Homeschooling is a great choice for many families. Sometimes it isn’t the easiest choice. You may have known all along that you were going to homeschool your kids, or maybe you are thrown into home education by circumstances. Whatever the case, homeschooling is a significant time commitment and can put parents in the position of needing to sacrifice “extras” to afford to homeschool. I’m of the firm belief that you can homeschool on any budget and any schedule, but that doesn’t make life easy. For me, doing freelance work has filled in the gaps financially and allowed my family to make ends meet in a very flexible way.

The benefits of freelancing are innumerable, but I’ll name a few that are most beneficial for our family situation and what makes it something to consider for homeschooling families.

Work Where You Want, When You Want

Each homeschooling family is different. There are so many different methods to choose from, and people usually end up melding several methods together with what works for them in that season of life. Possibly the greatest benefit of freelancing to me is that I can choose my own schedule and what works for me.

Time management is essential to keep sanity in my family. I can work early in the morning before everyone gets up, between lessons, after everyone goes to bed, or find a sitter for a few hours and be productive.

I’m in charge, so I can work from home or wherever I have space, whether that’s the desk I share with my kid, my patio table, or at the park. The hardest part is getting my kids to leave me alone wherever I go!

Control Your Workload

Life gets crazy sometimes. Certain seasons of life are much busier than others. One huge benefit of freelancing is that I decide who I work with and what I do! I have the freedom to determine how much work is on my plate through those seasons of life.

Unlike a “normal” job, where you just have to deal with whoever comes in with a smile on your face, another added perk is that you are not required to work with someone who you are not aligned with for whatever reason. As a homeschooling mother, I know that raising children isn’t always the easiest. So when I feel like I’ve spent every bit of emotional energy or divided out all the patience that I have, I enjoy knowing that my freelancing career gives me the freedom to choose who I share my energy with and that I can pick up more work or set work aside if I need or desire to.

Something “For You”

If you’re homeschooling, you’re also likely a stay-at-home parent. Can I just offer you a smidgen of solace? Being a stay-at-home parent is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s difficult on every level of possible difficulty. For women in particular, it is so easy to lose your ‘identity’ in your kids, homeschooling, taking care of your spouse, your home, and all the plethora of things that come along that keep us up at night. I know many women, including myself, that also struggle to spend time doing things that are “unproductive.” While I believe being unproductive is essential sometimes, freelancing can be something you do to remain productive and find that individuality again.

If you love writing, you can spend time remembering what you love and write about it for a paying client. If you love taking pictures, you can schedule that time to be away and do something you love while making money.

I am a bit of a grammatical nerd, so I’ve found myself with a freelance copyediting job where I work with a cool team of people and make really good money. I have also branched into the writing world, where I get to share information about topics I love and help people, which brings me joy!

Contribute Financially

We talked about sacrifice earlier, and financial sacrifice is usually how homeschool families make it work. Typically, families will make ends meet with one income, and there’s nothing wrong with that! One major benefit of freelance work is that I can create wiggle room in our budget, save money for the “fun things,” travel, or just plain old pay the bills. Having “enough” or extra can relieve quite a lot of stress, which benefits my whole family. I can make as little or as much money as I have time for, and there’s always room for growth and skill-gaining in a freelance career. Homeschooling would be significantly more challenging without freelance work, as I would have to homeschool around my work schedule elsewhere.

Freelancing can be an excellent option for homeschooling families. Offering flexibility to work from home on your schedule, increase your family budget, and gain new skills - all while prioritizing your children’s education.