I never thought in a million years that I would carry a business and homeschool, but I’ve discovered that not only is it possible, but it can be very fulfilling when I make sure my priorities are in order.
Do I burn out and want to quit everything at times? I do.
I get tired and feel like I don’t do any one thing well. Then I take a deep breath, re-evaluate, and try a new strategy to carry them both. I’m always trying new things and tweaking.
In this blog post I am sharing my story about working while homeschooling my children,, plus some ideas for managing the load of maintaining work and homeschooling.
In this blog post:
- My story of working and homeschooling
- Seven tips for working and homeschooling
- Homeschool resources from Treehouse Schoolhouse
My story of working and homeschooling
My journey of balancing work and homeschooling has been nothing short of a wild ride. It all started as a small side project – writing blogs and creating content in the margins of my day, often while holding a baby, at 5 a.m., or during nap times. I never imagined it would grow so quickly. Going from a homeschool mom to a homeschool and working mom has caught me by surprise many times.
As our business began to expand beyond my expectations, we found ourselves constantly evaluating and adapting – shifting schedules, rearranging routines, and sometimes feeling overwhelmed with how much we had taken on. There were days I wanted to quit, overwhelmed by the effort of managing everything. It wasn’t easy, but I kept reminding myself why I started and where it could lead.
Initially, it was just me working on content while homeschooling small children and caring for a toddler and a baby. My husband was working 60 hours a week, making it hard to juggle everything. I decided to develop our first curriculum and hired part-time childcare so I could find time to focus a couple days a week in the afternoons. It was a challenge to balance work, homeschooling, and house responsibilities. Gradually, having childcare hours and earning some money from the growing business allowed us to catch our breath.
Over time, things began to shift. My husband was able to reduce his workload, which meant we didn’t need as much childcare, and we all found a better rhythm. Today, we’re at a place where my husband and I both work part-time, sharing the responsibilities of caring for the children, homeschooling, and managing our home. We’re still figuring it out every day, but I’m grateful for how far we’ve come. It’s a reminder that perseverance, flexibility, and a lot of trial and error can carry you through even the hardest times.
I understand that not everyone has the same circumstances, whether it’s a supportive husband, the ability to hire help, or a job that allows you to work from home. But I hope that sharing our story will give you ideas and encouragement. No matter your situation, there are so many ways to adapt, to grow, and to keep going, even when it feels impossible.
Seven tips for homeschooling and working
Over the years I have learned so much about working while homeschooling my four children. It has required a lot of intention to maintain a healthy work life while running a strong homeschool for my children. It has required a lot of trial and error, plus help and encouragement from the other people in our life.
Choose your “yeses” wisely.
Every “yes” is a “no” to something else, so set your intentions and choose wisely. Decide what and who you are supposed to give your time to in this season and set and stick to your boundaries. You can’t do everything that other parents do – especially parents who do not work. You will not have the same amount of free time or the ease of scheduling that others have, even if your job is flexible. Don’t be afraid to say, “I can’t do that because I’m homeschooling or working during that time” and explain what your life looks like to others.
Remember that among all of the times you are saying no, you are supporting your family and modeling working hard to your children. You are equipping your children with a strong sense of motherhood and with the ability to do a job well.
Ideas: Explain your job to your friends or people in your life. Don’t apologize for choosing not to attend social events, playdates, or extracurricular activities. Work on your heart and don’t get caught up in feeling guilty about saying no to things. Protect your mental health by trying not to stretch yourself too thin.
Set boundaries and don’t blur the lines of working and parenting.
I believe this is one of the biggest challenges of the time we live in. Especially in a time when we can respond to emails on our phones or need to be on social media as a part of our jobs. Trying to do both at the same time will leave you frazzled, distracted, overwhelmed, and most likely leave your children frustrated because your attention is divided. As much as possible, make a schedule for yourself that allows space for working, for homeschooling, and just to be a mom. Do whatever you can to avoid blurring the lines.
Ideas: Create blocks in your day for homeschooling, for parenting, and for working. Communicate to your team that you do not check emails or social media during a certain period of the day, and come up with a plan to be reached in the event that a work matter is urgent. Set up a time of the week or day to knock out recurring tasks like emails can constantly interrupt your day. Having a designated time to do these can free up your mind from the habit of constant checking. Keep your phone and computer out of reach during homeschool hours or family time.
Be a team with your family and community.
Communicate your needs with your spouse or other family members. Make a plan for how to share the load of homeschooling and homecare with your spouse or extended family members who are willing and able to be involved. Don’t get caught up in the pressure of doing everything yourself. Plus, it is a great way for children to learn how to take direction and show respect to other people in your family or community.
Ideas: Can your husband do read-aloud time in the evenings? Can you tackle house care together after bedtime so you can start your mornings in peace? Can children help with some responsibilities in the home, like getting dressed, making their beds, and picking up their toys? Do you have a grandparent who is available to help with a homeschool lesson on a weekly basis, like history, art, or science? For playdates, can a friend take your child to an extracurricular along with their child, or host a playdate where your kids can come over without you? Find another mom in need of childcare and arrange time to swap the children so you both have time to yourselves.
Keep yourself healthy.
Working while homeschooling demands a lot of you. You need to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Prioritize nourishing your body with real foods and getting in movement. Pray, journal, and listen to podcasts that challenge your mind. Invest in friendships that fill you up. Deal with your heart issues as they arise. Work on keeping up a healthy sleep schedule with lots of rest. Staying healthy serves your family and your business, so make it important.
Ideas: Use grocery delivery and meal prep ahead of time to keep you and your family fueled when the week gets busy. Prioritize time to sleep at night and make sure you are getting rest. Wake up before your children to have a few moments of quiet time each day.
Don’t be afraid or ashamed of childcare.
Don’t fall into the trap of needing to do everything yourself. I have found that I am a better parent when I’m not trying to work and be a present mom at the same time. Our homeschool is richer and my work is stronger when I have designated time slots for both. If needed, take the time to find the right person or situation for your family that you trust and enriches your children’s lives.
Ideas: Hire a babysitter to come to your home a few afternoons a week so you can work without interruption. Enroll your child in an extracurricular where you can sit and reply to emails while they are participating in a team sport or activity.
Give yourself permission to unplug.
Be disciplined to have rhythms and time for rest in your days and weeks. This is super important if your job requires an online presence or being on your phone. Don’t forget that you are a person outside of work and your role as a homeschooling parent. Pursue hobbies, authentic relationships, and do things that create peace in your mind and heart.
Ideas: Communicate with your work team certain times you will be unavailable. Get ahead of work deadlines so you can enjoy the weekends with your family. Limit your phone usage in a way that is appropriate for you, like turning off notifications or taking email off of your phone so you don’t have constant interruptions coming in. Give yourself permission to do a hobby even just in short spurts, like reading for 5-10 minutes a day – it may take you several months to finish a book, but at least you were able to do something you love slowly, over time.
Delegate responsibilities to your spouse, family, or another professional.
Get comfortable letting go of the reins and delegating tasks that someone else can do effectively. You don’t need to do it all yourself– and most likely can’t. Think about something you can give up that would free up your time and mental energy and allow you to focus on your work.
Ideas: Hire someone to clean, enroll a child in an online class, utilize grocery delivery, hire a social media manager for your business.
Homeschool resources from Treehouse Schoolhouse
Prepare for smooth, peaceful homeschool days with these best-selling resources from Treehouse Schoolhouse.
Homeschool Planner
Map out all of your family and homeschooling responsibilities with our customizable Homeschool Planner. This simple and beautiful planner allows space for each child’s curriculum plus your family activities and responsibilities.
Daily Rhythm Bundle
Set up your homeschool days with ease with the Daily Rhythm Bundle. Rather than trying to stick to a rigid schedule, this set helps you create a general rhythm for your days by creating a visual schedule for your family. The daily rhythm worksheet is laminated and dry erase and the cards can be moved around offering you flexibility and adaptability.
I hope this blog resonates with your heart and encourages you to work and support your family if that is something you are considering. Just because you homeschool doesn’t mean you can’t also work and support your family with additional income. If you work and have helpful advice for other moms, we would love to hear your experience in the comments.
