As a Busy Working, Homeschooling Mom myself, I marvel at how other fellow working moms balance their children’s homeschool, their jobs/businesses, and homes. I admire the different schedules that have been shared and the varying details in planning. I also admire the incredible talents and skills each one has shared. Today we meet Tatiana, she has worked almost all shifts, outside the home, from home, and out and about. Filled with her children’s extracurricular activities she prioritizes their learning, while earning a full time living.
Hi Tatiana! Tell us about yourself, what do you do for a living?
I’m a blogger, freelancer and owner of Adurias Creative Web Solutions, where I help small business owners create and grow an online presence. I’m also a social media manager, web developer and content creator.
Amazing! What’s your work schedule?
During the school year, I work Monday through Thursday, 6am to 9am & 6pm to 9pm, and intermittently on Fridays and Saturdays. Over the summer I keep a more “traditional” 9-5 schedule.
If you work outside your home, who cares for your children while you are away?
When I worked outside of the home, my husband and I had opposite schedules, he worked from 5 am to 2 pm, and I worked from 2 pm to 11 pm. Since we worked at the same place, we met in the parking lot and exchanged vehicles. Now, I work solely from home.
How long have you homeschooled for and what are your children’s ages?
We’ve homeschooled for 12 years, however our first year was followed by 3 years of public school. The kids are 22, 21, 17, 15, 12 and 11. My two oldest are homeschool graduates, and kid number three will be graduating next June.
You are what I consider a Veteran Homeschooler! This brings hope to many including me!
When do you homeschool and how long it takes you on average per day?
We homeschool between 10 am and 4 pm. We start the day together with a morning gathering, where we do a devotion, artist study, composer study, Shakespeare, geography, apologetics, and vocabulary. This typically takes 2 hours. We then split in two groups; middle school and high school. I focus on my middle schoolers for the first two hours, while the high schoolers work independently. At 2 pm I focus on anything my high schoolers might need, while the middle schoolers wrap up their day. On average my middle schoolers are done in 4.5 hours, the high schoolers are done in 6 hours.
Do you do all the teaching or do you have someone assisting you?
I do all the teaching, however my husband steps in and manages messy science labs.
That’s great! In what ways has working benefitted your homeschool life and/or vice versa?
Working, specially now that I’m running my own business, teaches my kids that work is good. It teaches them the value of time, of money and teaches them to be responsible. Thanks to the income I make from working, I can afford things like field trips, extra curricular activities like theater and basketball.
Do you have time for extracurricular activities? (e.g. field trips, co-ops, etc.)
Yes, we do. We are a basketball and theater family, which keep us busy throughout the year. My schedule is designed to accommodate all of that, and since I work online, I can take my work anywhere there’s internet access.
Do co-ops benefit you in any way? If so, how?
Yes, we are a part of 2 small co-ops. They are beneficial because I can focus on specific subjects, and I can rely on other moms to help with the rest. They allow the responsibility of teaching to be split into more people, which gives me time to concentrate on my strengths.
Do you utilize a “boxed curriculum” or do you gather sources together to form your own curriculum?
We follow the Charlotte Mason approach, so our learning is done through living books, nature, and a lot of hands on experiences. We gather sources from everywhere we look.
So you strictly follow the Charlotte Mason Homeschooling approach or do you mix in other methods? (Classical, Eclectic, Unschooling, etc..)
Charlotte Mason, with a twist of Classical education.
What is the main challenge you face of working with a homeschooling lifestyle?
At first, it was difficult for moms who did not have to work to understand that we were bound to a “schedule” and a “timeline”. The biggest challenge now, is to get everything done on a timely manner, without playing catch up either on work or in school.
What is your best time management tip you would share with a working mom who is just beginning homeschooling?
Give yourself grace. There’s no way you will always get everything done on time, so allow yourself time to catch up. Schedule some time to rest, and to clear your head. Most importantly pray and ask the Lord to guide your steps every single day.
Tatiana, thank you so much for your time.
You are very welcome!
I hope you found Tatiana’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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