There's plenty of mistakes to be made when you're homeschooling but one stands far above the rest as the main source of problems for my family. It's the biggest source of all sorts of problems and it's the one I have the most control over. The number one problem for us is: me not spending enough time with my children as they're learning.

I work at home and sometimes ( too often ) I get drawn into my work. My children are very independent learners and can do well even without me watching them do every single assignment. I end up relying on them to stay focused while I focus on my own work. However, me not giving them the attention they need means they have to be extremely self motivated. No matter how driven and independent they may seem, no one can sustain that focus long term without someone else to engage with and especially not children. I find that when I spend more time with them each day, even if it's just sitting there with them as they count on their fingers doing their math assignments, it gives them so much more motivation and interest than they would have otherwise. They need to know that I'm interested in their progress and their success and that I'm here if they need help.

If you're going to homeschool your children while you also work at home, you need to make your homeschool schedule just as important as your work schedule and allocate time throughout each day to work with your children one-on-one. Your homeschooling will go much more smoothly if you put in the time to keep your children on track and interested in the subjects they're learning. I now have time scheduled in every day to work directly with them on things. It's not the only time I help them during the day of course. I help them throughout every day but that's mixed in with my work. This is time I'm dedicating just for them. No distractions from work. I owe them that.