10 Things I’ve learned about blogging while homeschooling.

This past year has been crazy (but in a totally good way.) One year ago I joined the iHomeschool Network and felt God leading me back into blogging for income. Blogging has now become my job. I’m not getting rich or anything, but hey! I’m paying some bills. That’s really cool and all, but, well, it’s not my only job right?

For the past year I’ve also been trying to learn how to work and teach and play and get it all done. I need to blog, and clean, and school, and enjoy my children. How??

Ten Things I’ve Learned About Blogging While Homeschooling (or Homeschooling While Blogging)

Rule #1 – There is no such things as “getting it all done.”  – I’m not just saying that to make myself feel better either! The laundry and dishes never end.  The internet never ends. And there will always be some homeschool lesson or project that takes longer than anticipated.

Rule #2 – Aim for “what needs to be done today.” Piggybacking off rule number 1: prioritize! Make a to do list, have a list of “must do’s” for school and chores each day, determine where items fall on the priority ladder and work from top to bottom.

Rule #3 – Divide and conquer (our day.) It’s hard for me to define and stick to set blogging hours. But I can set school hours, and housework hours, and we have meal times. If I can stick to those, I can make sure those things get done and fill in the gaps with work. (Setting work hours is something I’m striving for right now.)

Rule #4 – Divide and conquer (our house.) Since the kids *are* home all day, *are* using things around the house all day, *are* contributing to the mess throughout the day — they can contribute to the clean up, too. Again, I can’t get it all done, and I certainly can’t get it all done by myself! The kids need to help out, not only for my sake or the house’s sake, but for their work ethic, too. So when chore times roll around, everyone needs to roll up their sleeves.

Rule #5 – The early bird gets the worm (or the the work done.) I soooo do not like getting up early. But I do like the productivity that comes with it. If I get up earlier, I can knock out a large amount of online work before the kids get up (and all that after reading my bible, too!)

Rule #6 – School time is school time. I *can* take the laptop with me to the school area or the table. I *can* try to answer emails or write blog posts during individual work or between reading lessons aloud. I *can.* But I shouldn’t. It’s frustrating for everyone.

Rule #7 – “Sharing” our school day is okay. On the other hand, I have learned that for myself, I can take the iPod Touch to school with us because sharing snippets from our school day on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram actually helps me stay on track with school, “work my social media outlets” and the iPod is easy to put down and doesn’t suck me in like a laptop does. It’s not something I do every day, but it works.

Rule #8 – I need to say YES more often. (I have Toni and Rachel to thank for this one.) Hey, blogger mom with your nose stuck in a laptop! Put down the laptop more often and say YES to something else instead. Ride bikes with the kids, pull out the watercolors, do a thousand piece puzzle.

Rule #9 – Go easy on the deadlines. I really try to make sure I don’t give myself too many blogging deadlines in a given week or month. I’ve overbooked myself a few times in the past year and I’ve learned it’s not a good thing! Saying yes to some things and no to some others helps keep me sane.

Rule #10 – Go to bed when Big Daddy does!! If my husband heads to bed and I’m still working – stop! It took me a long time to learn this. Even if it really is going to be “Just five more minutes,” I don’t want my husband always waiting after my work. Sometimes, I really have to finish that job, because I screwed up, or because I’m behind, and I own up to those. I want to save those “5 more minutes” for when they are really needed and not use them for things that can really wait. I know this is more about marriage than homeschooling — but I’m sure you know how discord in the marriage can affect your whole day!

What would you add?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Angie @ Many Little Blessings. For the next ten weeks, we’ll be blogging themed top ten lists. Today’s theme is “ten things I learned from homeschooling.” Hop over for more fun and for each blogger’s twist on the theme.

Background image source: Computer Connections by Petr Kratochvil