Is anyone else here a doula and a homeschooling mom?

I've been homeschooling for six years and practicing as a doula for one. Most of the time, I get most things done, but sometimes it's hard to balance all the marketing and promoting (plus reading, trainings, classes) with homeschooling.

Our kids are 3, 5, 7 and 10.

I homeschool as well; we've been homeschooling since 1997 and I've been working as a doula since 2004.

My kids are a bit older than yours; right now I am homeschooling a 9yo, 14yo and 17yo.

I say that we've been homeschooling since the children were born, but this is the first year we have to report. My daughter is six and my son is four. I consider myself a part-time doula and find that it doesn't get in the way. My homeschooling style is very laid back, though.

I'm thinking about homeschooling with our 6 month old. That is, if I can get to the point where I can work as a doula and quit this full time desk job. I'm just now looking into homeschooling as an option. My two older children are in the public schools. Our district is not bad in comparison to others, but I think "No Child Left Behind" is leaving them ALL behind! I am pretty furious at what little my children are learning these days and we can't afford to send them to private schools. It is very very sad.

I am a homeschooling mom and doula.....it actually makes it a little easier on me being a doula as I am not struggling to get people to pick up and drop off at school and they can go with me.
Sometimes it is hard after I am up for a couple nights in a row to get back in the groove though!

I'm homeschooling my 7 year old and my son will be starting Kindergarten this Fall. I also have a 1 year old and am due with #4 in June. So far, so good... everything has worked out well. Then again, I'm just doing births with family/friends right now.

I am homeschooling my 5-year old and I doula.

I'm in my 14th year of homeschooling - one graduate already, another senior this year and 7th, 6th and 3rd grades.

I know what you mean about finding time to do all the business side of doula. I have no problem when a birth comes, I usually have at least a weeks worth of lesson plans on hand for those days. I also have a list of chore type projects for summer if I'm gone. Some times I just give them a day or two off and we catch up later. That's the flexibility of homeschooling I love.

But, to answer your actual question... I TRY (lol) to keep my doula stuff to an hour or 2 per day. Research, studying, promoting, ... I do it while the kids are waking up and getting ready. I know this sounds terrible, but I don't make breakfast. They do. My teenage son actually makes feasts sometimes! Yesterday he made pancakes, eggs, sausage and hashbrowns!! But most days its hard boiled eggs and cold cereal.

By the time they are awake enough to focus, I can wind down what I'm doing. If they are taking a test or reading I can get a little more done. I don't do anything in the evenings so I can just be family, but if they are watching a movie then I can sneak on my laptop!

So, all that to say, its hard not to get sucked into it for hours on end, but I'd burn out anyways so this way I'm always excited to get up and going! As for how I actually use that time... I return emails, then try to find one new place to put an ad online, then check my google analytics on my website to keep an eye on whats working and whats not. Then I study.

With your kids being so young, maybe if your 3 yr old naps, that's a good time for your older ones to do silent reading, educational computer games, or something else quiet so you can get some study time. When mine were younger I would use a timer and they had a list of quiet activities they could choose from. They were not allowed to interrupt me until the timer dinged. I bet your ten year old would love to earn a buck or 2 a week to be in charge of helping with the younger ones, either breakfast or lunch or playing with them in another room. My 8 year old makes lunch (I'm usually wrapping up school with someone else). He can do sandwiches or heat leftovers or make quesadillas so its actually decent!

I'm a homeschool mom working on becoming a doula. Not sure how it will all work yet . I'm only schooling my 5-year-old right now and my second is 1 so I have some time to figure it out!

I homeschool and have started my training (distance training through BAI) and so I'm about to get started on the doula path. I have four children ages ranging from 2 to 12. I would love to hear practical tips from other moms on managing it all: lesson planning, birthwork, ect. I also will be teaching childbirth classes. I don't plan on taking more than one birth a month. I have tremendous support in my community and from my kids and spouse.

Jo

I am a homeschooling momma, as well as a doula, and a child care provider (oh, and a part-time student!)

We are unschooling, so I don't have to worry about not completing things.