Work From Home Moms
| Working from home allows moms to have both career and family time, but balancing the two can be challenging. It can also be tough finding legitimate and money-making work from home jobs. Here are tips on working from home. Work from Home Moms editor: Lisa Hoover |  |
Procrastination hits me in the gut and makes my insides feel twisted and tight. Hand and hand with this comes guilt and exhaustion. It feels worst when I first wake up with the promise of a new day and all these ideas of how to spend it racing around in my head.
I took my kids to see the new Hannah Montana movie today and in between songs and aisle dancing, I got to thinking about what work from home moms can learn from the teenage pop star If you aren't familiar with the Hannah Montana phenomenon -- and I can't imagine anyone who isn't -- it's a popular television show on the Disney Network about a girl who lives a double life as a singing superstar (Hannah) and a regular girl (Miley Stewart). Leading a double life? That sounds a lot like the work at home moms (WAHMs) I know.
Read more: How to Get Your Family to Support Your Home Business
Lately I have been reading articles by WAHM -- work-at-home moms -- who successfully combine an at-home career with raising kids. These moms will sit on the couch with a laptop and do their work while their babies/toddlers/preschoolers play in the same room as them. How do they do this? When I was a WAHM with children under the age of 5, I was only able to work when the children were napping, in bed for the night, or when my husband or another relative was babysitting.
One year ago, Peter Shankman created Help A Reporter Out. HARO is valuable networking tool for any writer seeking quotes, anecdotes or expert sources.
Read more: Use Help A Reporter Out to Find Sources or to be a Source
We've all been there. You spent Sunday night mapping out a careful plan of how to balance work, family, and social events for the week. You know you have deadlines looming and your clients are counting on you, but as long as you stick to your plan, you'll get everything done on time. Monday morning, everything goes south. Your son throws up oatmeal all over the kitchen, your dog picks then to eat part of a jump rope and isn't looking too good, and you're late getting your daughter to school because your car battery was dead. By the time you put out all the fires that need your attention, you've fallen behind with your work and don't know how you'll ever catch up.
Read more: Disaster Recovery Plan For The Work From Home Mom
Last summer, I took three months off to spend more time with my children, and I got a check every month for doing nothing. That is the power of residual income. If you want that kind of time freedom, then you must consider the type of income you're earning.
Read more: How to Create Multiple Streams of Income in Your Home Business
There's no doubt that the ability to work from home is a wonderful thing. Whether its being home with your son when he's sick or having a flexible schedule that lets you take your daughter to dance class, there's a lot to love about being a work from home mom.
It's not an easy road, though. Managing work and home time is really hard and finding a good balance is crucial. If you don't make it a priority, then you're headed for burnout -- and that's not good for anyone. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to cope with burnout and some ways to avoid it before it becomes a problem.
I am a work at home mother of three children. If you are like me, you may not have the funds to hire a mommy helper, so this article is for those of you who are struggling to work from home while keeping your toddler entertained.
A Work Day In My Home
I begin my day with my middle child, who wakes up like clock work at 6:00 a.m. every morning saying; "Mama Aedan up". As I enter his room I find he is happy to see me and ready to start running around. I turn on his favorite show, Blue's Clues and sit him down at the coffee table with a bowl of Kixx and a sippy full of milk. Next I turn on my laptop and get it ready for my work day. I start my coffee maker, grab a bowl of Kixx for myself and sit down on the couch. After consuming my breakfast I place my laptop on my lap and start reading emails. By the time I am done checking my email inbox and replying to important correspondence Aedan is done with his breakfast and lost interest in his show.
To help keep Aedan occupied I grab his matchbox cars, his crayons and coloring books, along with some pots and cookie sheets. I create a car ramp with my kitchen pots and cookie sheets, set up a place for coloring and start to interact with Aedan. As soon as he is occupied with his cars or coloring I get back onto my laptop. I work for a while until baby Karter is awake, usually around 10am. When both boys are awake it is even harder to get any work done. As soon as baby Karter wakes up I nurse him and then place him in his Rainforest Jumperoo. Both boys are now occupied and I complete my work until lunch time.
My Advice to Moms Who Work At Home With Children
The most important advice for successfully completing work from home when you have a toddler in the house is to have a routine in place. Children thrive on routine! The second most important advice I can lend, is to interact with your child first thing. Be certain to take the time sitting down with them and playing their favorite toy or game before you even start your work for the day. If you provide your toddler with the attention they need before you start your work at home day, they will be more apt to allow you the time you need to complete a majority of your tasks. Be certain that you follow the same routine every day. As you can see in my daily work routine, I always get Aedan breakfast and his favorite show before I start working. After he is done eating, I take out his favorite toys and play a bit before starting my work day.
If you are like me, a real go getter, you will want to start working first thing when you wake up. Believe me, this is hard advice to follow because I want to get up and start working immediately! If you wish to have long term success working from home with toddlers, my advice regarding routine and interaction will give you peace of mind and a more successful work day at home.
Brandy is a work at home mother of three who enjoys writing on her blog Writings of a WAHM lending advice to moms who wish to be successful in work at home.More Articles...
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