We have been homeschooling for nine years now and, over the years, I’ve heard many parents express reasons why they feel they can’t homeschool (even though they’d like to).

The reasons I’ve heard range from “I’m too broke to homeschool” to “I’m not a teacher” to “I’m too busy to homeschool my kids”.

But my favorite reason ever is “I could never homeschool, because I can’t be with my kids all day!”

Do you feel that way? It’s understandable. The idea of spending all day homeschooling your own children can be overwhelming, especially if you have more than one child. But it’s likely that the idea of homeschooling you have is quite different from what homeschooling can be.

See how you can homeschool your kids, even if you’re not the most patient person on Earth.

I Want to Homeschool, But…I Can’t Be With My Kids All Day!

Images c/o: Lenanichizhenova & aletia / depositphotos

This is a perfectly natural feeling.

First, I just want to reassure you of something: It’s fine that you feel this way. I’ve heard a few homeschoolers shame other parents for expressing this sentiment. But we shouldn’t.

Parenting is HARD. And sending the kids off to public school everyday is the only break that many parents get. So the idea of not even getting that break everyday can be overwhelming. I also thought I was going to get that shot of daily “me” time when we sent our kids to public school for a few months. And I was sorely in need of a break myself.

So if you’ve said this or felt this way, you are not alone. I get it.

You do NOT have to be the sole educator.

When you picture homeschooling, are you imagining yourself at the chalkboard teaching classes from 9 to 3? If so, stop. You don’t ever have to put that kind of responsibility on yourself. Homeschooling can be flexible and versatile and, thanks to technology, you can use tons of teaching resources that will make your job easier.

In our family, we use several educational websites (including BrainPop, Khan Academy, and my new favorite Flocabulary) to put together our lesson plans. I only spend about five hours a week actually teaching.

The rest is watching educational videos, completing activities, and letting the kids show what they’ve learned. I’m just one of many teachers on the faculty at our school. 🙂

It’s okay to take a break from your kids.

Does that mean you won’t ever want or need a break from being with your kids? Of course not! It’s exhausting parenting and teaching little people all day.

If you had a full-time job outside the home, wouldn’t you get a lunch break each day? You should get one when your full-time job is educating your children too.

So I’m telling you: Get your break every. single. day. I’m serious. Do not go a day without carving out time for yourself to just breathe and think.

I’m not ashamed to say that I totally use the television for this. I put on an educational television show that the kids like (Curious George, WordGirl, Wild Kratts, etc) and let them watch for half an hour and I go straight to my room where I either read, take a nap, or shower. Sometimes I even use that time to go for a run in our neighborhood. It does wonders for my mood.

Feeling like you can’t homeschool? Get help and support from these posts!

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