Is it possible to work (part-time) and homeschool?

[omishev]

My kids are 6, 4, and almost 2. Homeschooling has been on my heart all along but currently we have my 6yo in K at Christian school and my 4yo will be starting preK there in the fall. We had to commit and pay for next year months ago and at that point I did not have my ducks in a row to commit to homeschooling. But now I am second guessing our decision (happened this time last year as well!!). I want to do my research now so we are prepared to make an informed decision for the following year when DD will be in 2nd grade, DS1in K and DS2 will be 3yo and hopefully I'll have another baby by then too :) DD does love school but her learning style is such that the traditional classroom is not ideal even though her teacher is amazing. And then there are the other reasons such as wanting her life to include more family time, more outside time, more chores, more creative play, more life skills, etc etc.

The major obstacle I see is my job. I teach a night class at our local university one night a week and have about 10 hours of work to do at home during the week (primarily grading lab reports and then the usual class prep and emails). Right now my parents are paying for most of the private school tuition, we are only contributing $2000 per year total and I imagine I would spend close to that on homeschooling because I would have the kids take music lessons and other extra curricular activities that they wouldn't do if they were in school. For reference, I am making $10,000 per year so even if we homeschooled for free I don't think we could manage without my income. So.... Do any moms work and homeschool? I know moms that sell things (beachbody, lularoe etc) but I mean work that requires extended periods of uninterrupted brain power. My other option is teaching fitness classes which could be done early morning or in the evenings when my husband is home but I wouldn't want to teach enough classes to match my salary as that is just too much time away from the family.

[Frances]

I always worked at least part-time while homeschooling and for several years full-time, but I only had one. Can you get most of the work done while they are sleeping or when your husband can care for them on the weekends?

[kiwik]

I am a single parent.  I send one to school and homeschool the other.  The last month I have worked 40 to 50 hours a week but usually it is 35.  I work 9 PM to midnight or one then a couple of hours during the day Sun to Thurs plus school hours  Friday.  I wouldn't recommend it but you have a husband and far few hours (though one more kid). If your husband does bedtime by himself a couple of days a week and takes them out Saturday afternoon you should easily get your 10 hours prep.

[Alice]

I work part-time. I’m a pediatrician. My hours are variable but roughly about 20 hours a week, plus some night call and weekends. 

It’s not easy but it’s doable. It worked for us because my husband was able to also work part-time so was home with the kids when I am at work. I describe it to people that we have one full-time stay at home homeschooling parent, it’s just that we share who it is. Is your dh able to be home when you are at work? Could you also carve out time when you could do the at home part of your job (planning and grading) and he is the “on” parent? Does he have a job that is super demanding or one that allows him time at home? I know for us it worked because I wasn’t doing everything: all the homeschooling, being the primary parent, all the housework/cooking and working. We definitely share the load.

I know other people who work part-time and who have husbands who have more demanding jobs and it works for them because they have some other kind of help (a housekeeper, other family members to help, part-time nanny one day a week, etc). 

[Annie Elle]

I’ve worked part time as a nurse since my oldest was born. He’s about to be 20 so I’ve been working and homeschooling for a long time. I’ve worked different schedules over the years depending on the ages of the kids. Right now I work 12-24 hours per week on night shift. Working and homeschooling does take more planning and organization but it can definitely be done. And I think it will look different for each family that does it. I also consider the kids to be an important part of getting things done around the house. When I am sleeping, they know what school and chores to get done. It is such a huge help.

One thing though, I don’t think we have ever spent $2000 on activities in a year. But we live in a low cost of living area too.

[Guest]

I have done PT WAH secretarial work since my first child was born. I have hs’ed three kids. It was not always ideal, but it has been doable.

I know a lot of hsers who work PT and a few who work FT #of hours. 

[AK_Mom4]

After DD16 was born, I cut back to part time work from home. 20 hours a week mostly computer work and phone calls juggled around her nap schedule.  Later on, I started homeschooling - first with DS22, then we addded in DD16 and DD24.  Now with DD16  junior in high school, I am working full time again - half in the office and half from home.

 

Because the kids were used to me working from home, it was pretty easy to fold their school schedule into my work schedule.  When I was working, they did their schoolwork at the table next to me. My conference calls meant a break for them outside or video games, then back to work.

 

if you need 10 hours of prep time, block that out in your schedule now and get everyone used to being mostly independent or with dad during that time. With multiple littles, your days will be busy with school and taking care of people, so getting used new schedule as soon as possible will help.

[regentrude]

I have always worked part time, but I didn't start homeschooling until the kids were in 5th grade. Almost all the moms in my local homeschool group work part time.

[scbusf]

I teach online college classes and homeschool 3 kids with various special needs. Some semesters, I teach a night class.  Honestly, I do most of my work after the kids go to bed. Or I go to a coffee shop with my laptop while DH stays home with the kids.

Now that my kids are a little older, it's easier. I can do some work while they are doing video game time in the afternoons.

For me, it's not so much the actual income - although, it definitely helps! It's important to me to stay active in my field so that when the kids are gone, I have something I am trained in.

[catz]

At least half my homeschool friends have jobs.  I do contract teaching and tutoring.  So sure, it's possible.  

[Supertechmom]

I put myself through nursing school and work 24 hrs a week so it can be done while homeschooling.  You just have to come up with a workable plan for your situation.  A night class and a few hours a week doesn't sound like a bad gig.  But multitasking while  watching the kids is a must for me. And having a plan of when stuff gets done.

[Sharpie]

I work and homeschool.  We have a home based business and a farm.  Flexibility is the key.  You do you and do not compare your life to others.  Mine looks foreign to most.  For me, the key was insane organization and the fact that everyone in our family can and does fill various roles in a heartbeat.  When my kids were little, I had a menu for the entire school year planned out.  I had to.  We schooled in the tractor, in the back of the farm truck, etc.  Did I mention, flexibility being key?!? :)   I won't say it's easy because it's not, however, we've made it work. 

[poppy]

I can't tell you how many homeschoolers woudl LOVE the opportunity to work one night + 10 hours a week in something they love.   You are very well positioned.

[Baile]

Most of my homeschooling friends do some type of work part-time, and the schedule you described sounds very manageable. 

I work roughly 15 hours a week, but only have to go in to the office on Tuesday mornings. We're very lucky that my MIL is available and willing to watch our younger kids most weeks. 

[rocassie]

I do not, but I have a friend that does work part-time from home.  She does a 4 day school week (her oldest is 6yo) in the afternoons.  Mornings she works and Fridays she has to be in the office for meetings and what not.  So far she is managing well, and it is working for her because her husband works 4-10 hour days which allows him to be home on Fridays when she has to be in the office.

[SamanthaCarter]

It’s possible, but it’s rough. I just finished up working about 22 hours a week during tax season for a local cpa firm, and now I’m putting our lives and routines back in order this week. The routine started out okay but deteriorated as I got weary. It’s not something I’d recommend to just any mom. She’d have to be more organized than me. ?Plus it sucks to have to split your paycheck with your babysitter. 

[Bootsie]

I worked full time (and DH worked full time) while we homeschooled, but we did not begin homeschooling until the youngest was in 5th grade.  

While the children were preschoolers, we did not consider ourselves homeschoolers, but our children went to preschool (a couple of days a week) and private kindergarten (only 1/2 day) while DH and I both worked full time.  

[omishev]

Wow! Thank you for all the great input!! It is very encouraging. I can't believe the hours some of you work! To answer some of the questions above....

I enjoy my job and really like that it gives me an IN for more work at the University. What I meant to say about our finances is that of my $10,000, $2000 goes towards tuition and the remaining $8000 is in the family budget (which is pretty tight already) so even though homeschooling might save us money, I would still need to work.

My DH watches the kids while I am at class one night, we do not have childcare. It is a lot for him. They watch TV pretty much the entire time. He works very reasonable hours and is home by 6pm every night. Family dinner is very important to us and bedtime is extremely stressful for him (he puts the older two to bed and I do the youngest because we are still nursing) so I wouldn't ask him do either of those alone. He is taking classes (self-paced) at night so he usually spends all evening doing homework. 

I work during nap/rest time and after the kids go to bed but I also have a lot of "running the household" type things to keep up with during those times. And it's not like my house is that clean... haha I just need to get better at doing that stuff WITH the kids or at least when they are up. This month DH started taking the kids to the health club (they go to the childcare and he exercises) on Saturday mornings so I have 2.5 hrs to work which has been amazing! Like someone else said, I cannot do ANY work with the kids around. I cannot even answer an email. I am so easily distracted and all hell breaks loose when I'm not paying attention to the kids. 

As for sleep, I am a very high sleep needs person. I always slept 9 hrs before kids. Now I am surviving on 8 hrs (to work after the kids go to bed) but any less than that means I have a headache all day, can't think straight and have no patience/creativity. So I am a total snob about sleep and will definitely not be staying up past 10 to work.

The final consideration is my exercise routine. Ever since high school sports I have always exercised for 90 min 6 days a week. I know that sounds extravagant to many people and a ridiculous thing to weight on my decision to homeschool but it is important to me. My degree is in Exercise Science and that is what I teach (academically) so you could say it is part of my job to remain in top condition. If I quit that job to work as a group fitness instructor I could kill two birds with one stone but the pay would be lower and I would lose my IN. 

 

[Moncha]

I think you could do it, my concern is that your husband be on board. You are adding another job of being teacher to your kids. He may have to pull some more weight if this is what you both decide is best for your family. You are going to have less time for "household" stuff, etc. There needs to be an understanding that you have an important and valuable job in being teacher for your kids... maybe consider divvying up household care more.  For a 6 year old I don't spend more than 2 hours doing school so consider that as well, it takes much less time to home school than the 6 - 7 hours they're at school, they will need to be occupied during the rest of the day as well... so you'll have new routines, maybe a co-op, etc.  

[kiwik]

With all the extra info you may struggle.  You say your husband can't put the kids to bed by himself or look after them, you can't work after 10 and you need 90 mins exercise time?  Then the only way I can see it working is to have a compulsory 2 hour quiet time every day plus your husband taking them on Saturday/Sunday.

[ThisIsTheDay]

19 hours ago, omishev said:

Wow! Thank you for all the great input!! It is very encouraging. I can't believe the hours some of you work! To answer some of the questions above....

I enjoy my job and really like that it gives me an IN for more work at the University. What I meant to say about our finances is that of my $10,000, $2000 goes towards tuition and the remaining $8000 is in the family budget (which is pretty tight already) so even though homeschooling might save us money, I would still need to work.

My DH watches the kids while I am at class one night, we do not have childcare. It is a lot for him. They watch TV pretty much the entire time. He works very reasonable hours and is home by 6pm every night. Family dinner is very important to us and bedtime is extremely stressful for him (he puts the older two to bed and I do the youngest because we are still nursing) so I wouldn't ask him do either of those alone. He is taking classes (self-paced) at night so he usually spends all evening doing homework. 

I work during nap/rest time and after the kids go to bed but I also have a lot of "running the household" type things to keep up with during those times. And it's not like my house is that clean... haha I just need to get better at doing that stuff WITH the kids or at least when they are up. This month DH started taking the kids to the health club (they go to the childcare and he exercises) on Saturday mornings so I have 2.5 hrs to work which has been amazing! Like someone else said, I cannot do ANY work with the kids around. I cannot even answer an email. I am so easily distracted and all hell breaks loose when I'm not paying attention to the kids. 

As for sleep, I am a very high sleep needs person. I always slept 9 hrs before kids. Now I am surviving on 8 hrs (to work after the kids go to bed) but any less than that means I have a headache all day, can't think straight and have no patience/creativity. So I am a total snob about sleep and will definitely not be staying up past 10 to work.

The final consideration is my exercise routine. Ever since high school sports I have always exercised for 90 min 6 days a week. I know that sounds extravagant to many people and a ridiculous thing to weight on my decision to homeschool but it is important to me. My degree is in Exercise Science and that is what I teach (academically) so you could say it is part of my job to remain in top condition. If I quit that job to work as a group fitness instructor I could kill two birds with one stone but the pay would be lower and I would lose my IN. 

 

 

In general, I would say that it is difficult to work part time and homeschool young children full time. However, with your job taking you out of the house just one evening a week, plus finding 10 hours a week to do your classwork from home, I think it would be very doable

But you are also adding in a husband that seems to find basic parenting skills challenging. He finds bedtime stressful and puts the kids in front of the tv on evenings when you work. Cutting further into your sleep schedule will give you "a headache all day," and you will "have no patience/creativity." Those are a death blow to homeschooling young children. And having your kids out of school, taking care of them full time, with all of these limitations, PLUS your required 90 minutes a day exercise routine . . . No, I don't think it seems like homeschooling is the best fit for your family at this point in your life. You have a lot on your plate, and there is not enough flexibility to shift to accommodate that change.

 

[Frances]

38 minutes ago, ThisIsTheDay said:

 

In general, I would say that it is difficult to work part time and homeschool young children full time. However, with your job taking you out of the house just one evening a week, plus finding 10 hours a week to do your classwork from home, I think it would be very doable

But you are also adding in a husband that seems to find basic parenting skills challenging. He finds bedtime stressful and puts the kids in front of the tv on evenings when you work. Cutting further into your sleep schedule will give you "a headache all day," and you will "have no patience/creativity." Those are a death blow to homeschooling young children. And having your kids out of school, taking care of them full time, with all of these limitations, PLUS your required 90 minutes a day exercise routine . . . No, I don't think it seems like homeschooling is the best fit for your family at this point in your life. You have a lot on your plate, and there is not enough flexibility to shift to accommodate that change.

 

I agree, especially with adding another baby in the near future. The only way I can see it working is if you use some of the money you earn to hire help for childcare and/or household stuff. That might be worth it in order to keep options open at the university and it certainly seems cheaper than ultimately paying for private school for four or more children. Since you are near a university, there are probably plenty of students looking for part-time gigs. Would your parents be willing to put some of the tuition money they are now paying towards homeschool expenses in order to free up funds to hire help?

[Wheres Toto]

 I wouldn't have been able to do it with the restrictions you have when my kids were younger, and I only have two.  I could probably do it now, but they are old enough to be independent in a lot of ways, and sometimes even helpful.

I think you need to talk to your husband and he would really need to get better at stepping up to help.  My dh does all the cooking in our house which also takes meal prep, grocery shopping and planning off my plate.  When the kids were little he would help put the kids to sleep, would get up in the middle of the night if the kids weren't needing to nurse, took them away about one weekend a month to visit his parents (so I could do a cleaning without interruptions), and sent me out once or twice a week for a night off (usually just reading or working at Panera).  He still gives me the time off even though it's not as important anymore.   He needs a lot less sleep than I do, but he also works full time out of the house.   Other than the above, his main role is emotional support and not getting upset when the house is a mess.   

It kind of bugs me when men act like spending time taking care of their own children is a favor to mom or "babysitting".  Ugh.

Right now I work about 20 hours a week.  I teach classes 10 hours a week, then I have prep/planning, set-up and clean-up.  I have another job that is about 3-4 hours at a time twice a month.   Plus I run a 4-H club, teach Sunday School, and homeschool.  

[omishev]

7 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

Gently, are you sure another baby is financially feasible? Budget is already tight and sounds like hubby may struggle to offer the kind of help you are seeking (you have a few kids so maybe you’re prepared on that end). 

I sympathize. I need adequate sleep which for me usually means hrs. 9 or maybe a nap. I am prone to sleep deprivation headaches/migraines. 

Earlier I wasn’t thinking straight when I asked how would continuing to work those hours be any different— I realize you can probably do grades and such when kids are in school atm. 

Have you asked your spouse his thoughts/concerns? 

Thank you for your thoughtful response, we are trying not to get pregnant but haven't done anything permanent so there could be an oops! I would welcome another baby but can also rejoice in leaving sleepless nights behind. 

Right now having one in school doesn't give me that much more free time as I still have two at home. My youngest naps and middle child is great at doing 1-1.5 hr rest time so I am able to get some work done then. With all three home I would still do an hour rest time but would probably have more interruptions! 

I have talked to DH off and on about it. He loves the Christian school but also thinks very highly of homeschooling. If me homeschooling would put extra work (with the kids or around the house) on him I do not think it would go over well. He has come a long way in helping out, our present situation is actually a big improvement, so I am thankful for that.

[omishev]

3 hours ago, Where's Toto? said:

It kind of bugs me when men act like spending time taking care of their own children is a favor to mom or "babysitting".  Ugh.

 

So true but I can only control my own attitude. I can choose to be resentful that other moms get more help or choose to be thankful for what I have. Depends on the day how I'm doing with that :)

[kiwik]

If he wants homeschooling and you want to keep working he will have to step up.

[DawnM]

I did it for a few years when we first started.  I needed to.  We lived in SoCal and we actually had a pretty good gig going.  DH and I both worked 2/3 time, making our income more than a full time position combined.  But DH's job said he couldn't continue and needed to pick full time or leave and we chose to leave and move to a lower cost of living area.  

One thing that was hard for me was that I was unable to do all the fun stuff.  The co-ops, the field trips with HS groups, etc....when I was with them it was all business.  That turned out to be a tipping point for me to quit and stay home full time, and find ways to cut our expenses as much as I could.

[omishev]

10 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

You had a different tone in the first post. You said hopefully another baby. And I'm not judging either way, just wondering if that would be possible for the reasons stated earlier. Anyway, can you get tuition back if you change your mind? You probably lose a registration fee, but maybe that's all. When ds did private they had time frames of when you could withdraw and what percent you would lose.

Did the inlaws offer to pay more for the second child? If not, I could see you needing to continue to work. Is public school out of the question? I wonder if it would be less of a commitment to try public, then pull them out vs. try private and withdraw with strings attached. Just a thought.

Oh I do hope for an oops baby but we are preventing, we aren't planning on having more. If we had another one I wouldn't work and homeschool, not sure if I would want to do either! 

We can get tuition back, all but the $650 deposit.

My parents inherited money from my grandmother and designated it for the grandchildren's education- either Christian school or college. We can use however much of it we want right now but it will run out by the time DD6 is in 7th grade, faster if my sister want to use it to send her kids to Christian school (she is pregnant with her first). Graduating college debt-free has been a huge blessing to us so we want to save as much of it as we can for our kids' college. 

[omishev]

We talked about it a bit and DH is excited about the prospect of homeschooling (though he is perfectly happy with the Christian school as well) and volunteered to help out more. So that's good news :) 

[LucyStoner]

Depends on the work.  

Depends on the kids.

Depends on the parent or parents.  

I've seen it work well and I've seen it not work out.  

I do it but we are down to one homeschooler and he's 9. 

 

[LucyStoner]

3 hours ago, omishev said:

Oh I do hope for an oops baby but we are preventing, we aren't planning on having more. If we had another one I wouldn't work and homeschool, not sure if I would want to do either! 

We can get tuition back, all but the $650 deposit.

My parents inherited money from my grandmother and designated it for the grandchildren's education- either Christian school or college. We can use however much of it we want right now but it will run out by the time DD6 is in 7th grade, faster if my sister want to use it to send her kids to Christian school (she is pregnant with her first). Graduating college debt-free has been a huge blessing to us so we want to save as much of it as we can for our kids' college. 

 

I would definitely prioritize the inherited funds for college or trade school over K-12.  I have two friends whose parents sunk all of the inheritance into a very expensive private Christian high school but their kids, who are my age, weren't able to get any college help.  One never finished college because they were working too much and the other two have heaps of debt, which has interfered with their ability to start families.  I would also see if your parents would be willing to put the money into a trust for each family or child so that it's not a matter of the oldest cousins using it first or some using it for K-12 and others waiting until college.  

[omishev]

2 hours ago, LucyStoner said:

 

I would definitely prioritize the inherited funds for college or trade school over K-12.  I have two friends whose parents sunk all of the inheritance into a very expensive private Christian high school but their kids, who are my age, weren't able to get any college help.  One never finished college because they were working too much and the other two have heaps of debt, which has interfered with their ability to start families.  I would also see if your parents would be willing to put the money into a trust for each family or child so that it's not a matter of the oldest cousins using it first or some using it for K-12 and others waiting until college.  

Thanks, Katie! Great thoughts! Sounds like we should have a family meeting :)

Debt would have definitely prevented me from being able to stay home with the kids and may have caused us to wait until we paid off the debt before having children. My husband is 11 yrs older than me so I am very thankful we were able to start a family when we did.