Homeschooling and financial freedom (or lack thereof)

As we begin our first year as "official" homeschoolers (my oldest is now old enough to attend kindergarten at the school up the street), my family is declaring its independence from formal learning institutions. However I find myself, as a non-earning homeschooling mom, more dependent than I ever thought I'd be as an adult. My husband's income pays our bills, and my days are spent addressing the needs of our small children. I am not a martyr, and so I'm doing my best to find a path which lets us homeschool while giving me a little more independence, both financial and intellectual. We are just beginning our homeschooling journey, but we have gotten as far as we have thanks to the help of a generous community of homeschoolers, and I am wondering if there are any members of that community who have already traveled the path I am trying to find. It seems like one that could benefit many of us.

I feel very fortunate that our family is able to afford to live on one income, but there are drawbacks for me as the non-earning parent. Since I quit I no longer have a 401k and I am not fully vested in social security. Financial experts recommend that women have their own retirement savings, and I agree with them, as does my husband, fortunately. In the unlikely event we are unable to depend on my husband's income (due to illness, disability, divorce, a change in the economy, or even a desire on my husband's part to share the burden), I may again need to earn a salary. Finding a job after a long absence from the world of work may be challenging, and if I return to my old career I will almost certainly earn less than I was when I left several years ago. Add in the challenge of finding a job which is flexible enough to allow us to continue homeschooling, and it sounds like a nearly impossible task.

To address my financial concerns, I have made some changes and am researching others. In addition to the retirement savings I accrued while working, I have a Roth IRA to which we contribute regularly. I am actively researching ways in which I can contribute financially to our family's bottom line. My goal is to find an opportunity I can pursue part-time which has flexible hours-- this may be a small business which I run out of our home. Ideally, it will earn enough to compensate me for the time away from my family while keeping my skills current, engaging my mind and giving me contacts in the world of work. Finding time to run a small business well while homeschooling my kids is a major concern for me.

In order to get myself vested in social security, I need to earn Social Security credits, and so I will either need to pay myself a salary through my small business, or I will need a second job. I can earn a maximum of 4 social security credits each year, and to do that in 2006, I would need to earn $3880-- not a small amount of money, but not a full-time job either.

So, those are my goals. Is there anyone out there who can offer tips to get achieve them, or would like to walk along with me as I seek them?

Non-earning parents in single income families are often at greater financial risk than their partner, and because homeschooling families are more likely to have a non-earning parent, and that parent is more likely to be out of the workforce for a longer time, I believe it's important for the homeschooling community to discuss this issue.

Comments are appreciated.