Balancing Homeschool and Work – Not Always Easy but Possible!
First off, I must just say that it’s not always easy balancing homeschool and work. There are going to be times where work takes precedent and homeschooling has to take a back seat, But that’s ok! Being a working homeschool mom is a balancing act. That means it’s something you have to work at.
Balancing homeschool and work is mostly about mindset, in my opinion. You have to work and you have to homeschool, Sometimes there’s not enough time. And often it can be really hard! So you need to get that mindset right! Here are some things that will help you to strike some sort of a balance.
Balancing Homeschool and Work Takes Acceptance
Beating yourself up is never the answer. But acceptance is! You are going to need to be kind to yourself in order to find the balance. Or at least accept what ‘balance’ looks like in your world.
Accept that it’s…
- never going to be perfect
- often not going to be easy
- will definitely be messy and frustrating
If you enter working homeschool mom life with your eyes, your mind and your heart open, you’ll be able to be more accepting of the mess that life will probably be…and for the lack of balance that you’re sometimes going to feel.
Once you get rid of the need to chastise yourself, you can channel that energy into finding solutions. A growth mindset is something you’re going to want to practise!
Lower Your Expectations
In the same way that you should accept the chaos, you should also lower those expectations. When they’re down, you can’t be disappointed. But you can be pleasantly surprised! If I had to choose between the two, I would definitely go for the latter. I’m sure you agree!
Heightened expectations can come from lots of different places.
- Comparing yourself to others will raise expectations about what your homeschool should look like.
- Listening to what others believe learning should look like, rather than trusting your gut, can also raise expectations.
- Basing your homeschool on your public school education, will raise expectations too!
- Approaching homeschool as a parent-led endeavour rather than one that involves the input of your kids, can raise expectations.
So in order to avoid this you should…
- find your unique homeschool path,
- trust your gut,
- forget about learning that comes from public school,
- and involve your kids as much as possible in their learning!
Put in the Work to Deschool Yourself
Deschool yourself as a matter of priority. This is the best way to balance everything because it will mean you are open to anything. It will help you to thrown convention out the window in order to create something that’s perfect for you and your family.
Deschooling means…
- deprogramming yourself from the public school mentality
- allowing your child the time to decompress and rest, if they were at school
- bonding as a family and forging a strong connection in order to build trust
- watching your kiddo to see what lights them up and how they like to learn
- starting to figure out a possible way forward on the working homeschool mom journey.
Balancing Homeschool and Work is Easier with Better Time Management
When you manage your time better, you have more of it. And balance is much easier when you have more time to play with. I have a time management course that can help you find a more balanced life. The course will help you to…
- find out where your time goes
- figure out your values and goals
- simplify your life
- create a schedule that brings you joy and ease.
Once you’ve done the course, you’ll be able to balance homeschool and work much easier! And of course I’m always here to offer you one-to-one support through my working homeschool mom coaching.
Follow me Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more homeschool shenanigans, advice and resources. And please book in a coaching call with me if you feel you need some extra support or encouragement.
