How do parents manage home education while working full-time?

[2kidswelshmum]

Just curious about homeschooling and those who do it. This isn’t for me, I’m wondering about the logistics of someone I know who’s recently put on Facebook that she’s homeschooling her three children herself whilst working full-time. Without wanting to cause her offence or question her parenting, I’m just struggling to understand how that is doable? Three different aged children, all under 8, one ADHD. No judgement about homeschooling, I understand mainstream isn’t right for everyone and everyone has their own reasons. I’m purely just curious how she’s going to have the time? I find doing homework with two children in the evening takes a lot of focus, I couldn’t be working at the same time.

let's face it, they don't!!

I know people who do it by working different hours and using nannies and tutors as well. Early years nannies are amazing home edders.

Depend on the childrens ages as well as personalities.
I refuse to do homework as a f.t working parent.

I had to take one of mine out of school (due to illness) when she was eight. Her elder brother stayed at school but I also had a pre-schooler, a toddler and a baby and it was anarchy. I could never work out how anyone with more than, say, two children with a small gap could home educate.

I think that your interpretation of what represents a proper education is important in answering your question, OP.
We educate our DC, via EOTAS (similar to home education but funded)..when waiting for funding we self funded much of the resources & activities, so joined a few home ed groups for the interim.
All were wonderful people, but many were on a schedule of Laser quest, forest school, bowling & park meet-ups.
Few were delivering any tangible academics and by their own admission were so burnt or opposed to the school system they didn’t intend to.
I can tell you that delivering a full curriculum from home, with or without teaching support, whilst ensuring social opportunities happen is a full-on, full-time job, especially if your child has SEND.
Some parents do part-time remote work, evenings etc, but to educate properly & consistently, working full-time is imposdible.

They are 2 (so too little yet but will need to be cared for obviously whilst others learn) 5 and 7 years old

Sorry hit send too soon.
We really need to consider the current school system’s inability to deliver to all children & the impact it has on so many families, this leads to many opting out from school to protect their children.
EHE carries minimal guidance & support for parents, what does exist frightens many so they shut out support.
How did we get here, where parents need income, but assume a dual role 5 x days a week as they view this as their only choice?

So true, I can imagine it will be very difficult. I understand there are other ways to learn outside of mainstream education etc, I suppose my question was less about the syllabus or curriculum she follows, more around how will she physically have the time and attention to manage it all alongside working. I respect her choice, I just don’t understand how she can do it without burnout or a time machine. I don’t think they have the money for a nanny or additional support.

I mean, I was a SAHM and I couldn't manage much in the way of HE for my DD with the other kids crawling, climbing on the table when I sat with her, trying to get my attention all the time. If she'd needed more than half a term out of school I would have had to buy in help - either someone to watch the smaller children or someone to do the HE while I fielded the small ones. It wasn't even the children at home - the pre-schooler had to be driven to HER playgroup sessions which took up a lot of the time I ought to have been teaching.

Fortunately DD ended up going to Oxford - but no thanks to my half term of inadequate provision for her.

It is difficult.
The reality is that many HE children have either never attended school, or were pulled out for good reasons, but have in doing so developed delays in academic, social & developmental progress.
Correcting damage from schools, assessing areas that need work, creating learning plans and activities, schedules etc all takes a huge amount of time, research & diligence.
Doing any of the above, in addition to actuslly delivering learning x 3 alongside a full time role would be hell on earth for even the best trained teachers.
Even with competent online providers, encouragement, prompting and monitoring is needed. But who wants their kids on screens all day?

There are many ways to learn, and not all of them involve direct instruction or supervision. Both of my kids followed their own interests and led their own learning. I was around, but I wasn't "teaching". I only worked part time, but I feel they learned just as much when they were with the childminder as with me. One ended up doing really well at university, which demonstrates that this approach isn't just for "less academic" kids. and the other has a learning disability and is still home educated.

For little kids, the challenge isn't about how to find the time to educate them. It's about childcare: how to keep them safe and happy while you are working. That is tough. Some families use paid childcare such as childminders, some rely on relatives, some two-parent families work opposite shifts, some do jobs which are compatible with looking after their own children. They've turned their backs on the free childcare which school represents.

You can't do both properly

I know a family who EHE where both parents work full-time. The mother is a HCP who works 3 long shifts a week with set days and the father WFH normal office hours but compressed into 4 days rather than 5. The weekdays are covered by two days with their DM, one day with their DF and two days at a forest school with the DGPs dropping off and collecting.

I know a couple of others who EHE and both work full-time but they rely more on DGPs during the day or where DC are older and get be left to get on with learning themselves for some of the time.

Using tutors, setting schedules and tasks.. you don’t have to educate 8:30-3:15 as you would in school. She likely does some before work in the morning (in their pyjamas since there’s no need to rush around getting ready for a school run) and then after work too, as they’ll have the evening.

I know a family with 6 kids who home educated. I always wondered how they did it with a new born and several
toddlers. But they seem to have done ok.