Coupons | Product Reviews | Contests | Articles | Forums | Search | Subscribe
Family Fun | Parenting Tips | Romance | Health & Fitness | Organic Living | Weight Loss | WAHMs
Welcome Momscapers!
Momscape.com is an award winning online magazine delivering
uplifting personal essays
from real parents - plus
practical guidance on parenting,
family fun,
romance,
travel,
health & fitness,
weight loss,
and more.
We invite you to share your
MamaWisdom and to help us
spotlight
products that make your life as a mom easier or better while you
enjoy our money-saving
online coupons and
family travel
discounts.
We want to help you enjoy the
simple (and fine) things life has to offer.
Subscribe to Momscape >
or
Get Our Daily Coupon Updates by Email
Bookmark and share Momscape with your friends:
Today:
Online Coupons
Today's
Favorite Coupons
All Online
Coupons by Store
All Online Coupons by
Category
Printable
Grocery Coupons
Product Reviews
Momscape's
Favorite Things (Blog)
Top-Rated
Mom Product Reviews
Family Fun
Activities & Crafts
Family Travel
Deals
Free Scrapbooking Ideas
Parenting Articles
Baby Tips
Toddler Tips
All Parenting Articles
Inspiration/Essays
Relationships
Marriage
Romance
Friendships
Health
and Fitness
Fitness Tips
Natural Living
Nurturing Your Spirit
Weight Loss
Professional
Family Manager Tips
Home-Based Business
Community
MamaWisdom Forums
About Momscape
Subscribe
Site Map
Links
Link to Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
About us
Contact Us
Working Around Your Children
Tips for the Home-Based Professional
by Carrie Lauth
Summary: If you're a work at home Mom, figuring out how to get any work
done with young children around is probably your greatest challenge.
Here, strategies that have worked for me and others.
What Shall We Do About the Children?
If you're a work at home Mom, figuring out how to get any work done with
young children around is probably your greatest challenge.
You don't want to ignore them...after all, you're at home with your kids
so you can spend time with them, not have them stare at your back all
day while you work on the computer.
I hope to help you with some strategies that have worked for me and
other work at home Moms.
Outsource It
I hire mother's helpers as much as possible. A mother's helper is a
young teen who is not old enough to leave kids alone with, but who can
play with your child for a couple of hours while you work in another
room. They usually work for less money than regular babysitters, and
sometimes will even barter for services (rides to the mall, using your
Internet, etc). Your kids will love the change of pace too!
Plan Ahead
Always, always know "What's next" for your business so you have a
definite goal to tackle when you do sit down to the computer. For me,
that means keeping a notebook within reach at all times so that when I
get a moment, I can accomplish a task and tick it off my to-do list.
There's nothing worse than sitting down at the computer when you do have
a block of free time and blanking out, or worse, spending time browsing
forums and blogs (Who, me?!).
Don't Be "Half Busy" All Day
I recently read of a study that showed how children react when they are
with an adult who, although available, was "half busy" withother tasks
all day. The children being researched put many more demands for
attention on the adult, even if the adult was interruptible.
It's far better to give the kids undivided attention for a time, then
switch to a task you want to accomplish, and expect them to respect that
worktime.
Just be sure to keep it brief, and use your to-do list so that something
worthwhile gets accomplished. You can slowly train your children to
(gasp!) entertain themselves for short periods, consistently increasing
the time as they grow older. By doing so you're actually giving them a
gift of self reliance and initiative.
Use a timer
Telling your 3 year old "Just let me finish writing this article and I
will play with you in 20 minutes" is meaningless, and invites whining
and other attention seeking behaviors. Set your kitchen timer so she can
see the minutes ticking off. This works even for children too young to
tell time.
Have a Happy Box
This trick involves keeping a box of toys that your child doesn't have
access to at any other time, and bringing it out when you really need to
have some time to concentrate. The box doesn't have to be anything
glamourous, in fact, the more basic, the better. Go to the dollar store
and spend ten bucks or so on stickers, funky pens, fun paper or whatever
cheap, quiet things appropriate for your child's age. (It's not fun to
have to spend an hour removing the evidence of a happy 2 year old with
glitter glue stick off the couch!)
Use Technology
I use a laptop with wi-fi so that I can sit on the front porch and work
while my kids play outside. They don't really need my attention then,
just some "third eye" supervision.
If you make a lot of phone calls for your business, consider a headset
telephone. These are great if you have quiet lap babies who need your
presence but not a lot of conversation.
Avoid Using TV as Electronic Babysitter
It can be super tempting to turn on the TV so you can get some work
done, but avoid the temptation. It's easy to let hours slip by because
the kids are so hypnotized and quiet with the tube on. And, after it's
turned off, they get hyper and start picking fights with one another and
generally acting up. Get yourself a good book that lists easy kid craft
ideas. Or go to http://www.InsteadofTV.com/ and sign up for the free
newsletter.
Kids who don't watch much TV are good at entertaining themselves. I find
that I can sometimes sneak off to the computer for a few minutes to
nurse my newborn while the others are playing. Again, maximize that time
by always checking your list first... and your email last!
Creative Scheduling
A lot of wahms suggest getting work done during naps and after bedtime,
but what if your kids don't nap or you're (like me!) ready for bed
shortly after they are?
Forget what other wahms say about how they schedule their day, and do
what works for your family!
Some Moms wouldn't dare to work on the weekends, but if you can get
something done while your husband or Grandma plays with the kids, go for
it! If it's better for your sanity to nap with your baby instead of
working, do that. If you're a morning person, get up an hour before
everyone and get to work. This was an important strategy for me until my
fourth baby was born, and then sleep become more important!
Every wahm and every family is different. Get creative and it will work
out. One thing that works for me is to squeeze in some work time after
dh gets home, after dinner. He rarely sees the kids in the morning, so
he enjoys putting them to bed. During that time I work, then after
they're in bed it's couple time.
Realize that your strategy will likely have to change depending on your
kid's ages and stages. I hope these suggestions help you in your goal of
having a happy family and thriving business.
Carrie Lauth is a work at home Mom of 4. She offers a free, "No Fluff"
ezine for Moms in business who are new to marketing online. Get your
copy plus other free subscriber goodies at:
http://www.CarrieLauth.com
Subscribe to Momscape >
or
Get Our Daily Coupon Updates by Email
Moms are Raving About
> Tae Bo Kicks Billy Blanks Workout for Kids
> Collectopia Wacktivity and A Friendship Scraptacular
> Micro Spy Kit X2 Toy
> Bugaboo Chameleon Stroller
> Burt's Bees Baby Bee Skin reme
> Perego Primo Viaggio Infant Car Seat
> Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskins
> Rocket Spanish
> NordicTrack 740 Stepper
> More Product Reviews