Working, homeschooling moms are quite hard working moms, who sacrifice sleep and comfort to earn a living or supplement for homeschooling expenses and other needs at home. Meet Jessica, she’s a Christian life blogger who keeps a routine that helps her meet all her needs while still being flexible when life happens.
Hi Jessica! Thank you for being here. Tell us about yourself, what do you do for a living?
Hi, Maritza, thanks for having me! Let me first say, I’ve been married for 13 years and I’m a mama to 3 energetic boys living in the South. I’m the content creator (Blogger) at Intentional in Life and I also work on different paid projects that present itself along the way. I’m involved in ministry with my husband and I’m a group leader for one of the local homeschool groups.
I also am part of the Friends of The Library where we organize fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for the Summer Reading program and to buy new books for our library. I’m busy but I enjoy what I do!
Sounds phenomenal! How’s your work schedule like?
My work schedule is flexible because I work from home. That being said, I have little ones at home so I usually work early morning before my boys wake up and late at night after my boys go to bed. When my boys are down for the night, I spend some time with my hubby and try to work 1-2 hours before I go to bed. I do as much as I can and try not to go to bed so late so I can get up early the next morning and start all over again. If the opportunity presents itself I work about 30 minutes when my two youngest take their naps. I try not to work on the weekends unless I have something pending that needs to be taken care of right away. I try to leave weekends for family time.
Hard working indeed. How long have you homeschooled for and what are the ages of your children?
I have homeschooled for 6 years and my children ages are 9, 3, and 1.
When do you homeschool and how long it takes you on average per day?
We usually homeschool in the morning after breakfast, unless we have something to do in the morning then we would do our lessons in the afternoon. I love the flexibility that we have in homeschooling because we are able to homeschool no matter what our schedule may look like. We homeschool year round as well which helps us not fall behind if life happens.
We are able to get our lessons done between 3-4 hours, depending on what subjects we are covering for that day and also depending on my little, so it varies.
I agree, homeschooling provides so much flexibility. Do you do all the teaching or do you have someone assisting you?
I do all the teaching unless my oldest is having trouble grasping a lesson then my husband will help.
In what ways has working benefitted your homeschool life and/or vice versa?
Working from home has benefited our homeschool life in different ways. It has helped bring in extra income that we use towards our homeschool, help cover other expenses as well as provide me with opportunities to work with amazing brands which have been a blessing in our homeschool journey. It has also encouraged conversations with my oldest about being an entrepreneur and what it entails to start up a business and run one. He is interested now in starting his own business and being a young entrepreneur.
Sounds great! DO you have time for extracurricular activities?
Yes, we definitely have time for extracurricular activities. Because I have that flexibility of setting my own hours we are able to go on field trips, participate in local educational programs, meet up for playdates, and take spontaneous trips.
Do you utilize a “boxed curriculum” or do you gather sources together to form your own curriculum?
I have never used a boxed curriculum since I started homeschooling. I have always loved to piece together my own curriculum by using different resources. I love that I’m able to customize my children’s education based on their learning styles, interests, and giftings which has made homeschooling enjoyable for all.
Sounds like you dedicate a lot of time to planning! Which Homeschooling approach do you follow?
My homeschool approach is eclectic with a Charlotte Mason influence.
I like Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education as well. What is the main challenge you face of working with a homeschool lifestyle?
My main challenge is finding a balance between working, homeschooling, and family time. Working at home is a blessing but it also can be hard especially when it comes down to managing our time wisely. So I’m intentionally working on setting up work hours that are flexible because my boys are still young.
What is your best time management tip you would share with a working mom who is just beginning homeschooling?
The best time management tip that I can share with any working mom is to pray. To seek the Lord and ask Him to help you prioritize and find the balance that you need to have in order, and not to neglect those around you, your home, homeschool and other commitments you may have at the moment. He will definitely help you if you seek him!
Amen to that! Thank you Jessica for your time!
You are very welcome Maritza!
I hope you found Jessica’s schedule insightful. As always, “We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us” (Phil. 4:13), but we can’t do them all at once.
Recommended Money Management Program for Kids:
The Kingdom Code, Empowering Students to be Entrepreneurs
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