I need help scheduling myself, What do other homeschooling moms do?

Question

I have a 16 month old a 4 year old and I run a home based business and I plan to attend school online, I also have a husband.

Answer 1

You have quite a lot on your plate. I know a few moms that do it all.  I home school my children, have run a home business, and have many hours daily that I devote to teaching free online classes as a volunteer.

Burnout is always a threat and efficiency becomes a must. You must be diligent to get adequate sleep so unless it is a short term emergency situation, do not let responsibilities cut into that time. If you do, burnout from physical exhaustion will dog your heels. Another threat to burnout is feeling like you are letting those people and things you value down. And there will be times that you will. You cannot juggle a load like that and not occasionally drop the ball somewhere.

So, in prioritizing your time, list adequate sleep time at the top of the list then prioritize your values from most essential to   those things that could wait if they have to.

From there, tools that can be useful are ...

Notezilla: I use this tool to set up to do lists on my computer desktop. Projects can be broken down within each 'note' so I can see both big picture and small details of what I must do. I use a color coding system within it as well to track what is set up and on schedule to what still needs to be set up and is behind schedule. It also has a built in alarm tool so you can automatically get reminders on critical due dates. The reminder is a pleasant cookoo sound and window that you can easily reset to remind you again in a given time. It has very much been a help to me to keep from feeling overwhelmed trying to remember all that must be done when. Since you are doing online classes, your computer will be a central hub anyway.

Once you get into your classes, see if you can pair up with one or two other very serious students in your classes to work together as a study team. Because online classes are done at a distance, you can utilize an Elluminate vRoom as a place to meet. The free vRopoms are three seaters. So it will accomodate you and two other individuals. You will have full duplex audio (use a mic and headphone combination), a whiteboard, text chat, and other helpful tools. You can even send the professors links to your vRoom as a place to meet to get direct help from them. I teach online classes using a full-sized Elluminate online classroom and can vouch for it being a terrific team learning platform.

If you don't already own Microsoft Office, a free suite called Open Office is available. It can export to the txt and MS Office file formats that professors want. It can save you a lot of money when you don't already own MS Office.

If you are a visual learner or find that your note-taking skills need to be strengthened, try Cmap. It is a free concept mapping tool and is very effective to helping you create notes that are very efficient to study from.

Always take the time in the first few weeks of a course to look at all the study tools you will likely have from your textbook publisher and your instructor. Often college level text will have web based study tools such as flashcards, interactive online quizes, etc. You professor may make Powerpoint slides, podcasts, and recorded lectures available as well. Also take note of your professor's open office hours and how you can get in touch with him/her. Don't be shy about using the open office hours. The professor wants to see you succeed as much as you do. That is why those hours are given.

And get help if you can, even if it is a 12 to 17 year old teen that can come in a few days per week to play with your kids so you will have a block of time to work on a tight deadline project.

Finally, like a poster has already responded, kids grow up fast. It is the one thing on your very full list of what you want to do with your life that really will not wait for you. If you find you cannot do it all, don't opt to drop their needs and just plain enjoying them for something else that really can wait a few years for you. I have often faced decision points about what had to give in my schedule. Believe me, coming from a mom with kids from ages 7 to 20 you cannot get the years back and you will always find that in the end having spent the time for your family has the greatest rewards. Afterall, that is really what you are doing it all for in the first place. :0)

Answer 2

You already have two jobs, raising two small children and a home business so I'm guessing you already know something about

scheduling. Congratulations. Your husband must be a lot of help to you or does he have a full time job as well.  Anyway, with kids you have to have a baby sitter cause at their age you have to watch them every minute of their waking hour. My oldest son cut his hair down to the scalp at three and he was out of sight for five minutes. LOL

You sound like your young and full of energy so unless you need a better home based business or you have to have more cash put the school on hold or you're be missing out on the best years of your kids life. It will be less than ten years till your oldest is a teenager and then he thinks he won't need you at all.  Then there will be plenty of time for your education and when both children are in school in a few short years then you will have time for yours. If you don't won't to wait then get a babysitter.

So my dear, what's the rush? You have your plate full, slow down, and enjoy life.

Answer 3

SCHOOL A little girl had just finished her first week of school. 'I'mjust wasting my time,' she said to her mother. 'I can't read, I can't write,And they won't let me talk!'