I can’t tell you the number of times I have had another homeschool mom come up to me and ask how in the world I’m able to work from home. They don’t think they have what it takes to work from home. They say,
“I’d love to have extra money, but I just don’t have time to work from home”
Chances are you are a busy mom and really have no idea how to make time to work. Well, don’t worry; with a little creativity, you CAN find the time to get done all (well, most) of what you need to get done. It just requires learning how to manage well the time that you have.
We All Have the Same 24 Hours
The reality is we all have the same amount of time each and every day. You can work 20 hours a week, homeschool 20 hours a week, care for your home 20 hours a week, and STILL have 108 hours available.
Take away 56 hours for sleeping, and you have 52 hours available for other tasks. And that is AFTER homeschooling, sleeping, working, and homemaking. The truth is you have plenty of time to work from home!
How Are You Spending Your Time?
The first step in managing your time is actually finding the time to work. This part is a little tricky because it requires you to really look at your day.
So, I want you to begin by writing down how your days normally look. Once you have done that, I want you to ask yourself these questions:
- How much time do I spend on social media?
- How much time do I spend watching TV?
- Could I get up earlier?
- What do I do during nap time?
- What do I do after the kids are in bed?
Making the Time to Work
So, where can you find time to work? You may be able to knock out an hour each day by giving up Facebook and working instead. Maybe you could work an hour each night after the kids go to bed, or if you have all younger kids, you could work during naptime.
As a homeschool mom, I know my mornings are crazy! My afternoons are more laid-back, and my evenings are reserved for my husband. So for me, finding time to work requires me to get up a LOT earlier each day.
Gone are the mornings when I sleep in; I am up at 5:45 am every. single. weekday. By doing this, I immediately give myself TEN hours each week to work (6 am – 8 am). On weeks when life gets busy, I am still able to get my work hours in because they do not intrude on my day.
The point is I find the time to work; then I MAKE the time to work. It’s not always ideal, but it works for me. With a little creativity and thought, I guarantee you can find an hour or two a day to get it to work for you!
Working at home has been a huge blessing to our family. This means that the challenge of finding time to work while homeschooling IS worth it. If you have wanted to work from home but weren’t sure you had the time, I encourage you to give it a shot.
There are TONS of job opportunities out there that can provide your family with an extra income, all while allowing you to continue staying home and homeschooling your kids.
The first step is to stop saying I CAN’T and start saying I CAN!
