Hey mamas!

So I get asked all the time how I manage to homeschool my son as a single mom.  I guess it’s a valid question since most people assume that being a single mom I work out of the home full time which is something I have never and will never do. I am proud to be a stay at home/work from home mom. But even being home all day makes homeschooling a challenge. So here’s how I make it work.

How I Homeschool As A Single Mom

One of the biggest ways to make anything in your life work is to make it a priority.  If it’s not important to you, you will find excuses. I have known for most of my life that I was going to homeschool my kids. It is something that is of high value to me and no matter what, I was going to make it happen. Suddenly and unexpectedly becoming a young single mom was most definitely not going to stop that.

So from the time I found out I’d be having my little bugger, I started looking for ways to work from home so I would be able to be a stay at home mom and eventually homeschooling mom. It took many years, tears, dollars, and failed businesses to find what was right for me.

That didn’t stop my goal of homeschooling either. I may have struggled and been going through the worst time of my life, but I was not going to let that stop me from doing what I knew was right for my son, and I stand by that because things have not changed. No matter the circumstances, your children come first.

How I Find Time

Finding the time to homeschool really isn’t that different from finding the time to do anything else you want to do. You just have to look at your daily schedule and find the right time to fit it in.  We do our school time in the late afternoons, and we usually spend about 2 hours.

My son is only in 4th grade so he doesn’t need a ton of official “school time” yet. We get all of our basic subjects done including art and reading at that time and the rest of the day my son plays and I work from my home computer.

We have been doing it like this since he was about 3 1/2 and we started doing some light preschooling. It works well with my schedule because I am not up and about during the morning hours.  I am a night owl and don’t hit the hay until about 4 AM.

So starting school time later in the day is doable for me and works great with my already flexible blogging schedule. Even if you’re not home as much or as flexible as I am, you can still find a way to make time for homeschooling if it’s something you want to do. It’s possible, I promise.

How To Afford Curriculum

Being a low-income single mom, finding a way to afford homeschooling curriculum and supplies may sound like a huge struggle, but actually, it’s pretty affordable if you know where to shop. A lot of homeschool families buy a full curriculum from a program and that costs hundreds per year. So I have found a smarter way to get all the things we need on a budget.

I shop at discount bookstores, second-hand curriculum shops, and lots of other places where I can find great books and materials for good prices.  To see a break down of the places I use to shop for curriculum, check out the links below to some of my favorite places!

• Timberdoodle
• Rainbow Resources
• Thriftbooks
• Homeschool Classifieds
• Homeschool Curriculum Marketplace Facebook Group

Buying everything we use individually instead of part of a boxed curriculum is much easier and better because then you get to choose everything your child does and plan your year yourself which is one of the many bonuses to homeschooling!

Overview

I find it only natural to homeschool as a single mom. It has always been my plan and although it may have its challenges, I wouldn’t do anything else! I won’t lie, many sacrifices have to be made in order to be a stay at home/work from home mom who homeschools.

But they are all worth it knowing that I am doing my duty as a mother and taking charge of my child’s education and making me available to raise him myself full time.  If I can do it, so can you!  You can find all kinds of amazing resources, articles, and more about homeschooling on Home School Super Freak.

If you enjoyed this post and want more tips, help, and support for single moms then please subscribe! You also get freebies! Give the post a share as well and feel free to leave me a comment! I love connecting with you mamas!

Much Love, JessXO