Juggling Work and Home Schooling

Many parents are faced with home schooling their children whilst working from home. This is a challenging task and one which requires a lot of energy, focus and dedication.

There are a number of things parents can do to make things a little easier when juggling home schooling and work and they include:

• Have a set routine. A routine is vital if you want to ensure you are providing the best support for your children. This means you need to plan the week ahead and devise a schedule. Do not worry too much if you need to make changes. It is far better to manage interruptions proactively, and being prepared for the inevitable hiccups will make things a lot easier.
• When devising a schedule, think about how you will manage housework and other household chores alongside home schooling and work. Divide household responsibilities fairly to free up more of your time — do not take on everything yourself.
• It is also a good idea to have a designated home school workspace which is separate to your work station. Also, be sure to use technology to your advantage and make use of every available resource, from video classes to online learning and TV educational broadcasts.
• Honest communication with your employer is also vital. Let them know you are home schooling your children and ask them to give you a degree of flexibility. Most companies are aware of the pressure on parents and will be only too glad to provide support. Work smart and make use of to-do lists, bullet journals and technology to help you work more effectively.
• When planning school lessons, focus on the main curriculum and use available school text books and materials. If you embrace a relaxed style you will find you actually enjoy teaching your children.

Above all, do not expect perfection in relation to schoolwork preparations and work commitments — you can only do the best you can in a very difficult situation.