single moms who homeschool how do you do it?

[hsmom]

I am curious how you make the time to homeschool , work and take care of daily life stuff? Years ago I was a single mom, but did not homeschool and life was hard then. Any tips? Any advice? What is your secret?

[frugalmama]

Well, I don't work a regular job which helps a lot. There is no way without a support system to work a regular job and homeschool IMO. Instead of a regular job, I do a lot of odd jobs. I sell things online, I babysit, I do focus groups - pretty much whatever pays the bills and is flexible.

 

Sometimes daily stuff has to take a backseat to paying the bills - our house might get a little messy or laundry backed up because I've been swamped trying to make enough to pay bills.

[zookeeper]

Yep, I don't do much house cleaning. Only the necessities. I also don't work a regular job. I get a fair amount of familial support and then teach for a homeschooling coop AND go to graduate school. It's crazy and I hate being so swamped all the time but it is what it is. I think NOT homeschooling would make things harder. The little kids and I all sit at the dining room table in the mornings and do our school together. Then I'm right there to answer questions. The big kids are all independent for the most part. A good friend of mine is doing a coop type thing with her dd's and my dd's. It helps!

[5 Hikers]

Well, I am new to it all but I think it is just time management. .

 

I think anyone can do something if they really want to. If I keep up on the cleaning everyday it won't get overwhelming.

There are 24 hours in day. I am gone 8 hours to class on T/W. I will be gone 10 hours every other Th/F. That still leaves lots of hours in a day. I sleep 6-7 hours. On the weekends I try to make freezer meals to last all week. A lot of times we get Pizza on Fridays.

I am so used to the kids always being with me, and me always having to do everything.

I think it would be much harder if your dh helped a whole lot with the kids and house, and then he suddenly was gone.

[homeforthelord]

I've been a single parent homeschooler for 12 years. During that time, I've done everything from finishing a college degree to working part and full-time. Currently I work outside the home 3 days/wk and homeschool two teens (16 and almost 18).

 

For me, the key has been accepting my limitations. When you have many plates to keep spinning at the same time, it helps to accept that each one won't be perfect. Sometimes the housework is behind or there is a particular subject we are slipping behind in. I try not to feel guilty about that. I limit our outside activities and try to keep life super simple. Simple meals, routines, limiting material possessions to only what we truly need, etc.

 

Financially, I was able to survive because when my husband left us we had no debt. I moved into my mother's two-story garage and converted it to a home, so I have lived rent free the entire time. I knew that if I went through a couple yard years of working & finishing my degree, it would ultimately pay off in me being able to work p.t. and still survive because I'd be earning more. And that has worked beautifully. So, I currently work only 21 hrs/wk. As we live beside my mom and she is retired and widowed, my kids spend their day with her when I'm working. This way they never had to be alone during the day for all these years. (God bless my mom!)

 

Let me know if there are any specifics I can offer that might be helpful.

[swellmomma]

I am curious how you make the time to homeschool , work and take care of daily life stuff? Years ago I was a single mom, but did not homeschool and life was hard then. Any tips? Any advice? What is your secret?

 

I have been a single mom for 11.5 years now, this is going to be our 8th year homeschooling. I have worked various jobs to try and support us while I still homeschool from split shift in afterschool care, deliverying newspapers, and now running a homedaycare. Biggest tips, sleep is over rated, coffee is your friend, don't be a perfectionist. There is only so many hours in the day you have to figure out your best use of them. For us that means charts/lists for everything and everyone to make sure things get done and not forgotten.