Can parents who both work homeschool children?

Question

While I currently telecommute that may change, and I am considering homeschooling my child. I want to know if it is feasible to do so.

Answer 1

It depends on the age and self motivation of the child and your schedules. My friends worked this out for her daughters by each person worked four ten-hour days... one MTWTh, TWThF . The overlap days were handled by other homeschooler's families and Grandparents.There is usually a pretty descent homeschooler's network if you look for it, and most people are very willing to trade days as they are all mostly in the same situation.
Good luck!- dd
p.s. you don't have to do total homeschooling. Some home school kids come into my son's school for half days for things like band, AP courses, art, phys ed,computer graphics, etc. They can still meet and make friends, they just won't be there after lunch.

Answer 2

There are lots of options. Yes, it can work. It has worked for lots of people. But it takes more organization and planning, more determination than the average homeschooling arrangement does. Get a babysitter to watch the child during work and do "school" stuff in the evenings or on weekends--no one said that learning can only occur during working hours. Get a babysitter to watch the child and oversee some of the "lessons" so that the parent might be teaching some material but not necessarily all of it. The lessons could involve "homework" on things taught to the child already by the parent, or educational videos to watch, or books to read, or trips to museums, or whatever the parent can think up. Make arrangements with another homeschooling family to have them watch the child and include the child in their "lessons." This requires a family with ideas and methods that the parent is comfortable with (and you have to make sure it works with local homeschooling laws--would work in some areas and not in others); I've known a few people to do this; it's a benefit for the homeschooling family as they can make some extra income and the child gets a homeschooling experience. Get a job that allows the child to come along. I knew a woman who worked for a daycare center that allowed her to bring her child along. Some lessons would have to wait until later, when the child could get more personal attention, but some lessons could happen during the day. Work from home. Again, some lessons would have to wait until the parent isn't working, but the parent may have a flexible schedule and can schedule "lessons" when it works for him. Work different shifts, if there are 2 parents involved. I've known a few families where one parent works during regular business hours and the other works in the early evening or at night. The parents trade off teaching and child-watching duties so that one of them is always home with the children. Work a shorter work week. I knew a woman who worked at a hospital and worked 3 twelve-hour days a week. She had a babysitter during that time for the kids, but that left 4 days a week--she used 3 for homeschooling and one as a day off. Since homeschooling doesn't require nearly as many hours a week as regular schooling does, she easily covered more in 3 days a week than the local schools did in five days. I'm sure that there are other ways, too. Depends on how inventive the parent is. Figure out the aspects of the schedule that aren't flexible and those that are. Figure out what's affordable and what's not. Then see what will work for your particular circumstances.

Answer 3

Both my husband and I work. I own my own business and my husband is a manager. So I don't see why you wouldn't be able to homeschool your children. Who said that schooling has to be from 7-3 or whatever. You may do your homeschooling at night. You and your husband may divide the subjects and days on which you teach them. If you really want it to work, it will. And with both of you working, the time that you spend with your children is even more precious than ever before. Consider that. Do not listen to the naysayers..where there is a will there is a way. Do what you think is best for YOUR child...let them do what is best for theirs. I'm not saying that homeschooling is the best thing for all families..its not, but if you really think that it would be best for your children then try it. If it doesn't work then by all means go a different route..but at least you can't say you didn't try..Good luck!

Answer 4

Sure it can be done. Though this is an entirely subjective question that only you and your family can answer.
The actual time spent on schooling is only a fraction of what public schools spend, even when you consider that probably only half the time spent in public school is spent on teaching/learning.
The main issue I would think concerns the child's learning style and motivation to learn. Another factor would be the teaching style you choose, which I believe should be a reflection of the individual child's learning style. The involvement will vary depending on curriculum from such extremes as 'unschooling' to some homeschooling program connected to the public school system.
I was homeschooled for my high school years, graduated a year early (would've been two but I didn't like doing my math) and for the most part did so on my own with very little direction from my mom, who handled the curriculum/teaching of myself and three younger sisters. I frequently went to work with my dad (a general contractor at the time) and occasionally with mom who did various volunteer projects and delivered papers for a while.

I've included a couple links below that may help you in your decision.

Answer 5

In my opinion, homeschooling should always be a last resort, undertaken when there is absolutely NO accredited institution available or appropriate. Why? Because teachers are taught and trained to teach. They have background courses in not only child development but also learning styles, methods of motivation, instruction, and reward, and knowledge of appropriate curriculum and its scope and sequence. Picking up workbooks and teacher's guides from the home-school supply store is not good teaching. It's a whole lot harder than it looks, folks!

Today there seems to be a pervasive attitude of "I went to school, so I know how to teach." To follow that logic would lead us back to a time when our culture did not have division of labor, and we did everything ourselves...grew our own crops, made our own clothes, built our own structures, etc. In other words, it's a step BACKWARDS, away from progress.

Let teachers teach; if you have a problem with the school because of safety or other issue such as religious beliefs, find another school...an accredited one, with degreed teachers who have been taught to teach and are being paid to teach. (Don't you usually hire a PROFESSIONAL to do an important job?)

Answer 6

It can certainly be done! I would say though, that for it to really be able to work smoothly, one parent should probably work fewer hours or perhaps downgrade to part-time hours so that they're not constantly working all day from sun-up 'til sun-down.
In my family, my dad worked full-time and my mom worked outside the house about 3 1/2 - 4 hours a day five days a week during the school year, and that worked really well.

You're already thinking and planning about it, and those are the first steps to making it work. You'll do fine! =)

Answer 7

That would be really tough, even with only one child.

Consider letting your child go to public school and then supporting them with the fun side of learning at home on your time. (museum trips, science experiments, reading great books together, researching favorite topics, etc)

That will give you time alone to work and you can be more devoted to the child in the after school hours. If you are devoted to your child (and it sounds like you are) he or she will do well at home or public school.

The big downer of public school is repetitive homework pttthhh. Once the child has grasped the concept too much repetition is a real drag and tends to turn them off to learning. (as in after they've wasted time with repetition they want to do some physical activity time and you've lost some real learning time)

Answer 8

No, my parents did that and it was a disaster!

Since they were like never home I had no one tell me to do my work or what to do. I was stuck at home all day, I had no friends, I was lonely, heck, I could sneak out of the house and they wouldn't even know. And sadly because I felt "abandoned" all the time, I developed an eating disorder (which I'm still trying to recover from).

So I would not home school unless your gonna give 110% to your child.

Answer 9

Yes Yes Yes!!! I work part time, and homeschool both of my children.....Try it, you'll love it!!!! You may have to change hours that you actually teach them from day to what ever time is good for you. Then, there is always the weekends. Thats the good part of it, there is no set days and times!!!! Good Luck!

Answer 10

Check out about.com homeschooling. There is alot of information on the site. Good luck!