You Can Work and Homeschool
Ever thought you’d like to homeshool, but, you can’t because you work? I’ve heard it time and time again. “We can’t afford for me to give up my job and stay home to homeschool.” Or, some sort of version of the statement. But, I think that we do what we truly want to do. If we don’t want to homeschool, we will not. If we want to talk ourselves out of what we think might be best, we will. If we want to homeschool, we find a way.
I get it. Not everyone wants to homeschool. Honestly, it isn’t for everyone. But. But, you can if you decide to. You can homeschool AND work. I know a lot of people who do.
Some work from home taking on jobs where they can be with their kids through the day and also dedicate time to work from home. Others, take part-time jobs outside the home and work around their homeschooling hours. Still others, work full-time jobs, both mom and dad, and make homeschooling work because they’ve decided to do so.
This post contains affiliate advertisement links.
5 Legitimate Options to Work at Home While You Homeschool
- Professional Blogging, sales ads, product reviews and affiliate sales.
- Personal Sales (crafts, art, sewing, etc.) on websites such as Etsy.
- Independent Distribution; Avon, Mary Kay, Young Living, etc.
- Virtual Assistant, working for a corporation, large bloggers, or networks managing a variety of online tasks, such as, social media management, email management, processing online orders, or content creation.
- Customer Service Rep, answering calls and acting as a customer service representative on behalf of a cooperation.
Best Articles for Work and Homeschool
I don’t just want to say you can do this. I want to introduce you to others who are homeschooling and also working to provide income for their families. Take a look at these blogs of moms who are working, they are sharing realities, tips and encouragement for working homeschooling moms and dads.
- 3 Tips for Working from Home while Homeschooling – Christian Homeschooling Moms
- A Day in the Life of a Work at Home, Homeschooling Mom – Finding Joy in The Journey
- An Open Letter to a Tired, Work-at-Home, Homeschooling Mom – The Multi-taskin Mom
- I Can’t Homeschool Because I’m a Work at Home Mom – Jimmie’s Collage
- Five Mistakes that Will Derail Your Dream of Working From Home as a Homeschool Mom – Jimmie’s Collage
- Homeschooling and Working at Home, Can You Balance it All? – Finding Joy in The Journey
- Homeschooling and Working Outside the Home – The Kennedy Adventures
- Homeschooling When Both Parents Work – Bright Ideas Press Blog
- How I Homeschool and Work at Home – Christin Slade
- How I Homeschool and Work from Home – Modern Homeschool Family
- How I Juggle Homeschool and Working Outside the Home – Sam’s Noggin
- How I Juggle Homeschooling, Housework and Working as a Single Mom – The Heart of Michelle
- How One Mom Juggles Homeschooling and Working from Home – B Inspired Mama
- I Can’t Homeschool Because I Work Outside the Home -Finding Joy in The Journey
- Survival List for Work-at-Home Homeschooling Moms – Sallie Borrink
- Struggles of a Working Homeschool Mom – Hip Homeschool Moms
- The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling for Working Moms – Unschool Rules
Books for Moms who Work and Homeschool
- Schooling at Home While Working, by Misty Bailey
- How to Work and Homeschool: Practical Advice, Tips, and Strategies from Parents, by Pamela Price
- How to Work and Homeschool: Practical Advice, Tips, and Strategies from Parent, by Vicki Schneller
- The Working Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling by Robyn Dolan
- Homeschooling and Working While Shaping Amazing Learners by LM Preston
It may not seem like it, but I too work and homeschool. I earn money from home through blogging, as well as virtual assistance work. I help other bloggers and small business owners manage their web presence in a variety of ways.
My initial monthly goal was to earn enough to pay for blogging and business expenses, and provide income to purchase our homeschooling supplies. But, over the years I’ve grown my online business in such a way that I now provide about 1/3 of my family’s total monthly income.
I earn enough that I have hired a few assistants of my own and I regularly am able to pay for extra household expenses.
Still think you can’t homeschool and earn a living?
Or, are you one of many homeschooling moms, and dads, who are providing both income and education to your children.
You really can work and homeschool, and be successful at both. Tell me your story in comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
3 Comments
Catherine @ A Spirited Mind
I homeschool my older three children (and also have a 2-year-old and am expecting a baby in the next few weeks) and also work 10-30 hours per week in corporate writing and marketing. It really does work (I track my time periodically, and find I spend about 25 hours a week on homeschooling, and then the work time, which leaves plenty of time for everything else, as long as I’m deliberate about what “everything else” includes).
I think the key in these discussions is NOT to start with, “What will pay me?” and instead ask, “What are my gifts, and how can I leverage them into a flexible job?” Because if you aren’t in your wheelhouse, and don’t love what you do, it will be hard sometimes to get through crunch times. I love my work, and also am passionate about homeschooling, so that helps a lot. The workplace is changing, lots of companies are far more open now to using contract workers with flexible schedules and locations, and so I think it’s easier now to negotiate work you love and are gifted in without having to keep a chair warm from 9-5.
Although they aren’t about homeschooling, two books that have been exceptionally helpful to me in this lifestyle are 168 Hours and I Know How She Does It, both by Laura Vanderkam. Her perspective helped me to think about time differently, and to have a different attitude toward time challenges.
Catherine @ A Spirited Mind recently posted…September Read-Alouds
Renee Aleshire Brown
Thank you so much for sharing your story and the tips for books. I really like the idea of determining your gifts and then figuring out how to leverage that into a flexible job.
Christina
I’m so glad you found my advice for how to work at home and homeschool helpful. I worked full time, from home, while homeschool by kids all the way through graduation. I’m not Super Woman. You can do it too!