At least once a week someone asks me, "How do you do it all?" As a homeschooling mother of 4 under 10 who also runs a home-based business, my answer is usually, "I don't." How refreshing it was to read about other women in the same position who answer the same thing! I've just finished reading through the e-book from The Old Schoolhouse titled "HomeWork: Juggling Home, Work, and School Without Losing Your Balance." Sixteen women share their stories and their hearts for home and school, along with their passion for their businesses.
While my love of books tends to lean away from electronic versions, I liked the e-book format for several reasons. First, I don't have to find a spot on my shelf for it and, as long as I remember in which folder I saved it, I can access it much faster than scanning my bookcase. Second, it's been nice to have when I am in the midst of working on a project and need a quick break. Rather than browsing my shelf for something, I can pull up this file, read a single chapter, and be encouraged to finish what I've started. Finally, I like the pick-up/put down nature of the e-book. My random side occasionally rebels against my sequential side and likes not having to read this book in order, but rather being encouraged to pick and choose my way through the contents.
As a freelance writer and editor, I expected to enjoy the section on writing businesses, but I've been surprised and found something to enjoy in all the sections. As a homeschooling mom who also works from home, I often have to fight the guilt that comes from saying, "Not now, Mommy is working." From the stories in this book, that seems to be a common feeling, but one that most try to fight. Although they do have to wait sometimes while I finish editing a project, my children need to learn that they are not the center of the universe. Homeschooling can lean toward child-centered homes, simply because much of the daily activity swirls around the children. Through the stories in this book, I was encouraged to continue involving my children in the business as well as training them to care for each other and themselves when I'm "at the office."
If you have ever considered working from home, or are working from home and need a little encouragement, "HomeWork" is ninety-five pages of laughter, tears, and ideas about business, organization, and family life that will inspire you.
