by Kristen Thomas

Created on: January 16, 2009

My homeschool journey began while I was a happily married stay at home mom (SAHM). The husband left, and I panicked. Then came the day I woke up and decided that yes, I can homeschool my children alone. I evolved into the Super Single Stay at Home Homeschooling Mom (SSSAHHM). Every day gets better and brighter as my self confidence grows. The responsibility upon the shoulders of single homeschooling mothers is enormous, and knowledge is the key to lightening our load.

The biggest worry for me, and for many others, was how to survive financially and still be able to homeschool. If you have a reliable family member or friend, then working outside the home is definitely an option. The beauty of homeschooling lies in the flexibility. You can work all day, and homeschool on evenings and weekends, or vice versa. But don't overlook the very real possibility of working from home. Scour those work at home forums, be prepared to juggle a few different jobs, and see how many people make a very lucrative living from their very own homes.

Scheduling schoolwork for your children must not fall by the wayside as you make a living. If you are a very organized person, then write up those daily schedules and stick to them. Choose your curriculum wisely, and look for used books to save money. Scour yard sales for school equipment, and put the word out to family and friends. You may be surprised at how willing they are to help, or how many school supplies they have stowed away. Regularly look over your plans to make sure the children are making satisfactory progress, and keep all your records & grades well maintained. I prepare packets for each subject, a week's worth of work at a time, each Sunday evening. My children are free to choose what subject they want to work on at a given time, and spread their work throughout the week.

A virtual academy, or online public school, is the option I chose to take. The curriculum is ready made and provided free through my state. The progress is tracked through the website, and I can see how well my children are progressing with just the click of a mouse. There is still a substantial amount of time I put in grading and scheduling but a lot of the fundamental record keeping is done automatically. The schedule is flexible, and so remains our life.

If you are homeschooling multiple children, then you certainly have at least two children who are old enough for a responsibility talk. I sat my children down and explained how to work on schoolwork

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>