How to Homeschool and Work from Home: 10 Veteran Strategies

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With the economy being what it is these days, many homeschool moms are wondering:

Is it possible to homeschool and work from home?

Having done both of these for the past seven years, I can tell you that it’s absolutely possible!

To succeed at this, many people like to use the word “balance”. It’s all about balance, they say.

While I don’t disagree with that, I prefer to use the word strategy. A solid strategy will allow you to incorporate both of these things in your life without compromising either one.

Here are ten tips that will allow you to homeschool and work from home, from a veteran:

1. Have a clear daily routine

Both kids and moms thrive off of a predictable daily routine!

In our home, our days always flow in a similar fashion. We do a 4-day school week, then I have one reset day, one off day, and one rest day. Have homeschooled for over ten years, I can tell you that burnout is real and something you can easily avoid.

Our daily routine follows a simple, predictable pattern that always ends in the early afternoon. After that, I have what I call engrossing activities (things my kids can stay doing for hours on end, based on their individual interests) and this allows me to begin my work.

This is just an example of how we run our day. Without a predictable structure, I can tell you right now that trying to run the businesses I run daily would be very difficult.

Create a simple schedule that’s clear, using a pretty planner that gets you motivated to work out your daily routine.

Start with the things you already do all the time, like bedtimes and mealtimes. Then figure out where and how you want to do your school time and add that in. Lastly, brainstorm ideas for what your kids can do while you work (if they’re old enough and you’re running an online business, consider having them help you!).

If you are working a job and not running a business that allows you to set your own hours, talk to your boss or supervisor and ask them how they can work with you.

2. Have a decent bedtime

This may sound funny, but after ten years, this is the one thing that makes all the difference in how my day runs.

Why?

Because having a decent bedtime allows me to get up early, and being up before the kids is *everything* when you’re a homeschooling mom (and because you can’t be a night owl and an early bird at the same time).

I used to wake up around the same time as my kids or just a little bit before. It wasn’t my favorite.

I would start out the day feeling like I was behind instead of being ready to be a mom and a teacher, and it would take me most of the morning to catch up.

However, when I wake up early, I can gather my thoughts, spend time in prayer, get a workout in, and be ready before my kids are up. It makes a huge difference to how productive my day ends up being, which is why it’s one of my tips for homeschooling moms who want to work.

3. Create a dedicated workspace

Mentally transitioning in and out of homeschooling and working from home can be challenging. It helps to have a place where your brain knows automatically that you’re shifting into a different type of work.

Even if you don’t have any extra space in your home, consider carving out a corner of your bedroom or an empty guest bedroom and having things like:

a pretty desk chair
a cute desk
pretty desk organizer stuff
a special drink (or another cup of coffee!) and a snack that you get during this time

Having a dedicated workspace when you start your work can also be a signal to your kiddos that you’ve transitioned into working mode as well.

4. Have clear cut-off times

Homeschooling and working from home can overlap and get frustrating if you don’t have clear cut off times.

What I mean by having a clear cut-off time is to have a clear time for when you wrap up all things academic and when you start work. It would even help you to have a clear time for when you stop your work, unless you have to clock in and out and are on your company’s schedule.

Not only do you want to have clear cut off times, but you also want to communicate those times to your kids. You can even have a phrase you use, like “it’s switch time” or “our day is over” to signify to them that it’s time for them to switch gears as well.

Pro tip: Have clear wake up times also. This helps the day flow well and helps your kids build good habits.

5. Involve Your Kiddos

From the get-go, teach your children to take responsibility for their day by overseeing morning routines, teaching them how to prepare simple meals, self-starting on their homeschool work, and knowing what chores they do on what days.

Likewise, if you have older kids, teach them how to be responsible for their younger siblings.

I believe it’s extremely important to teach kids to think outside themselves, and the best place to do that is in the home. Our kiddos should learn to help us as we do our part to contribute to the family finances.

Pro tip: If you run your own business, consider putting older kids on payroll for babysitting. You can also open a custodial Roth IRA and put some of these earnings in there to build wealth for them as they age.

6. Supply Engrossing Activities

In our homeschool, we have what I call engrossing activities.

These are activities (that do not include watching tv or playing on tablets) that my kids could get engrossed in for hours. They are based on my children’s interests and vary from child to child.

For instance, one of my daughters is enamored with singing and playing piano. We have a keyboard set up in our house and she is allowed limited access to YouTube singing tutorials and practice singing lessons in the closet.

Another daughter likes sewing and drawing, so during this time, she is able to work on projects related to this.

Identify things your children are interested in and do some research on what materials and training videos are needed. Keep these things on hand for engrossing activities time so you can get your work done.

7. Have a four-day homeschool week

There’s no getting around it; homeschooling, running a home, and working from home require quite a bit of work. For some extra mental rest, consider having a four-day homeschool week and using one day as a day of rest.

It is more than possible to get all their schoolwork done in a four-day school week. Just remember that if you want to work during their off day, they’ll still need to know what they’re supposed to be doing.

8. Don’t be afraid to outsource

There are times where we just cannot do everything and it’s more than ok to seek help! Here are some ways you can do that:

Hire a cleaning company to come clean your home weekly
Use a local pickup laundry service
Have a tradeoff arrangement with a friend, sibling, or other family who lives closeby-they take your kids for a few hours a week and you take theirs
Consider hiring a sitter for a few hours a day while you work, especially if you have younger kids
Consider having a subscription to Hello Fresh, Green Chef, or another meal delivery service to cut down on shopping time and dinner prep
Use online homeschool programs vs. traditional textbooks
Enroll them at local classes through the library or rec centers so you can take some extra focus hours
For younger children, consider local mother’s day out programs. My two youngest did this twice a week and it was extremely helpful.

9. Have a good home management strategy

You don’t want to let the home go to pot as you’re homeschooling and working from home!

A good home management strategy not only helps you keep up with your home, but it also keeps all the home stuff off your mind. This greatly diminishes stress and frees your mind up to be able to focus on your work.

I wrote a post on how to manage a home as well as my top tips for homeschooling + home management. However, if you’re stressed about your home and you need a strategy that will help you get on top of things, grab the Quick SPIN Home Management System.

This system helps you create clearly defined strategies for each aspect of home management so everyone knows what needs to be done, when, and how. You can use the guidelines in this system to tailor it to your unique home so you can be on top of things in no time!

10. Have a clearly defined interrupting strategy

Inevitably, someone will get hurt, something will be lost, or someone will need something from you while you’re working. That’s ok, but it’s important (for your sanity!) to have a clearly defined interrupting strategy.

When they do need you, what do they need to do? Will you be behind closed doors, so do they need to slip a note under the door and knock once? Do your oldest kids have a phone, and will you require every question to be submitted through text unless it’s an emergency?

Whatever your strategy is, tweak it until it works for you and make sure your kiddos understand it. It may take a few tries to implement it, but it will make all the difference in you being able to successfully work while homeschooling.

How can I make money at home while homeschooling?

I currently run four businesses from home. If you’re interested in making money online while homeschooling, check out this guide of 50 side hustles for stay-at-home moms and get started today.

Balancing homeschooling and work from home can be challenging, but with effective time management, it’s possible to thrive in both roles. By following these ten tips, you can create a productive environment for both you and your kids to thrive.

Above all, remember to have grace on yourself and be patient with it all! Raising kids is anything but predictable, but with some time-tested strategies, you can successfully homeschool and work from home.