How To Pursue Your Dreams While Working And Homeschooling

How often do your dreams take a backseat because life is just too crazy? Is it even practical to pursue your dreams while working and homeschooling?

As a homeschooling mom, you know it takes time and energy to teach your kids. It’s your job to ensure they get the best education you can provide and make sure their needs are met. 

And because you are a working mom, you get to balance that with handling your job demands. Which, in turn, means it requires more time and more energy. 

What happens when you want to pursue a dream? How do you fit that dream into your life? Where do you find the extra time and energy?

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Working Moms Need Dreams

Today I am happy to introduce you to Katie Andrews Potter. She’s a married homeschool mom of three young kids from Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Katie has agreed to share how she is pursuing her dream of going back to school in January to pursue her MFA ( Master of Fine Arts) in Writing for Children & Young Adults.

Do you know the best part of reading how other working moms are pursuing their dreams? 

It’s encouraging, inspiring, and shows you it IS possible. Sometimes all we need is a spark to light the fire. 

It’s why I love sharing how working moms from all walks of life are able to homeschool their kids. You can read their stories here.

As you read Katie’s advice, tips, and examples, I want to encourage you to take note of anything you can use in your life to motivate you to pursue your dreams. 

Meet Katie Andrews Potter

Katie, before we get started with how you are pursuing your dreams while working and homeschooling, can you tell us a little about your homeschool and your work?

Yes, absolutely. I have been a working mom from the beginning. For years I worked outside the home in schools.

My daughter went to Kindergarten at a public school and then we started homeschooling her in her first grade year in 2015. We’ve been homeschooling ever since, and it suits our family so well.

I started working from home in early 2018 as an online ESL teacher, teaching English to kids in China. It’s a great job I really enjoy, and I can work in the early morning while my kids are still asleep. 

Why You Should Pursue Your Dreams

Personally, I feel that following our dreams as a mom is so important. In the past, when health kept me from pursuing my dreams, it was tough to find a way to push through and find a way.

Katie, what is your dream, and why did you decide to pursue your dream while working and homeschooling?

Ever since I was young the two main things I have always wanted was to be a mom and a writer.

When I entered college in 2004, my majors were History and Writing with the goal of becoming a young adult historical fiction author. I gave that up early on to pursue what I deemed as a more realistic career in education. I got married in 2007, had my first child in 2008, and finally graduated from college in 2010 with my degree in Elementary Education.

For too long I’ve not allowed myself to fully pursue that dream of being a writer along with being a mom. It’s finally time. 

How To Pursue Your Dreams, Work, And Homeschool

Let’s be practical here for a moment. We all have 24 hours in a day. A skill I feel is vital for all working moms to master is time management.

How the heck are you going to fit your dreams, work, and homeschooling into your life? 

To be completely honest, I don’t know yet. It scares me a little, yes. But I know I have to make it happen because it will hurt too much not to do it. I won’t allow myself to live in regret and denial any longer. I am sure I’ll find ways to make it work, and I’ll be proactive about it, especially in the early days of the program.

I will also say, I don’t really fully believe in balance. I think sometimes we have to lean to one side or another. Some days I’ll need more time for my family than I will for my writing and vice versa. Also, as a highly creative person, I live more by rhythm than I do by a schedule. If I am not of a mind to do creative writing, I’ll read for school instead. 

How will you balance all this? What will your rhythm look like?

My rhythm often looks like getting up around 4 am, taking some time for myself, and then writing or reading, and then teaching. We usually homeschool in the morning, and when my husband works in the afternoon and evening (also from home), the kids and I have more free time to do other things, during which time I will do more reading, writing, and research for school. 

I have to remember to be gentle with myself. To know that I can do it, but some days are going to be harder than others. I can lean on my toolbox – self-care like exercise, nutrition, yoga, outdoor time, free time, time spent with my loved ones, and rest.  To let those be windups that set me back on the path to do what I’m meant to do. 

Where To Find Support 

When pursuing my goals and dreams, I find support is vital and not to be underestimated. As a full time working mom who is also homeschooling, the support I get from our Coffee Club Membership is a sanity saver.

What support system do you have in place? Who is cheering you on? 

My husband is my number one cheerleader. He believes in me more than I do myself. My parents are encouraging, and I have a number of close friends as well as many in our church.

Thankfully the school I am going to (Vermont College of Fine Arts) has a wonderfully supportive community, too. 

Learning From Past Experiences

One of my mom’s favorite sayings growing up was that practice makes perfect.

Do you feel reaching your dreams in the past has helped you figure out how to pursue this dream? 

I have self-published four books and the happiness that these stories have brought me helps guide me now. My first book was a young adult historical fiction novel, too – which is what I originally went to school to write.

This was a dream come true, and I worked so hard to bring it to life.

When the going gets tough, I know I can look back on the satisfaction that finishing and releasing that book brought me to keep me going. I also know that my writing is meaningful and has value for others, too, and that also pushes me forward. 

How To Cope With Negative People

Being a working mom who is homeschooling is not a popular choice. I can not tell you how many times I’ve heard it is impossible to do both because really, who has time to keep track of that. 

While I’ve pushed on anyway and learned over the years it is totally possible to work successfully and homeschool, it hasn’t come without naysayers, and it hasn’t come easy. 

How do you cope with negative people? What tips can you share on how to prepare yourself for this challenge?

Oh yes, all the negativity It’s so hard to not let it get to us. The main thing is, I have to remind myself that these people do not value what I value or believe how I believe.

I’ve had people, even those close to me, tell me I need to scrap the dream and get myself a little (read: meaningless to me) job just to pay the bills. Most of those people also believe I need to scrap homeschooling, too. They don’t share my values, so I don’t need to place a high value on their opinions.

My husband and I have never had an ordinary life, nor do we ever intend to have one. We live very simply on purpose, and we love life like this.

I’ve decided that I want to teach my kids to follow their dreams, and what better way to show them it’s possible than to do it myself. I’m dedicated to better myself every day, to only compare myself to myself, and in fits and starts guide my kids by my example. 

How Pursuing Your Dreams Impacts Your Kids

I firmly believe that having a dream doesn’t make you less of a mom. Having a dream doesn’t take away from your homeschool because you are learning with your kids. Having a dream isn’t selfish. It shows your kids how to pursue their own dreams. 

Do you think pursuing your dreams makes you a better mom or influences your kids?

Yes!! Exactly. It is not selfish at all, and I have to remind myself of this often. If it lights me up and gives me joy, if it benefits me, it can only benefit my kids, too.

My kids don’t need their mom to be living with regret and repressing some of her greatest desires. They need a mom who is happy and fulfilled. And yes, I can definitely learn alongside them. I’ll be writing and reading a lot more because of this program, and what homeschool doesn’t need more of that?

My kids – all kids – have dreams, and yes, the world will try to snuff them out. If I can teach my kids, and other kids I’ll eventually write for, that they can reach their dreams and live their dream life, then I’m going for it. 

For all you mamas out there with a dream: go for it. Your whole family will benefit and you’ll be much happier. So much happier. And that can only do good for your family. 

And when you doubt yourself or go through some setback, tap into that part of yourself, perhaps some younger version of yourself, that believes she can do anything. Put on some music (I love Disney songs for motivation, like “Almost There” from Princess & the Frog or even “Show Yourself” from Frozen 2) to get you going again. Talk to one of your cheerleaders. They’ll have a new perspective on things that may just pick you back up.

Believe in yourself. It sounds cliche, but you gotta do it. Believe in your dream. Find your “why,” your motivation, and keep it forefront. For more Disney-inspired inspiration, say to yourself, “Just keep swimming.” Just keep going. You got this, mama. 

You got this. 

You Can Pursue Your Dreams

Special thank you to Katie Andrews Potter for sharing her story with us. I hope you find the inspiration to take set goals, overcome your fears and pursue your own goals.

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