scheduling with a part time job

[ccmom]

I am contemplating a temporary 30 hr per week job (6 mos). The hours would be until about 1 pm daily. I'm wondering if I'll be able to handle our school schedule. Has anyone done this ? How do you manage your time so that you get everything done?

 

Thanks!

[SherryTX]

Granted...I worked from home, so the challenges probably are not as much as you are facing. I scheduled my work day around my home schooling for part of the time, so it wasn't that bad. Now I am trying to find another work at home position - but most likely it will have to be 40 hours a week, so I am also trying to come up with a game plan.

 

How old is your child or children? Who will be watching them? If they are old enough, I think you could schedule some work with them in the afternoon, and prepare the work that they don't need a lot of supervision with while you are at work.

 

If this is only for 6 months, maybe you could consider scaling back on some of their school work in areas you think are not as crucial as others. I mention this because if you need (or want) to work, you don't want to over whelm yourself or the kids. Also, remember you can always schedule some more intense instruction with them for a couple hours on Saturday or Sunday if you don't have time for them to get it done during the week.

[Liz CA]

I worked on and off (seasonal) while homeschooling ds through High School.

I think it would be more difficult if you have younger children who need more supervision and hands-on help.

Even with his age and independence, it gets tiring, however a lot rests on the logistics.

How long is the commute to work? How long will you be gone? When are you back home and how long will you need after you arrive to compose yourself so you can either start school or check what they accomplished in your absence?

Can an older child help younger ones stay on track?

 

I explained to my son very clearly what I expected and that I needed his cooperation or he would have to be enrolled in school. This proved to be great leverage because he never wanted to go a PS but couldn't wait to join his homeschool friends in college.

 

Good luck! Organization and lists were always key for me.

[AmyP]

I'm working about 20 hours a week right now. I think the key is to work with what you have and do what you have to to make it fit your family.

 

With my older girls I give them a list of what needs to be accomplished (or they print it themselves) each morning. We may do several days worth of math or something that needs explaining on one of the days I'm home. For my younger two, either DH will do some work with them or we just work on the days I am home.

 

Amy

[ccmom]

There are a few things on my side. 1.) My kids will stay at their dad's work (he is self employed, but he will not have time to help them). 2.) the job is just minutes away from home. I would be able to start working with them from 1:30 onward.

 

They will need to work independently for about 3.5 hours per day, then have lunch. I will start working with them at home from 1:30 onward. Ideally I would like for them to complete homework from the previous day's lessons. The one struggle I have is that my 5th grader gets distracted and I am concerned that he will not get his work done in my absence.

 

What I need are some suggestions for consequences if he does not get his work done. He does tennis and Kung Fu on alternating evenings. I have paid for these lessons and don't want to waste money by having him skip on them, so I'm wondering what other alternatives I can use. One idea I have is to just make him work through the weekend until he gets all of it completed. Any other suggestions?

 

I think I can make this work. I have to be organized.

[G5052]

I've always worked and homeschooled. My beloved is disabled and has a lot of medical problems, so that's been a challenge too.

 

We were talking last night about how we've managed all that all this time, and I think the key is expectations. My work is mostly from home, but my kids know that if I'm on a work-related phone call or crashing on a deadline, it's not playtime unless I say so. They have assignment books and are expected to do their best to figure it out, and go to the next exercise or assignment if they can't. Then I sit down and go over all their work. They know that they are supposed to work whether an adult is overseeing them or not.

 

I'm not one who keeps them out of activities if they don't do their work or are difficult because my kids seem to need the physical activity and outside stimulation as much as their schoolwork at times, so we deal with such things in other ways. I have charged them money and taken away toys/computer time, and that seems to be as good a motivator as any.

 

Just keep in mind as you face this that your homeschool life cannot look like a family with a mom that doesn't work. I don't really have hobbies or outside interests other than homeschooling and my work, and my household routines are very streamlined. I also say "no" to a lot of volunteer jobs unless it's something that I feel strongly that I personally need to do, and I prefer short-term committments.

[ClassicMom]

I've been working part-time for the past six years. It's hard, but can be done. What are the ages/grades of your children? Are any in school or do you homeschool all of them?

 

I was lucky in that I only have to go in two days a week except during the holidays and then was able to work from home the rest of my hours. It's a bit trickier when I had to work in the office every day.

 

You will need to have a set schedule so that they know exactly what is expected from them while you are at work. They will need to understand the homework that you are giving them to be done while with their dad since they are on their own. Give them a sheet to check-off what they have done as they finish. Make sure that they get everything done that they need to with you when you are home for the subjects that are more difficult for them to do on their own.

 

Give them reading assignments to do if they finish their work early so they aren't wasting time or have them move on to the next math or science or whatever lesson might be easy for them that you feel comfortable letting them work ahead on. Another option is a critical thinking book.

 

That's what we do here. Writing assignments are difficult for my girls, so I always do those with them, I also get them started on their math lessons for the week, but most of their work is done on their own (but they are now in highschool) When they were younger, there was a lot I did with them and then gave them a page of homework for each subject, a book to read and a critical thinking book.