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First Coast mom finds balance by turning to homeschooling

When Heather Crawford realized she was seeing her kids for only a couple of hours a day while trying to juggle being a working mom she knew something had to give.

Most moms will tell you that time is one of their biggest issues. 

Finding enough time in the day to be with her children while keeping up with her demanding work schedule felt impossible for one First Coast mom, that is until she decided to homeschool.

“Time is the biggest challenge because you're trying to figure out how do I do fit it all in,” said Heather Crawford, FCN Anchor and mom of two. “How do I do home school, how do I get the work done? What I've learned along the way is you're not going to be perfect.”

While her youngest child, Pressly attended kindergarten, Crawford made a tough decision, “I was sleep-deprived trying to get up in the morning, get my kids on the school bus and then I would be at work by the time they would get home from school. So I wasn't seeing them, ever.”

“I got to see her when she was driving me to the bus stop,” little Pressly said. “I used to cry because I miss her.”

Crawford and her husband decided to homeschool their two children, Palmer, 10 and Pressly, 8.

“Homeschooling is definitely a lot of work but for me having a demanding schedule working crazy hours not getting home until midnight something had to give," Crawford explains.

Enrolled in the Florida virtual school she’s able to spend valuable time with her children. It's a move she says the program makes easier. The first step for parents interested is to check with your school district's home education office.

“What I love about it is the flexibility,” Crawford explained. “Some days I have to rush out the door for work and it's ok because my kids can work independently or if they need my help we can work at night.”

Florida Virtual gives parents like Crawford a set schedule to keep on-track. Holding her accountable with a customized curriculum.

“With homeschool I get to see her for hours and hours," exclaimed Palmer.

“I will say there are days that I want to pull my hair out and there are days when I say I'm picking up the phone and I'm re-enrolling you in public school but those pass," Crawford said. "It can be frustrating but for our family the benefits are so much more than the negatives." 

If you are interested in homeschooling check out the Florida Virtual School website to get started. There you'll find a link to all of the Florida homeschool district contacts.

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