Working at Home While homeschooling

While out and about today, I was asked how I manage to work from home while homeschooling my children.

It’s a balancing act, I tell ya!

But, seriously, it can be done.

Now, my children are not babies anymore. My youngest is 8. She is quite self-sufficient and can read quite well on her own. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t need some Mama time, though. 😉

I use a steno pad for this list. I have tried so many planners that claim to do it all, but always go back to an easy paper and pen method. It works for me. Use what works for you!

What I try to do is write out my “hope to” to do list for the week on Sunday. I break this list down for the week, filling in any appointments we have, places we need to be, phone calls I need to make, special meals I need to prepare, etc. Then I ask my Honey if there is anything special he needs me to take care of for him.

Once I have our home needs written down, I work on our school needs. Once those are in place, I fill in my work time. My work is in customer service, working from home. I have to be in a very quiet room, which means I am not available to my family when I am working. This means I must have all of my family’s needs and my home needs taken care of before I go into the office to work.

I like to plan out our meals as this makes for a less-frazzled Mama. Knowing what’s for supper in the morning means if I need to defrost a roast, or get a chicken in the crock pot, I can do that first thing in the morning (or better yet, last thing the night before!). For me, I plan a month at a time as I grocery shop for a month at a time. It’s the system that works for me. We live in the country and away from the stores, so I don’t shop very often. We also have only 2 vehicles…one my Honey uses to go to to work and the other Rebecca uses to go to cosmetology school. I have to plan my shopping trips accordingly. It is also a money-saver…less trips to the store saves not only gas, but money for every time your feet enter those stores, you spend money. 😉

I don’t always get it right. I get frazzled. I get stressed. I get over-whelmed. That’s when my sweet Honey comes to me and tells me to take a step back. It usually means I’ve taken on too much. He helps me to see what I can let go of.

The best advice I have is to plan. And not just in your head as I am sometimes guilty of doing. Actually put it on paper. That way, not only can you see it, but so can your family. They can help see where you are over-loaded and lend an extra hand, and they can see where you have a free afternoon and plan a movie and popcorn time. Be sure you leave room for those times. What are you working for anyhow?? For me, it’s to better our family’s income, and I am not willing to sacrifice time with my ever-growing and ever-changing children to do so.