How I Work From Home and Homeschool

I’m just going to warn you that this post is not some magic formula on how I get everything done. Now don’t be fooled by the title. There are days when my living floor is littered with toys and the dishes pile up like a Jenga tower. I can’t do it all, it’s that simple. And truthfully nobody can. There are days when we simply take a break from all the work and pick back up the following day. That’s real life, so don’t be discouraged if you need a time out.

The other day I was watching a few Periscope broadcasts and was a bit surprised to see the level of preparedness by some of the people sharing there. When I first joined the platform my broadcasts involved a lot of shaky footage and some not so flattering shots of me. These people have inspired me to kick it up a notch. If I’m showered for the day, I’m happy. But that’s real life for me right now and I don’t want to pretend to be something I’m not. So my hope is that going forward you get a taste of it all, both here and on my social media. By the way if you want to connect with me on Periscope, you can find me at @TheLatinaHomemaker.

Now back to my original topic. How do I work from home and homeschool? Here is was allows me to get it done, on most days:

How I Work From Home and Homeschool

I don’t aim for perfection

Coming from a girl that is very Type-A, this was tough for me. However I quickly learned that in order to run a business while being there for my kids, I had to give up perfection. What that means is that there are days we don’t follow the schedule. There are days my to-do list won’t even get looked at. And there’s also days when take-out is what gets served for dinner. If doing things less than perfect helps me be more present in my kids lives, than it’s worth it. Forget what the experts are telling you to do and figure out what works for your family.

I unplug

This one is tough since my work requires me to be online at various times during the day. But if I want to make some real progress, I have to turn the laptop off and put the phone away. My kids need me during the day and it’s not fair that they only get a fraction of my attention. I know that this might require me to work harder later in the day, but that’s OK. I also wake up earlier than my family and get a few hours of work completed by the time the kids are up. I know this season is temporary and my kids are worth the effort.

I set boundaries

When you work from home or homeschool, you’ll find that extended family often thinks you do nothing all day. This is far from the truth, and I can assure you that I’m busier now than I was when I worked outside the home. Since they probably won’t understand why it’s not OK to drop by in the middle of the day. You’ll have to set boundaries and explain why you’re not always available to chat. If they still refuse to respect your wishes, simply shut off the phone until they finally get it. I know it’s not easy, but you have to put yourself and your family’s needs first.

I simplify my schedule

Since we practically homeschool year round, I try to keep our schedules as simple as possible. Our kids only do one sport at a time and we limit extracurricular activities. I don’t want them to grow up thinking that busy is the way to live. I have fallen into that trap many times and refuse to steer my kids in that direction. We have enough going on to keep us busy, so everything else is carefully added if it’s deemed worthy of our time.

Although these non-negotiables help me do what I love and be present for my children, I go through seasons where I’m simply overwhelmed. I’m not perfect and never will be. The beauty of motherhood is that your kids won’t care that the house wasn’t perfect or that your wearing the same shirt for the second (or third!) day in a row. They will simply remember that you poured yourself into them and gave it your best.

Do you homeschool or work from home? I would love to hear your tips to getting things done.