Finding a Homeschool Schedule for Working Moms that Actually Works

Finding the perfect homeschool schedule for working moms is probably somewhere near the top of your list if you’re just embarking on your homeschool journey. You might go looking for blog posts about homeschool schedules or go down a Pinterest rabbit hole. I get you! That was me at the beginning too!

I was desperate for someone to tell me what to do. I wanted to learn from others during a time when I felt unsure of my decision. And of myself! I had no confidence in my ability to homeschool so I wanted to find the magic formula.

If you know me or have been following along on my journey, you probably have an idea where I’m going with this. 😁 There is no magic formula! The perfect homeschool schedule for working moms isn’t out there. But the perfect homeschool schedule for you is! So in this post I want to give you some steps you can take to find it!

1. Start with Deschooling

Before you even think about planning your schedule, I highly recommend deschooling. Deschooling is incredibly important for a successful homeschool. It’s a time to…

• get to know your child
• observe how they learn
• figure out how to spend so much time together
• move from a school to homeschool frame of mind
• start thinking about how to fit everything into your day
• and to decompress, especially if your kiddo has been in public school.

It’s also a time open your mind to all the possibilities that homeschooling has to offer. It can take some time, but it’s worth it for what it brings to your homeschool and family connection. I have a post with some deschooling ideas, in case you need some inspiration.

2. Figure out Your Values and Goals

Knowing what’s important is going to make finding your homeschool schedule, much easier. In fact, I recommend doing this exercise for your schedule in general. It will help you to prioritize what’s really important to you.

It’s also a great idea to involve your child in deciding what they want to learn. If they’ve been part of planning their homeschool, it will make them much more invested. And this is also a step towards building learning independence later on.

So let’s have a look at how to do this…

Let’s say your goals are health, family connection and ease. So your daily schedule could look like this…

3. Don’t Compare

You might look at the daily planner above and think that it doesn’t suit you in any way. And that’s because it’s for a work-at-home mom with kids that are older and more independent. And this mom might have values and goals that are very different to yours!

So this brings me to another important point about finding a homeschool schedule. You can’t compare yourself to someone else. Because if you do, it could make you feel bad about what you can manage on any given day. Or make you plan a schedule that’s unsustainable.

If you’re open to all the possibilities that homeschool has to offer, and there are loads, then you can craft a homeschool schedule that suits you and your kids down to the ground.

4. Get Really Creative

Something else that’s going to help you to find that perfect homeschool schedule for working moms (or the one that’s perfect for you) is to get creative with your scheduling. Another part of deschooling is deprogramming yourself from the ‘regular or normal’ working and learning times.

You could think about homeschooling at weekends or very early in the morning. You could homeschool year round and spend less time homeschooling. You could homeschool late at night. Yes, I know families like this! And they’re perfectly normal and happy. 😉 It just works best for them!

Finding a good time to homeschool is also going to depend very much on your work and energy levels. If you work night shifts, homeschooling in the morning might not work for you. So you could homeschool before going to work in the afternoon. Or on your days off. You could outsource your homeschooling entirely. There’s no shame in that at all!

The idea is the throw out all your preconceived notions about when and even where homeschooling should take place. And finding those pockets of time when you and your kids are going to be at your best for learning. You have 24 hours a day or 168 hours a week. There is enough time, I promise!

5. Regroup and Rethink Often

Something else to keep in mind, is that your schedule will change. In fact, it should change! The homeschool schedule you had one year, one month or even one day ago, might not work today. And that’s ok!

Homeschool gives you the flexibility to change things up. It’s why we all love homeschooling so much! As long as you keep your goals and values in mind, and involve your kids, you’re going to be able to find a schedule that work for you!

You’ll also notice as you get further down your homeschooling journey, that it does get easier! You’ll know how your kids learn, how much you can manage in a day and what’s really important! And most importantly, you’ll feel much more confident about your ability to homeschool.

6. Final Thoughts on Finding a Homeschool Schedule for Working Moms

I know its easy for me to say that there is no perfect homeschool schedule for working moms. But I want to help you save some of the stress and anxiety I had at the beginning of our homeschooling journey.

Be kind to yourself and take all the time you need to find what works. It’s ok to go through many periods of trial and error. It’s normal and healthy! Because with each ‘mistake’, you’ve got the opportunity to learn and improve.

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.