How to Balance Homeschooling and Working from Home

Homeschooling, while very rewarding, is challenging. Working from home, while likely more flexible than commuting to and from an office, can also be challenging. Homeschooling while working from home? Well, you do the math! Combining these two endeavors can be done–and done quite successfully–with the right strategies and organization, however. Let’s look at ways you can balance homeschooling and working from home without sacrificing either your child’s education or your career.

Lean on live and online classes

If you’re new to homeschooling, the first decision you have to make is whether you want to do any teaching. Some homeschool parents do all the instruction. Some elect to have their children take a full load of live or recorded classes taught by a teacher. Others choose a blend of both approaches.

If your job requires you to work a set schedule and is strict about when you can take breaks during the workday, then you might want to lean into either online learning or live classes. For example, Bridgeway Academy’s Homeschool Academy and Homeschool Live programs offer self-paced online courses.

For elementary-aged students, the self-paced online courses involve customizable course plans with a variety of academic tracks so your child can learn at their own pace and thrive with their preferred learning style. Our middle school and high school students can log in at any time to access prerecorded live classes and interactive learning while still receiving feedback from live, subject-specific teachers who challenge them to pursue excellence. Students can even meet with teachers for extra help when needed.

Finally, you could set your child up with a schedule full of live online classes, where they’ll be in a virtual classroom with students from around the world and taught by a live, certified teacher at specific times each week.

A fully online school day keeps your student busy and gives you the time you need to focus on work. Any of these options would not only provide your child with a high-quality, tailored education, but they’d also allow you to dedicate your full (or close to it) attention to work without the extra responsibility of being your child’s full-time teacher.

Mix and match

Maybe you don’t work a full-time schedule, or maybe your workday is fairly flexible. If you’d like to do some of the homeschooling yourself, blended learning programs are a great solution. They offer plenty of online work your child can complete on their own, plus opportunities for you to do some instructing.

One of the great things about homeschooling is that you can mix and match your way to success! For example, you could choose some textbook-based courses where you provide the instruction, plus a few self-paced online courses that allow the students to do the work themselves. You could also throw in a live online class or two for more peer-to-peer and student-teacher interaction. Mixing and matching provides the best of both worlds. You can teach as your schedule allows, and your child can work individually with online courses and live classes while you work.

Get flexible

Homeschooling offers the benefit of flexibility. You can homeschool whenever (and sometimes wherever) is most convenient for your schedule. If you work a 9-5 job from home, start classes at 7 or 7:30 in the morning and keep going until it’s time to work. During your work time, your child can partake in either individual/independent study or online classes (or both), take a break to play or read, and then you can finish up with another class or two from 5 to 6. Or use some time early in the morning and then during the evening. Or maybe even dedicate some weekend time to school. A few hours on a Saturday morning can make up for an entire day during the week.

You can create your own schedule since homeschooling has no set school hours! Be creative and get as flexible as you need to accommodate your work schedule and your child’s education. There’s room for both!

Create a schedule

Isn’t having a set schedule counterintuitive to being flexible? Well, yes and no. By creating a weekly schedule, you can at least plan out your week and know what subjects and topics should be covered in school.  If you have a set schedule of work meetings every week, try to plan school around those. That said, be open to change, because most of the time you will not complete everything on your list. But having a roadmap of where you want to go will help guide you and your family during the week.

Be organized

Some people are organizers, others simply go with the flow. Yes, either approach can work with homeschooling. However, maintaining some sense of organization can help you maintain some sense of sanity. If you already have a schedule in mind, that’s a great start. Take that a step further and create your own agenda for school each day, if you’re doing some or all of the instruction. Make a daily list of assignments for your student so they know what to tackle each day.

Organization in the home goes a long way as well. You likely have your own dedicated office or workspace, so make sure you create one for your child too! Of course, there will be times when everyone winds up working together at the kitchen table. But having a safe, quiet space where everyone can work is important for both kids and adults.

Make time for activities and groups

Homeschool groups and activities accomplish two missions. First, it gives your child an opportunity to socialize with other students of all ages and participate in group activities. Second, it allows you and your child to learn from other homeschooling parents and teachers while giving you time to work as your student is enjoying the group environment. In fact, many co-ops and groups plan field trips. If you work full-time, this is a great opportunity to get your child together with other kids for fun and learning while you work. If this interests you, research homeschool groups and co-ops in your area.

Also, look into extracurricular clubs and activities in your community (local sports leagues, YMCA/gym groups, library clubs, etc.) that make homeschooling even more rewarding.

Consider a homeschool partner

Partnering with a homeschool academy like Bridgeway Academy is your choice. But as a working parent, it’s something to truly consider. Why? Because we’re with you every step of the way during the homeschool journey. Enrollment with Bridgeway Academy provides you with unparalleled and unlimited support from expert and experienced academic advisors. Not to mention full accreditation, so you know your child is getting credit for their education and is eligible for college scholarships.

Plus, we’ll assess your student’s personality and learning style in order to put together the perfect homeschool program. This allows them to enjoy learning and thrive in an environment that’s suited to their strengths and personality. Your family also gets to be a part of the Bridgeway community! Students can join clubs like Minecraft and National Beta Society and participate in virtual events like field trips, talent shows, and spirit week. We even have informative and fun events for parents!

Trying to balance homeschooling and working from home isn’t easy–but nothing worth having in life is, right? And it’s certainly achievable with some planning and thought. Whether you decide to do it all on your own or opt for a partner to help out, there is no wrong way to homeschool. Do what works best for your family, and if you encounter any hurdles along the way, adjust!

Should you decide to go with a homeschool partner, Bridgeway Academy is ready to work with you to create the best possible program for your child that also allows you to continue working to support your family. You really can have the best of both worlds–work for you and a high-quality education for your child. Call 1-(888) 303-7512 to learn more about us!