The flexibility that homeschooling provides, gives an advantage for working moms. There are several methods, routines, and resources on how to provide the best education specifically tailored to one’s children. Meet Corie, she works full time from home, with a phenomenal partnership with her husband, and with a unique homeschooling schedule.
Hi Corie, please tell us about yourself: What do you do for a living?
I work full time as a Commercial Lines Account Manager for a large insurance agency. I edit on the side, but that is more for the passion than the income it produces.
What’s your work schedule?
Officially my work hours are 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, but my actual working hours begin at 5:00 am and I do not ‘log off’ until 5:00 pm on average. I take many breaks in between, but usually not more than an hour at a time.
If you work outside your home, who cares for your children while you are away?
I work inside the home, but my husband is a retired stay at home dad. We share a great deal of the responsibilities.
That’s a great partnership! How long have you homeschooled for and what are your children’s ages?
We are just finishing our second year of homeschooling; our children are 7 and 9.
When do you homeschool and how long does it take you on average per day?
We homeschool in the morning and in the afternoon but not much in the evening. We call it “work” and everyone in the home has “working” hours. On average, we spend 1-2 hours learning, but several working.
Do you do all the teaching or do you have someone assisting you?
I do the majority of the ‘bookwork’ lessons, but my husband does a lot of the things that some would consider ‘unschooling’ – like shop (working on a motor), home economics (cooking) or community service.
It is awesome that he can dedicate time to teach those important life skills… In what ways has working benefitted your homeschool life and/or vice versa?
My children see first hand how hard I work, so I feel that I’m showing them more than telling them what real work ethic should look like. I love that I have my children nearby during the day, they bring me life. I want to do well for my employer and I want my children to get a good education, so I’m blessed to be benefitting from both worlds.
Do you have time for extracurricular activities? (e.g. I have field vacation trips, co-ops, time, etc.)
I can take time off for extracurricular activities, and I have vacation time, but we choose not to overwhelm ourselves with a lot of extras right now. Maybe next year, but for now, we are focused on our family.
That’s a wise decision. Do co-ops benefit you in any way? If so, how?
Yes, it is probably a good thing that the one in my area doesn’t meet often since I would want to go. My children made friends at the few gatherings we did attend, and it was nice to be around others that faced similar challenges and had similar goals.
Do you utilize a “boxed curriculum” or do you gather sources together to form your own curriculum?
We use The Good & The Beautiful curriculum for my 7 year old for all subjects, but I would not call it a “boxed curriculum” due to the options it provides. My 9 year old uses Teaching Textbooks for Math with the G&B for all other subjects. I do pull ‘Unit Studies’ and other (usually free) items that interest my children and that I feel would benefit them to learn.
Which Homeschooling approach do you follow? (Classical, Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, Unschooling, etc..)
We started with Classical but quickly found that it was not a fit for our family. The curriculum we use is a mix of Charlotte Mason and Traditional, plus Unit Studies. My husband leans towards Unschooling, so maybe we are more Eclectic than I realized.
What is the main challenge you face of working with a homeschooling lifestyle?
Truly, phone calls. My children and husband always want to talk or yell or scream or cry as soon as I connect. I will also stop working with a child if I receive a phone call to honor my business working hours.
What is your best time management tip you would share with a working mom who is just beginning her homeschooling journey?
Start your day early and have your child’s day planned out before they wake up. Whatever you do though, make time for prayer both in the morning and at night. It brings focus and is also a reminder of what is important in life.
I pray you found Corie’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.
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