Many -- if not most -- homeschooling parents do some kind of paid work at the same time they're overseeing their children's education. That's a lot to handle. So when it comes to fitting work in around homeschooling duties, families need to get creative.

The challenges are very similar to those for other working parents: Who will watch the kids while I’m at work? How will they get to outside activities?

Who will help them with their schoolwork? But despite the additional responsibility homeschooling puts upon parents, many of the solutions are the same as well.

Here are some strategies homeschoolers use to help contribute to their family finances while making sure their kids get a solid learning foundation.

Work the Swing Shift

Trade off child care and/or homeschooling duties with your spouse by working while he’s home and vice versa. As a freelance reporter for a local newspaper, I used to run out to cover city council meetings in the evenings after my husband got home from his job. Some parents are even able to manage a full eight-hour workday during nights and weekends.

Work From Home (or on the Road)

There are lots of jobs today that allow you to work at home from the comfort of your laptop. Many even allow you to set your own hours. This lets you take advantage of odd moments when your kids are occupied with deskwork or their own projects. You may also be able to take work along with you, so you catch up during tae kwon do class or chess club at the library.

Work While Kids Are Sleeping

I have always found nights to be a good time for me to sit at the computer. It’s easier to research and write stories when there are no distractions like disagreements to settle or meals to be prepared. Other parents I know get up before dawn and put in a few quiet hours before anyone else is up. And when my kids were babies, I was lucky enough to get a couple solid hours of work while they napped.

Bring Your Child to Work

Some homeschooling kids don’t have to wait for Take Your Child to Work Day to see their parents on the job. They’re on the scene for at least part of their parent’s work day on a regular basis. As a reporter I often brought my toddler in a backpack to daytime press conferences, or sat him under the table with some toys while interviewing school officials. (Yes, he was a generally placid kid!) Later, I taught afterschool enrichment classes for organizations that let instructors sign up their own kids for free. As my kids aged out as participants, they switched to volunteering in other classes where teachers could use the help.

Employ Them in a Family-Run Business

Some homeschooling families involve their children in a family-run business as a matter of course. Farmers, shopkeepers, craft show exhibitors and online retailers all get their kids to lend a hand in keeping the family business going. Older kids can also help with in-house businesses like day care or dog-sitting. Bonus: The skills and responsibility they learn count as homeschooling, too!

Want Help? Here's Where to Look

About.com's Working Moms, Work-at-Home Moms, and Mobile Office sites are good places to start when you need advice on how to balance work and family. And the book How to Work and Homeschool: Practical Advice, Tips, and Strategies from Parents by Pamela Price, published by Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, contains lots of examples of real homeschooling families and the solutions they came up with to help them earn money while helping their children learn.

More Advice for Homeschooling Parents

How to Solve Common Work-Family Problems

Housekeeping versus Homeschooling

Make Your Kids Boredom-Proof