How to Successfully Home Educate When Working Full-Time

14 Tips on Home Educating When Working Full Time

Many parents need to work, so they worry about having to juggle their time between a job and home educating. There are worries about how much time they can give to their children and whether they are making the right choice.

What we must remember is that there are no set hours for Home Education. It does not have to look like a 6-hour day at all. Learning can be done at any time and for any amount of time you deem necessary for your child.

So, when people ask, “Can I really home educate alongside a full-time job? “my answer is always, Yes! 

It’s perfectly possible to make things work. And everyone’s schedule is going to look different. It’s important to do what works for your family, and that may take some trial and error but you’ll get there.

If you’re wondering how it’s possible, here are 14 tips on how to home educate while also working full-time.

1. Create a schedule that works around your hours and family

Schedules definitely come in handy when you need to get things done and plan ahead. They can also help you feel prepared and get the day off to a good start. 

Create a schedule that allows you to home educate around your hours of work, whether that be first thing in the morning or in the evening. There’s no pressure of when to do it. The thing to remember is that it’s not always about how much time you have, it’s what can be achieved within the time you do have. 

2. Outsource as much as you can, when you can

Time is precious, of course, so why not outsource things that normally take up your time? Too busy to cook? Buy meal plans and subscription boxes. Outsource childcare when you need to work. Hire a tutor. It all helps!

3. Remember, learning can happen at any time, anywhere

The misconception about learning is that children need to be sat down and focused on something. But if you really think about when you’ve learnt something, I bet it’s when you’ve been actively doing something — sometimes with no intention of learning. 

Children learn in so many different ways and in various environments. Sometimes, they don’t even need you there. So, when you feel guilty or that you’re not doing it right, remind yourself that your children are always learning, regardless of how it’s done or where it is. 

4. Use your spare time wisely, but don’t overdo it

You might feel like you have to squeeze in every spare second to home educate your children, but don’t feel like this is necessary. You definitely don’t want to burn yourself out. Instead, use your spare time wisely. This could be getting something done and getting your children to help. Doing an activity like a puzzle or board game together. Or, even going for an evening walk. It’s all learning, and sometimes it doesn’t need much planning or thought. 

5. Drop your children off at Home Education groups or extracurricular activities

Banish the guilt of having to work by dropping your children off at Home Education groups or extracurricular activities. You won’t have to worry about planning anything and you can get on with work without any distractions. It also gives your children a chance to meet new people and be away from home. 

6. Ask friends and family to get involved

If you’re struggling with your job workload, your home education workload, even your mental workload, there’s no shame in asking friends and family to help you out. It may even be exciting for your children to learn with someone different, and it takes the pressure off of you for a while. You could schedule one day a week, or whatever works for you and the person you’re asking to help with your child’s education.

7. Try flexi-schooling

Flexi-schooling is where a child is registered at a school as normal but can legally attend part time and be home educated the rest of the time. This is usually after an agreement is made between the parent/guardian and the school. 

Initially, you have to convince the school that flexi-schooling is a better alternative for your child and state why. Children get the benefits of both school and Home Education. It also allows you to balance your work and their education too. 

8. See if you can work from home

If you don’t ask, you don’t get, right? Well, if you do a job that can easily be done at home or even partly done at home, there’s no harm in seeing if it’s okay with your boss. The worst case is that they say no and you can follow some of the other tips in this post. The best case is that they say yes and you can then start to plan an easier schedule around work and Home Education. 

9. Prepare in advance

Preparation can be the difference between a chaotic, too-much-on-your-plate day and a smooth-sailing day. So, here’s what you can do. The day before, think of all the things that you will need to do for the next day. Whether it be laundry or getting food and making dinner, deciding where to go out, etc. Write a list if it helps. Then, that evening, prepare for what you can do at that moment in time. It will make the morning much easier! If you’re really organised, you can even prepare for the week ahead!

10. Get a planner

No seriously, even if you’re not the ‘planner’ type, getting one specifically for Home Education and planning around other commitments will really help you out. I wasn’t the most organised type but since having a planner, tasks are easier to manage and I actually get things done too. 

Check out our list of recommended Home Education planners!

11. Work together with your partner and split time educating

There’s nothing quite like teamwork. It makes everything run just that little bit smoother. Split tasks between yourselves and take it in turns to do fun, educational things with your children. Work out your schedules and do what suits you both. 

12. Make the most of ready-made resources

Ready-made resources and already prepared curriculums are lifesavers for those with less time. If you don’t have much time to plan, a quick Google search will show up tons of resources on pretty much every topic you can think of. All you have to do is print them out and let your children get on with them. There are also lots of online learning activities and curriculums which children can work on without the need for printing stuff out. 

13. Try to find the right balance

Where possible, try and balance your work life with Home Education. This doesn’t mean it has to be 50/50 all the time. Some days it could be 70/30 or vice-versa, 60/40 etc. It’s all about finding the right balance. 

Remember, Home Education doesn’t have to follow a strict schedule or even one at all. You might only do half an hour one day, but that doesn’t mean that your children will ‘fall behind’ or that you aren’t doing enough. What matters is getting the most out of it, whatever that might look like. 

14. Don’t try to do too much, do your best!

Don’t put too much on your plate if it’s going to overwhelm you and leave you feeling drained. There’s no rulebook when it comes to working and Home Educating. The best is all you can do. If that means only doing Home Education on the days when you’re not working then so be it. You’re still doing a great job.

10 Tips on Home Educating When Working From Home

Working from home can often be trickier with children around than working outside of the home. There are a lot more distractions and it can be hard to focus and split time accordingly. So, how exactly do you home educate and work from home?

Don’t worry, here are 10 tips on how to home educate when working from home. 

1. Get into an easy, doable routine

It can be useful to follow a routine, especially if you’ve got deadlines that need to be met. I’d recommend having a separate work routine and a Home Education routine. It makes things a lot clearer, easier to stick to and less overwhelming. 

2. Make a plan for the day

If full-blown routines aren’t your thing, then just make a simple plan for the day. It’s usually best to do this the night before so that you aren’t struggling to work out what to do in the morning. You could even include a few options in your plan so that if one doesn’t work out you’ve got backups. By all means, change up the plan as the day goes on, but it’s definitely worth having one. 

3. Give your children something to do while you work

This is where all those free resources come in handy, but even if it’s a simple activity or a game, it’s ideal to give your children something to do so that you can get work done. Also, don’t stress over how long to keep your children occupied for. Have a few options and let them know when your working hours are so that they know that it’s their ‘alone’ time for a little while. 

4. Get friends and family to help you out

Working from home doesn’t mean you don’t need help — if anything, you probably need more help. So, don’t be shy and get those friends and family members around to help you or send your children over to them.

5. Hire a tutor

If formal education is more your family’s style then hire a tutor for when you are working. This means your child gets the bulk of their learning done and then has free, fun time with you when you’re finished. Win, win!

6. Create dedicated learning time

By creating a dedicated learning time, you ensure that it gets done, regardless of anything else. Have a block of time during the day or over the course of the week dedicated to home educating and try to stick with it. You’ll be amazed at how much you get done, in work and your child’s education.

7. Schedule breaks when needed

Make sure to take breaks. Don’t burn yourself out. Your children are going to need you at your best, so what does that mean? Rest!

8. Have a separate workspace

Having a separate workspace not only allows you to focus on your work, but it also acts as a space where your children know not to disturb you. Treat your workspace like a job away from home. When you’re away from it, that’s your time for breaks and time to spend with your children. 

9. Send your children to extracurricular clubs and groups during your working hours

Your children will really benefit from going to clubs and groups while you are working. They’ll be doing something fun and/or educational and you’ll be able to work in peace without feeling guilty. 

10. Be open-minded

Above all, be open-minded. Not every day is going to turn out the way you planned or expected it to, but what is life if it isn’t unpredictable. On those tough days, take a deep breath and remember why you’ve chosen to home educate alongside a full-time or even part-time job. You’re doing great. Just keep going and you’ll make it work.

How Many Hours Do I Need to Home Educate For?

There’s no set number of hours or days that you need to home educate for. In fact, as long as your children are getting a suitable education, it’s entirely up to you and what works for your family. 

Some families may choose to home educate every morning, five days a week and have the rest of the day off. Some families may choose to home educate two or three days out of the week and spend the rest doing their own thing. Some families just go with the flow. There’s no right or wrong. 

What you’ve got to remember is that learning happens constantly anyway and it can be incorporated into anything. So, even if you feel like you’re doing something noneducational, it’s probably way more educational than you think. Enjoy it! 

Hopefully these tips have helped you to work out home educating whilst working full-time or from home, but if you’re still struggling, feel free to reach out via email! We’d love to hear from you and we’re always here to help with any problems or questions that you may have.