Scurry and Scratch

The worst thing about trying to homeschool and being a single parent has to be the tension that develops between working and educating you child. Working from home certainly sounded a lot easier when other people were talking about it. There always seems to be something that has to be done this second, and there never seems to be enough money.

So, what do we do? (Besides start a blog to whinge and moan in?)

First of all, realize that something is going to have to give. You can't do it alone. I moved 250 miles to be near my mother because I knew she would help with childcare. If you don't have a family member that is eager to watch your child on the days when you have to be out of the house, then try to hook up with friends, other homeschooling moms, a babysitting co-op, or in a tight pinch, a reliable babysitter for occasional days. (It's often easier to get regular days scheduled, so you might consider that as well, if you can afford it.)

Another thing to think about is ways to take your child to work with you. When The Girl was an infant I was lucky to have a job where I could take her to work with me. Now she is almost ten years old, and she generally knows how to behave when I have to have her at a job site for some reason. We often go to the library together where she can study and I can do research, get on the Internet to check mail, and work on other projects.

Finally, I have actually gotten a part-time job outside the house to smooth out my cash flow. Because it is only part time, I can still spend a lot of time at home working on my business and one our homeschooling projects, and my mom loves taking her most local grandchild on field trips while I'm out at the salt mines.

It makes for a hectic life, and a fair amount of running up and down the road in the car, but I wouldn't change it for anything.