A Working Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling
Homeschooling used to be somewhat nice. However, with school closures during the pandemic, more parents have had to balance teaching at home with managing the home and work.
This sudden change was a major shock for many families. Children had their routines turned upside down, and parents had to work to figure out solutions for things like working on lesson plans and planning homeschool kids’ meals. This is even harder if you have kids who are fussy eaters.
If you are going to get a handle on homeschooling, you need to create a plan. This includes sitting down as a family to review everything that needs to be done and then making sure each point is covered.
Develop a Schedule
One problem for many who are new to homeschooling is that they never took the time to create a new schedule. Instead, they just decided to handle schooling in the time they have leftover from their normal routine.
If you are going to have any chance of balancing work and homeschooling, you need to start with a new schedule. Make a list with everything that you and your kids need to do, and then start from the top with the available time to make sure it all gets covered.
You should also realize that the needs of kids in different age groups will differ. If you have kids who are toddlers or as old as kindergarten, that means that they are being supervised by you or someone else during the day. You probably have a light amount of schoolwork to do, but you should still plan activities to keep them busy.
If you have kids in elementary or middle school, they can have a bit more independence, but they probably have more work to do. You will have to consider the work they have to do and figure out a rough idea of how much time they need. You will then need to schedule the time that you expect them to be working on their schoolwork.
Most high school aged children can be allowed to work on their own schedule, but you will still need to exercise some oversight and make sure they are planning their day well. As long as they are getting their work done, you should also allow them time to talk with friends and freedom to choose more of their activities.
Plan for Homeschool Meals
Meal planning is another part of homeschooling. Along with having a meal plan for dinner, you will need to work on some lunch ideas for kids. If you work from home, you will be able to help, but you will still want something quick, easy and nutritious.
For parents that need to leave home for work, you will need to plan and prepare food ahead of time. One simple solution is to pack a lunch and leave it in the refrigerator ready for your kids to eat at lunchtime. If your kids are a little older, you could trust them with a little more of the preparation work if they know their way around the kitchen. For kids that have problems with picky eating, you might need to spend a little more time talking with them about what they will eat.
Physical Activity
Homeschooling should cover more than just the academic subjects – you want to raise healthy kids with physical activity. If you are home for part of the day, you can plan for a little outside time to play a game. Depending on your schedule, you could also plan for time out after dinner.
The internet can be a good resource for physical activity as well. If your kids are a little older, you could put a fitness video in their homeschooling schedule. Have them do yoga or aerobic exercise to keep them fit. You could even spend time watching videos with them to find the ones that will keep them interested.
For most homeschoolers, academics and physical fitness will not be enough to fill the day. Once you have all of the “must-do” items in the schedule, try to fill the rest of the day with activities. Plan for them to read a book or work on arts and crafts. You could even allow a little screen time with their phone or tablet.
