3 babies in 4 years, adjunct teaching and tutoring statistics on the side. I knew that wouldn't be me and made peace with it. I don't regret it at all.

 

I am fortunate that I am in a field which allows quite well for part-time work or breaks in employment, and I have taken advantage of both. I feel more "alive" when I am engaging in work outside the home, but my heart and main purpose in life are now, and always have been, my children.:001_smile: I have absolutely no regrets about my choices.

 

When I look back on these years, I think I will be very happy that I was able to obtain a graduate degree, engage in meaningful paid employment to the extent I was able, AND also to be at home with my children when they were young and homeschool.

[AKMsMom]

I am working part time in the evenings, leaving right after dinner, and I have been teaching my older kids to do the dishes. I really hate coming home after work and seeing the dishes waiting for me. I also have decide to try a looping schedule for school this year and house work. I have decide to give myself an hour a day to work through my small house. I just started today, but feel like I got a lot done in my hour. I am also having my kids clean their own rooms during that time. So, they are out of my way and hopefully (it didn't quite work out today) getting something done too. I am excited that this will help me keep things in order this upcoming busy school year.

[1bassoon]

What a great thread. . . . . .I'm inspired and awed by you all.

 

I've always taught piano lessons out of our home. This year, I'm trying to get more creative. . . . I've got one bassoon student, a few more piano students, one child I do "school-care" for on Fridays (the family pays REALLY well), and I'm teaching science classes in our home, too.

 

It's piecemeal, but I enjoy all of these little jobs, and every little bit helps.

[Joyfullyblessed]

I have enjoyed reading what everyone else squeezes into their 24 hour days along with homeschooling! :001_smile:

 

I have an in home childcare full time, M-F. I keep a two year old and a 4 month old currently. However, I will adding two more infants very soon, one in November and one in late January. My hours are from 6:45-5:30 daily, so it makes for a full week! :w00t:

 

It works out well so far though. I have all my children on a great schedule which works perfectly for homeschooling my son. This is only our second year of homeschooling and we are going from kindergarten which required only about 2 hours a day to first grade which will require 4 1/2 hours a day, so it will definitely be more of a challenge this year.

 

I do some school while the little ones are napping, but I also can see the other children playing while I school my son, so it works out well.

 

I am really happy with this situation even though it can be crazy at times :willy_nilly:, not to mention exhausting. I figure I get to work from home, homeschool my son, and bring in some income each week to help out my family. I love that! I feel completely blessed! :D

[AmyP]

I work 16-24 hours each week with deaf or hard of hearing students in college classrooms. I enjoy being able to get paid to learn along with the students, but the time away from home takes its toll. Fortunately, DH is in school and has a (very small) lawn care service, so we are able work together on child care and housekeeping. Unless I give him specific tasks, though, schooling is all on me. I am happy my older two can work largely on their own - that definitely makes things easier.

[JoJosMom]

This has been hugely encouraging! I am about to start my first year hsing, along with some technical writing and contract legal work. It's nice to see that so many are able to do so much more; I might just survive this year!:tongue_smilie: