September 5, 2022 by Olga Put Homeschooling 0 comments

How to Homeschool and Work Full-Time with Success

Can I homeschool and work?

I asked myself this two years ago when the pandemic began.

I was a full-time teacher living in Mexico, and suddenly I had over 20 hours of online classes and 2 small kids at home, ages 4 and 5. They were too little to take their courses in front of a computer.

My husband also taught online, and we had to find a way—and we did! Surprisingly, I remember this period as fun, creative, and full of bonding.

If you’re ready to combine homeschool and full-time work, then this article might be able to help you out!

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We’re an online Spanish school committed to empowering parents and their children to live happier lives, enjoy stronger learning outcomes, and experience real success. Learn more about our affordable classes.➡️

New to Homeschooling?

First, if you’re a homeschooling rookie, give it some time to see if it’s a system that will fit your kid and your family life.

Homeschooling is an unbelievable journey, but it’s also not for everybody.

You must be prepared if you’re just starting and want to combine homeschool and work.

Read about The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling and give yourself some time to decide.

Here you can read about why homeschooling may be a good idea.

And here, I picked up some articles for you that can help you with the basics.

And if you’re a person that wants to know it all, take a look at The True History of Homeschooling in the United States.

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Can You Homeschool and Work Full Time?

Yes and no, and there’s no easy answer to this question. Homeschooling while working is doable, but it depends on many factors.

First, it’s easier if your full-time job can be done from home.

People that are already used to working from home are good at multitasking. You can probably do a full-time laundry cycle between the Zoom meetings and take care of your garden. Adding homeschooling your kids is a piece of cake with some prep.

If you have a regular job that requires you to leave your house, it’s trickier and can be impossible sometimes.

If you’re a parent of a responsible high schooler, go for it, and I will tell you later how. If you can count on your partner or other family members, it’s also a yes.

If there’s a local homeschool co-op or a homeschool pod, it’s also possible. If money is not a problem, and you can hire a tutor, why not?

However, if you know that the homeschooling task will fall mainly on you, your kid is still little, and you have to work from 8 am to 5 pm outside the home, let’s be honest, it won’t work.

If yours is one of the possible scenarios, keep reading to get some tips.

How to Work Full-Time and Homeschool

Here are some essentials you need to be able to do homeschool while working.

Of course, juggling a job and teaching your kids requires some skills to be mastered, but it’s not impossible.

Get Help from Others

From the very beginning, see who can help you.

Your partner is the first person to talk to. Suppose you can divide the tasks equally to avoid burnout: wonderful. Maybe you have other relatives or friends who could contribute with their time and skills?

It doesn’t hurt to ask, and you might be positively surprised.

Check if there are already homeschool co-ops, pods, or umbrella schools running in your area and see what help they can provide. Even your regular state school can have your kid over to PE or might let them use their science lab.

Even if you are the primary person responsible for putting the homeschooling plan together, you need to know who to call if something unexpected happens.

Master Time Management (in 4 Steps)

Time management is crucial while homeschooling and working. You need to be able to take advantage of every minute.

Some things can be planned, saving you time and unnecessary stress.

You should manage lesson time, choose a curriculum that will take the load off you, and even organize family meals and other house chores.

1. Organize Your Lessons

In terms of classes, you need to plan not only “when” but also “how” and “what.”

An undeniable advantage of homeschooling is its flexibility. Lessons can happen anytime, and you can probably go around your working schedule.

Remember that homeschooling takes less time than regular school. You don’t waste time commuting, taking attendance, or waiting for other kids to finish their work.

Choose the homeschooling schedule that leaves the most space for flexibility. Make sure you plan enough activities that your kid can do independently when needed (reading, gardening, watching documentaries, audiobooks, etc.).

You should also choose your curriculum wisely. Many online programs can help you with some or even all the subjects, and many require minimum parent supervision.

Of course, the older your child is, the easier it will get.

Requests samples and see which one can work best for your needs. If you can find open-and-go options, choose these.

Hand-picked for you:

If you can outsource some subjects, for example, electives, do it.

Homeschool Spanish Academy offers Spanish programs for all ages and levels, including preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school.

2. Schedule Your Meal Prep

Instead of cooking meals every day, pPlan and cook on Sunday for the whole week.

You can find plenty of resources online that teach you how to cook meals for a week at once. You can also leave one day for cooking classes and prepare food with your child. It’s an excellent opportunity to teach them not only about cooking itself but also about math and science.

3. Incorporate House Chores

House chores need to be done, and if you get no outside help with this, you should also plan accordingly and involve your kid.

Knowing how to do basic home stuff teaches responsibility and life skills and is as important as knowing your timetables. So don’t try to spare your child from doing housework because it’s also a part of education.

Have you come across these homeschool memes that involve “home economics”? No? This one is one of my favorites:

Have a look at some other homeschooling memes for a good laugh.

4. Keep a Positive and Resilient Attitude

And last but not least, work on building a more positive and resilient attitude.

You don’t have to be the best homeschooling parent in the world. But unfortunately, there will be times when things will not get done, either for homeschooling or for your work.

The big takeaways here are:

Embrace flexibility
Laugh at the unexpected, and
Don’t compare your child and family to others

There will be things you won’t know and will learn as you go. There will be times when you’ll make mistakes, and the world will not end.

Just make sure you take care of your needs and provide enough self-care to avoid burnout. And finally: enjoy the ride!

Ready to Combine Work and Homeschooling?

You have a full picture now, and you can decide if homeschooling and working full-time are possible for your family.

Remember that you can always try it for one year and go back to the traditional school system or opt for a private or microschool—which lies somewhere in the middle of educational options.

Your family is unique; only you know what works best for you and your kids.

Hoping to Add Spanish to Your Homeschool?

Learn About Our Affordable K-12 Online Spanish Programs!

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– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Want more super useful homeschool-related content? It’s for you!

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Olga Put

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I'm a Spanish philologist, teacher, and freelance writer with a Master's degree in Humanities from Madrid. I speak Polish, Spanish, and English fluently, and want to get better in Portuguese and German. A lover of literature, and Mexican spicy cuisine, I've lived in Poland, Spain, and Mexico and I'm currently living and teaching in Madeira, Portugal.