When most people imagine what a typical homeschooling family looks like, working parents homeschooling children doesn't usually come to mind. Most people imagine a two-parent household where one parent (usually the mom) stays home with the kids while one parent (usually the dad) goes to work to support the family. While this is the most common scenario, it's certainly not the only way to make homeschooling work.
As the number of homeschoolers in the United States grows, the number of creative approaches to homeschooling grows too. What happens when both parents need to work? What about single-parent households? These instances do present some very real challenges. For working parents, it does take a bit more effort to manage the daily care, teaching and planning required to homeschool. But if you are dedicated to the idea of homeschooling, you can make it work.
Child Care Needs
The main issue for working parents is finding a way for someone to be at home with the children. There are several ways around this. Some parents are able to work from home, or sometimes extended family can offer help with childcare duties. Some parents work in a family-friendly environment and can bring the kids to work with them.
In a household where both parents must work, they may choose to work opposite schedules, so that one parent is always with the children. Sometimes a homeschooling family can get together with other homeschooling families in a co-op situation. Older students who are emotionally mature enough can sometimes be left alone while a parent works. While it does take some creative scheduling, this challenge can be overcome.
Finding Time to Teach
Once you've got basic childcare covered, how do working parents find the time to actually teach their kids? The good news is that because of the individualized way that homeschoolers learn, it takes a lot less time than traditional schooling. Homeschoolers can generally complete an entire school-day's worth of work in just a couple of hours, so even if a parent must work full time, it's still feasible to help your child with schoolwork in the hours before or after work, or on weekends. Also, homeschoolers typically become quite independent in their learning, so as they grow, you'll find they can do more on their own.
What about the time it takes to create your child's curriculum and lessons? Depending on how your family homeschools, this is not as difficult as it seems. Some parents find it easiest to purchase a ready-designed curriculum that their kids can work on independently.
Families who choose more of an "unschooling" approach simply encourage their children's interests and assist them in finding materials and resources to explore those interests, so there is not much in the way of planning and preparation.
For those whose style falls somewhere in the middle, there are a great deal of Web sites that feature free lesson plans and curriculum ideas which make planning lessons much less time-consuming.
The need to work for a living needn't interfere with your desire to homeschool your child. With dedication, planning and creativity, you can work and have a successful homeschooling experience.
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