In today’s economy, it might be cheaper for some women to just stay at home rather than to foot the bill for an expensive nanny or day care. However, most women want to work and contribute to the household. What if there was a way that you could stay at home, take care of the kids, and earn a living all at the same time? Well, with all the technological advances and online opportunities now available, you can. However, the whole process isn’t as easy as saying it and doing it. There will be some challenges along the way, but if you truly want to master the art of being a work at home mom, stick to the following advice.
Properly Laying Out Your Schedule
The first thing that any work at home mom is going to have to do is properly set her schedule. You need to properly set your office hours and figure how just how much you can get done and when you can get it done. For instance, ask yourself how many hours a day am I going to work, when do I want to make return phone calls, exactly how much can I get done while my kid is drawing in the next room? Just because you are a work at home mom doesn’t necessarily mean that you are your own boss. If you are working for someone, make sure that you have a complete understanding of the number of hours a day you are going to work, and when you will be working.
Always Take Advantage Of Naptime
Every child is going to have to lay down for naptime and this will be the only time of the day that you can expect to plug away uninterrupted. Of course, it might take some work to get your child to lie down, but don’t forget that singing old MacDonald had a farm can help. Regardless, if your child sleeps for an hour or three hours, make sure you use this time to your advantage. Just grab yourself a baby monitor, head to the other room, and be prepared to get some work done. Use your child’s downtime to your advantage to get caught up on your work-related tasks.
Set Clear Boundaries
One thing that troubles most work at home moms is that they want to spend all their time coddling their child. If you clearly don’t draw a line between your motherly duties and businesswoman role, you are going to run into problems and never get anything done. This is not to say to completely neglect your child but draw a line. For instance, if you are on the phone while your child is napping and he or she starts crying on the baby monitor, you don’t necessarily have to rush the phone call. Instead, you can mediate. Always know when you have time to sing Yankee Doodle Dandy with your child and when you do not.
It also helps if you have a spot where you can set up a private office that lets you completely detach from the rest of the home. Make sure that everyone knows that this area is off limits while you are working.
