{Career & Homeschool Tips} Daycare Solutions for Working Homeschool Parents


If you want to work and homeschool while your kids are young--or if they are older and "high needs," then your biggest obstacle is likely to be securing reliable, affordable daycare.

We tend to forget that in addition to teaching kids their ABCs and 123s, public and private schools provide daycare for working parents, freeing them up to pursue their professional goals. Yet if you switch to a homeschool education model and plan to work at least part-time, then sooner or later you're going to need someone to pitch in with care to take a meeting or make progress on a project.

This challenge is easier to manage if you have supportive family and friends with flexible schedules willing to watch a child for a few hours.

To avoid wearing out one's welcome with that arrangement if you frequently need help, however, you may want to take a look at hiring a nanny or babysitter.

Another option: create a homeschool babysitting coop and trade care with other homeschool families. Don't let the fact that you're the only working homeschool parent in your circle stop you from considering this idea. Sooner or later even stay-at-home homeschool parents need someone to give them a break to run errands, go to the doctor, etcetera. They may welcome an arrangement, provided that expectations are clear and everyone has compatible childcare styles.

In two parent households, consider whether or not you can secure what you need (e.g., paychecks and insurance) if each parent/partner works 2/3 time with overlapping schedules. On that topic, I highly recommend The Four-Thirds Solution: Solving the Childcare Crisis in America Today. In it, Stanley Greenspan addresses the daycare issue with regard to early childhood development. Many of the solutions (including the one referenced in the title) translate to families with older children, too.

For convenience, you'll find the book available for purchase in my Amazon store. (Disclosure: As a member of the Amazon.com affiliate's program, I receive a modest compensation for items purchased through my store.)

I'd love to hear your ideas on daycare for working homeschool households on my Facebook page.

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Be sure to stay tuned to HowtoWorkandHomeschool.com for information on my forthcoming book regarding topics of interest to working homeschool parents. You may also be interested in my upcoming workshops and private consultations.