Being a work at home mom is something that many moms are facing at these unprecedented times. Honestly, it has always been my dream to have a career and stay home taking care of my children. After experiencing the hustle and bustle of working outside of the home and caring for my children at the same time, I realized that I was burning both ends of the candlestick.
Unfortunately, I was not being productive at home as much as I truly wanted to. Therefore, after trial and error, I finally made the shift and began working from home full-time while homeschooling my children.
Work At Home With Kids
As you can assume, this is not quite the dream. In fact, it can be really hard some days trying to be productive with little kids running around my home. I contemplated giving up this whole work from home lifestyle while raising 5 children.
There seriously were times that I questioned my purposed. I had no idea what I was doing and even worst, why I was doing it. However, I longed to be home with my children and watch them grow while being able to earn a living for my family.
Therefore, I started to get serious and disciplined. I figured if I was going to be successful at something I truly wanted then I needed to work for it. Look, nothing comes easily and if it does then you better watch out. The saying flies something like, “easy come and easy go.” Therefore, if you truly want to be productive as a work from home mom, you will have to put in work.
Working From Home Is Not Easy
Look, working from home is not an easy walk in the park. I’ve learned that being a work from home mom can be extremely rewarding however, in order to be productive you have to be disciplined and strategic.
You have to develop a strict routine and stick to it daily. Of course, unplanned things will come up however, you have to develop some kind of plan as your guide. Socrates said, “An unplanned life is a not worth living.” Therefore, make your life worth it by planning out your days.
Trust me, with all of that said, there are still days that I am stressed and feel completely unorganized. However, that’s when I go back to my plan. I put so much emphasis on your plan because it helps you strategize your day and maintain your sanity. With a schedule and a plan, you are more likely to be productive in your work.
Work At Home More Productively
1. Develop A Schedule
I already alluded to this earlier, you definitely want to start off with a schedule. Plan out your day and your children’s activities. If you are going to attempt to be productive in your day working from home, start with your schedule. With your schedule, you are able to identify the time slots that you have available.
This will immediately eliminate you wasting time in other areas that don’t matter. For example, wasting unnecessary time surfing your social media feeds. Look, it happens to the best of us. Therefore, be strategic and plan you day for when you have time to spare on social media. Again, you don’t have to breathe and sleep your schedule because things will come up, but you will find that your schedule will help you stay on task.
2. Wake up before your children
I know you don’t want to but believe me, this will be a game changer! As a mother I have realize that there are so many possibilities and waking up and being productive before your precious children wake up.
Initially, I was not a morning person before becoming a mom. I used to sleep in until late morning, and early afternoons. It was a beautiful thing. However, after becoming not just a mom but a mom of 5, I realized that the early mornings were my time.
I seriously wake up without the help of my alarm clock at 4:45 am- 5:00 am every morning. Yes, you read that right! I have done this religiously for the past 4 years.
This has helped me tremendously in my career and in mothering. I am able to get two solid hours alone in silence while my family is still sound asleep. If you’re not a morning person, then map out your evening as much as possible.
3. Communicate with your expectations with your children
Everyone knows that communication is key.
The same works when communicating with your children. Be open and transparent with your children. I have realized that this is so imperative to the production of your day.
Explain to your children what the plan is for the day. Explain to them what Mommy needs to do in order to complete work. I have found that my children are so cooperative when they know that as soon as mommy finish writing we can go outside and play in the pool.
I have learned that once my children truly know that Mommy is working and not just playing on her computer, that’s when they started keeping themselves occupied. This leads me to my next tip.
4. Plan activities for your children
Children operate better when they have coordinated activities to keep them occupied. I am not talking about watching TV and YouTube. But rather engaging activities that will stimulate their minds.
My children can keep themselves entertained but only for so long until someone is whining and complaining. Therefore, I have devoted an hour out of my work schedule to do an arts and crafts project with them.
I have done this with my children for the past year and have noticed how much more cooperative my children have been. This also benefits me because it gives me a change of scenery.
It breaks up my time which leads me into the next step.
5. Give yourself a break and free time
Let’s face it, even in working the typical corporate job they give you a 30-minute break and sometimes 2-15 minute breaks.
This all depends on the length of your workday. Well, the same goes when working from home. When working from home I have noticed that it’s easy to work all the way through without giving yourself breaks.
However, this is when burnout occurs. When you are sitting in front of the laptop for hours on end without stretching and without drinking water or eating something nutritious.
In order to be productive at being a work at home mom, you have to use strategies there will allow you to be successful. In other words, give yourself a break throughout the day.
6. Change up your workspace
Remember, anything is possible and so is being a productive work at home mom. Use these proven strategies and become more productive and less distracted while working from home.
Listen, a designated workspace will take your productivity to the next level. Every mom working at home needs a workspace, without a doubt. A proper work environment is SO important when you working at home. Not only will it keep you more focused, but you will be organized, more motivated, with fewer distractions.
Set yourself up for success before starting your workday. Remember being a work at home mom is hard at times however, it’s manageable. It’s possible to become more productive with these simple steps.
Be kind to yourself and understand that things will, however, allow your schedule to guide you.
Where are your tips for staying productive while working from home? Share in the comments on how you maintain your productivity as a work from home mom! Let me know what I missed!
