Giving up work to home ed

[slyvia]

New to home ed, DD is 4.7 years. Currently work 2 and a half days a week. DD goes to local nursery and MIL for childcare. DS may join us for home ed soon, he is currently schooled. Will have to give up job to home ed full time. Would like to do so but worry about career/money/ etc.. a bit. Has anyone else made this lifestye choice ?

I have 3 DCs who are all home ed; I work 2 days a week as a secondary teacher and am very happy with my work/home ed balance! DH has managed to arrange 'compressed hours' at work so he does 5 days work in 4 and is at home for one day. We have a nanny who comes in for one day and supervises the children/does cooking and sewing with them and irons their clothes/bedding. She is a godsend!

I do sometimes wish I could work fewer days but actually once I am at work, I really enjoy it!

No reason why you can't use a childminder or your MIL for childcare while you work. There is no 'set hours' with home ed and you can arrange it round your part-time work.

I do part time work one or two evenings and some weekends, as DP works full-time in the week. I think in future I'd like to do something like Tinuviel said - if DP could find more flexible work - as I could earn more if I worked one or two full days. But this is working out fine for now.

I work part time some evenings for half an hour or an hour; and I facilitate courses in evenings or weekends - 2.5h a time. I do all those things when DH is home or my mum is over.

DH hopes to be earning more in the next couple of years, and when he does, I will drop something, but not everything because I enjoy it.

Yes its nice to here there are more options available. A friend of mine is thinking about opening a sort of school for home ed kids where you can book sessions to do various activities (a lot outdoor) and learning through play idea - no set curriculum. She asked me to run it with her but I am worried it may not take off and I have given up my job for nothing. Mine you - its something I thought might suite working mums who also home ed - does anyone have any views on this ?

I think that sounds great, if different parents can bring different skills to the table, why not?

I know a couple of families who might be HEing and we might be too - I'd like to think we'd get together and share our skills and interests with each other. It'd be informal though, I think that sort of thing happens pretty naturally without really 'setting up' so to speak - I'm sure experienced HEors will tell you how it all works

Sylvia - it sounds great, but most home ed families don't have much money to spare, so I expect there's not likely to be a living in it!

If its registered as childcare then parents could get working tax credit help to pay for it.

Need to make sure the activities are costed into the price of the sessional childcare though.

I think the idea of a centre or part-time school for home eds is a brilliant idea. I run a small business called minimaths for key stage 1 and eyfs maths. I am also thinking of home ed for my two sons.

I am in Mid sussex and I have been trying to find a local group. As yet the nearest centre that runs courses is over 15 miles away and I can't find a local support group.

So your friends idea is very sound. You could always offer to go in with her if you are going to give up work anyway, you wouldn't have anything to lose.

Yes I had thought of that, My reasons to home educate have much to do with large class sizes, peer pressure and headteachers not listening or aunable to do anything useful so it might be an option. It also means kids from home ed backgrounds can socialise - sometimes home ed groups are difficult to come by !