Some parents choose to work from home so that they can homeschool their children. I did not initially know whether we would be homeschooling when I decided to open my home based businesses after the birth of our first son. It was always a possibility, and now that it is time for him to go to preschool, I have decided that that is what we will do, at least as far as preschool is concerned.
Preschool in my local area is fairly expensive, and there are not a lot of choices. Since I am at home with our baby anyways, and I work from home in the evenings after the kids go to bed, it just makes sense that I would do preschool for Dylan at home. I have not really started yet, but I have a feeling that there will not really be any change to my work activities. As time passes and we move from preschool to kindergarten and grade school, I can expect to spend more time each day on school for the kids, but from what I understand, I may be able to do more work during the day as the boys become more independent.
Many home – based professional parents have successfully combined working from home with homeschooling. The things that I have seen mentioned most often as essential to success in doing so are flexibility and organization. If you are able to think creatively about how and when to do school activities and work activities, then you can make a plan that will keep you on track in both departments. As an added bonus, since the kids will be home with you, why not get them involved in caring for your home. Chores teach kids about responsibility, and working as a family to keep a tidy home can give them a sense of ownership as well as an appreciation for teamwork.
Do you combine homeschooling with work?