Homeschooling as a Single Mom?

I often receive emails from single moms or about-to-be-single moms who want to homeschool their children, but aren't certain that they can do it successfully. They worry about the need to work and how they'll "do it all". These concerns are natural and I'm here to say "It can be done.

I have been homeschooling as a single mom for quite a while. My children came in "sets", if you will. Three of them from one relationship (ages 22, 25, 27) and two from another (ages 14 and 9). (Ages as of the date of this post.)

I was a single mom when I began homeschooling the first children. I was single again by the time the younger ones began their formal education.

I will not tell you it's easy. What I can tell you is that homeschooling is probably the easier part of my life. It is one of the very few stress-free areas of my life. 

Balance is Key to Homeschooling as a Single Parent

As a single mom, you will probably need a job. There are many options out there for you. You can find a work at home job. You could start your own business. You could go to school and take advantage of the financial aid available to single moms.

No matter what choice you make, you'll need to strike a balance between work, lessons, chores, playtime with the children and other things.

I've worked all types of schedules in my 13+ years of homeschooling. I've worked first, second and third shifts. I've worked away from home, in the home, and I've built a business. It can be done.

Be Consistent

Pick a routine and stick as closely to it as possible. Children, like adults, like to know what's expected of them as well as what they can expect. Lack of a predictable day can fill a child with anxiety and a sense of having no control. That feeling is viral.

This is our routine. It is a guideline. Some days, the kids get up late. Some days we have field trips. Some days go completely off-track. The routine is there to guide rather than dominate us. Establishing routines will help the days run more smoothly.

Know That You Can Do It

Without any effort at all, you can build a list of reasons you can't homeschool.

• "I can't afford to homeschool" 
• "I am not a patient person." 
• "I'm not smart enough to homeschool." 

You'd be wrong on all counts. 

Homeschooling can be free or nearly free. I know because I've been doing it for over 13 years. As for patience, you have far more than you think.

The love that helped you to endure hours (or days!) of labor, to get through the months of sleepless nights, to get you through all the accidents during potty training.. all that love.. is still there. That love for your children builds the foundation which will help you through the rough spots.

You're a mom. You're capable of more than you ever knew!

If you're a single mom, what has been the biggest challenge or obstacle you had to overcome in your homeschooling career? What advice do you have for others?

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Happy Homeschooling!