How to Homeschool or Help Kids Learn Virtually While Working Full-Time
In March, many parents were thrust into a form of learning from home when kids were all but kicked out of school due to the pandemic. With more than 60% of American households having dual incomes, this presented a problem. While more than 40 million Americans lost their jobs – this was not the case with all families. Likewise, school districts across the country had to use resources on hand to teach their classes, for some this was printed paper packets and for others it was rigorous daily virtual classes.
EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT
There are no two situations alike, it seems. Some families need dual incomes. Some families have already pulled their kids out of public school. Some kids need one on one with experts. Some parents aren’t confident in their teaching ability. Some parents are bias towards homeschooling. Some parents feel that kids need socialization with other kids in a classroom (we disagree).
The truth is, there has never been anything like this happen and we’re all just trying to figure it out as we go while trying to keep our families afloat and our kids learning.
If your school is anything like our home district, they aren’t quite sure what they are going to do this Fall. So many schools are doing 100% virtual, two days a week in class and two days virtual, and many other variations – it’s hard to keep up and – let’s face it – nearly impossible to plan your work/life schedule.
This is why a record numbers of parents have pulled their kids from public schools. The Good and The Beautiful, a curriculum we use and love, has reported a huge increase in demand for their products. In fact, they have publicly posted that they had to bring in two additional print shops to meet the demand.
THE SOLUTION REQUIRES CREATIVITY
I wish I could post something profound right here and help everyone solve the conundrum they’re in, but with no two situations being alike, we can’t do much other than encourage parents and offer a few tips – so here we go.
OPTIONS FOR DUAL INCOME WORKING PARENTS
- Parents work different shifts.
- A parent works from home.
In these cases, the children would learn in the frey of when parent’s weren’t working. I know this sounds grueling, but honestly, kids don’t have to learn in the morning, they can learn any time through the day.
The exception to this rule is parents whose children are learning virtually and have to be logged in to classes at a specific time.
OPTIONS FOR SINGLE PARENTS
Single parents, my heart goes out to you. Just like with the dual income families listed above, virtual classes may choose to be a challenge for you if they have to be in classes at a specific time. BUT – you might have a babysitter or daycare that will help your kiddo get logged in. If neither of those cases apply, homeschooling in the evening will be your best bet.
OPTIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Many entrepreneurs, myself included, get up around 6am and work while the kids sleep. Our school day typically starts around 9am. I usually check in on my social media pages, etc while making lunch and then return to work in the evening after everything had wound back down and kids are in bed. This schedule obviously doesn’t work for everyone. Those with businesses that require a 9-5 schedule or those who work outside of the home for their business are going to be impacted differently than those who have a business that allows them to create their own schedule.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOMESCHOOLING AND VIRTUAL LEARNING
Homeschooling and virtual learning ARE NOT the same thing. It’s important to understand that there is A HUGE difference between the two.
- Homeschooling is parents choosing the curriculum and teaching their own children.
- Virtual schooling is teachers driving the lessons and curriculum and the parents overseeing the work.
WHAT WE RECOMMEND
Parents, this is the weirdest situation we’ve ever been in when it comes to schooling our children, right? Those of you that never thought you’d homeschool your kids were suddenly thrust into it (we need to point out here that virtual learning and what most parents experienced this Spring IS NOT homeschooling). So many parents have decided that they would rather pull their kids out altogether vs. face the gauntlet of the unknown this school year.
No matter what you choose, you are 100% capable of making a decision for your family that works for you.
Will it be difficult? Most likely.
Will you have to make painful changes? Possibly.
We will be working diligently on compiling resources for our readers on the homeschooling portion of our website and plan to interview many homeschoolers on our podcast.
With all of that said – our recommendation is that you take it easy on yourself and your kiddos. We’re all working through this together and the only way we all come out of it unscathed is to remember that learning is a journey, not a destination. During this unprecedented time, there is no reason that we need to pressure ourselves to a stress point. Let’s figure out what works for each of our individual situations and develop a plan that helps us all continue to grow.
