March 3rd, 2007
Organizing Your Work At Home Schedule With a Toddler
Face it, you’re not going to get much done with a toddler around. I mean much in the way of cleaning the house, working on your home business or even craft projects requiring scissors, knives and glue guns.
Instead maximize the time you have with your toddler. Focus on helping them learn new skills and new words. Create crafts for your child, sing with them, eat and enjoy breakfast and lunch and have a lovely conversation about the food. Let them help you with laundry and even sweeping the floor.
Then! Once they’re down for that 30 minutes to (hopefully) 2 hour nap, maximize that time in your home office. Check emails, write articles, return calls, pay bills and optimize your website. And do the business things you need to do.
Don’t try and finish everything in one day. Some things might takes weeks and even months, yes months to complete.
Here are some tips so you don’t go crazy trying to be a stay at home mom and a business woman.
1. First realize things are going to take a little longer to accomplish. Stretch your goals out. It might take a week to pull that article together. It’s okay.
2. Streamline your workflow. If you notice that you are bit frazzled and unorganized, then get organized. Pick up a good book or video on the subject and learn some tips to help you bring it together.
3. Try getting up a little earlier in the morning and getting a bit of work done before the baby awakes. If you find yourself staying up late into the wee hours try to switch that so that you get up early (6ish) and use that quiet time on your home business projects. Spend a week or two adjusting your body clock for this.
4. You’re a mom first. Really. It’s an okay and very good thing to be. Don’t neglect your children for your home business. In the long run it’s the kids that matter. The blessing from spending time with them and helping them grow into mature children is worth a million affiliate checks.
5. Don’t give up. Sometimes you need to put something down and come back later. That’s okay. Take the breather.
6. Have another WAHM you can chat and touch bases with. My sister is also and WAHM and we work a lot together. Find a group online or one that meets in your area.
Above all have fun in your home business.