How to be a Successful Homeschool Mom

It seems to me that more and more parents are choosing to take on the responsibility of educating their kids. And the reasons why are becoming more and more diverse. It could be anything from religious reasons, to having gifted or special needs children, or more. We chose this path for financial reasons and to avoid having to medicate our kids. It isn’t always easy but when all is said and done, I wouldn’t have it any other way. So how can you be a successful homeschool mom?

1. Go into Homeschooling with Open Eyes

Homeschooling is great. But it is also really full on. And there might be some things that you haven’t even considered. Make sure you are prepared to spend a lot of time with your kids. I know this sounds obvious, but it can be a huge adjustment. My advice is to ease into homeschooling for the first few months. Because trying to mimic a rigid school at home schedule, has its own challenges too. Start the year slowly and positively and you will reap the benefits of more comfortable kids.

2. Let go of Perfection

There is going to be a lot of activity in your home. Which often means mess and chaos. And teaching kids to be independent inevitably leads to a few mishaps in the process. I would suggest letting go of having a perfect house. It’s maybe a better idea to spend that energy on teaching your kids to help around the house. There are so many important life skills to be learnt. And with homeschooling, you have the luxury of time to teach them what matters.

3. Be Flexible

I think flexibility has been a lifesaver for us. It suits the parents and also the kids best. Sometimes we need to tear up the To Do list and to just have some quiet time. Or to go for a walk. Being together all the time can be exhausting and claustrophobic. But a quick walk in the park can work wonders for everybody.

4. Don’t Neglect Self Care

Self care is not about being selfish. And it’s not worth being a martyr. Read Lauren’s post about what it can mean to neglect self care as a homeschool mom. Organise some time for yourself to relax or to do what you enjoy. Because you are going to be spending a lot of time surrounded by people. I realise that humans are social creatures. But there is a limit! And if you don’t make an effort to get away, you could start resenting your family.

How to be a Successful Work at Home Mom

As with homeschooling, working at home is also becoming increasingly popular. Women are choosing to have it all. And this for me has meant a wonderful way to work and to live somewhere out of the way, natural and less expensive than a big city. Once again, this is entirely possible. And why shouldn’t you also be a successful WAHM?

5. Find a Job that you can Do on your Terms

As with homeschooling, your job needs to be flexible. As you’re juggling two jam-packed activities, you will need to concentrate on one or the other sometimes. Find a job where you can set your own schedule. Or one where you don’t have to work set hours. I can suggest teaching English as a second language or creating an online marketing business. These work for me because I can choose when to work and when to take on new students or clients.

6. Prepare for the Change Over Period between Jobs

Unless finances are not an issue, you will probably have a period when you have less money or have to work more hours. I experienced this when I transitioned from working at home to homeschooling and working at home. I didn’t realise how many more hours it would take and how exhausted I would be. And I must admit that it was difficult. Once again, go into the new phase with your eyes open. Be prepared to maybe get some extra help or to use some of your savings. Even though working from home is becoming more popular, it’s very rare that you’ll be getting paid the top dollar right from the beginning. You often have to prove yourself before you are fully established, especially when starting out with something online and at home.

7. Be Prepared to Work Nights and Weekends

I have found that I do sometimes have to work nights and weekends. And if you’re changing over from an office job to a job at home, this may seem very undesirable. You may be irritated with the fact that holidays also seem to fall away. But on the plus side, if you’re having a really bad day on a Tuesday, you can take a day off. If you are willing to be flexible in homeschooling and working, you can make this work for you. Mid-week, out of season breaks are so much cheaper. And not to mention the joy of shopping when most people are at work!

8. Set the Intention of How you Want your Life to Be

As with anything in life, a positive attitude, preparation and motivation will mean success. Decide how you want to work and then take steps towards that goal. It might take some time, but with determination and intention, you will get what you want. And this is the key to a happy, fulfilled mom life!

Combining being a Successful Homeschool and Work at Home Mom

As you can see, being a successful homeschool mom and a working at home mom are similar. So I believe that these two home activities can be easily combined. It can be a lot of hard work and pretty intense, but I think that the positives far outweigh the negatives! If you have any questions about the transition, please feel free to drop me an email or to comment below.