If you’ve been struggling to nail the whole home office meets tiny human balance thing, this is the post for you! Often, I hear work from home business owners say that they just don’t have the time to commit to their business, because of their children. I get it; kids make working from home feel freaking impossible sometimes. Only, if you’ve decided to become a business owner who works from home, you need to figure it out! It’s not always easy, but it can be done. I hope these tips will help you win the battle!
I started my first official business when my daughter was in preschool, but before that I had a job that meant working from home some days both during business hours and in the evenings and on weekends, so I’ve been trying to figure it out since my now ten-year-old daughter was 2. It hasn’t always been easy, but there are a few things that have made it SO MUCH EASIER.
Remember, I’m no parenting expert, I just know what has worked best for us!
More important than anything else, has been setting expectations.
In Lieu of Naps, Quiet Time (unless your kid is an awesome napper, then let them sleep all the live long day)
Quiet time was a given since my oldest was young. Like it or not, she would spend an hour and a half in bed. She could read, play with a few figurines, or (preferably!) sleep. As long as she was quiet, and in bed, we were good.
To get her excited, I would plan something fun for after quiet time was over (a fun outing, craft, whatever). If she had to be reminded to stay in bed repeatedly, that fun bribe was taken off the table.
I remember when I first decided to implement this. IT WAS BRUTAL. Think, hours of screaming and crying and me sitting outside the bedroom door longing for a Zanex. Because most importantly, the timer didn’t start until she was QUIET.
It was basically a whole lot of this nonsense.
For the first week or so, getting to that point took HOURS. It was exhausting. Each time she’d get out of bed I’d silently pick her up, put her back in bed, tell her it was quiet time and remind her that the timer wouldn’t start until she was quiet and then we could XYZ when it was over. It was freaking ridiculous.
But what it boiled down to was a battle of wills. I knew if I gave in, I would be screwed. So, I continued, and eventually, quiet time became no big deal. This time allowed me to get things done so that I could give my daughter more undivided attention later in the day. Plus, I think that time to rest was good for her since she was never a good napper.
Even now that she’s 10 when she is home from school we still have that quiet time. My eight-month-old takes after her sister and isn’t into napping, but at 10:30 and 2 I put her in her crib for quiet time for an hour. Sometimes it’s not so quiet because she’s screaming bloody murder, but most times she’ll either nap or entertain herself because she’s getting used to our routine. If she’s screaming terribly, I go in after 12 minutes to rub her back and let her know we haven’t all abandoned ship and left her, but I won’t get her up until quiet time is over.
One thing I love about working with other momma business owners is that we all “get it”. A toddler waddles around and wants to snuggle for a minute? Adorable. I’ve been on calls with other moms insisting their kids stay in bed for quiet time, and I love that we can exchange knowing eye rolls when they get out of bed for the 109235th time.
Some people probably think I’m the meanest mom in the whole history of the world because I don’t glue my children to my side 24/7, but for me to be the best mom I can be, I need that time to get things done.
Wear Them the Heck Out
This does double duty, because it encourages you to be more actively involved with your little ones, and then allows you to get things done when they’re wiped!
The more exhausted you can get your kids, the more likely they’ll be to take a nap, lay down for quiet time, or chill on the couch, while you get your work done.
As soon as my oldest gets on the bus, I take my youngest on a stroll around the neighborhood assuming it’s not freezing or pouring. Once we get home, she gets all my attention until quiet time hits at 10:30. We play, she follows me around the house, and I try REALLY hard not to focus on a single thing besides her. It’s funny how much difference there between the times I stick to this, and the days where I try to multi-task and get other things done while my little one sits on my lap. She always is much more cooperative when she’s worn out!
We’re in a moms group that has weekly play dates, and we take trips to the library where she can crawl in the kid’s area, or to the park, on days we don’t have any play dates going on. I think play dates are SO IMPORTANT, not only because they wear the kids out and help with socialization, but because us moms deserve a break! I appreciate the mornings spent with other moms who understand what I’m going through and feeling. Plus, our kids entertain each other, so it’s a nice way to get a little break!
If you need to answer emails and your kids are balls of energy, hit the park for an hour.
Want to kill two birds with one stone?! Tucker your kids out by making a game out of cleaning the house! My daughter loved helping clean when she was a toddler because we made it fun! Use baskets and bins for their toys and let them play Bozo Buckets with unbreakable toys (blocks, figurines, etc., ). Say they have to clean up, but can only bounce, then skip, then run, then crawl…. You get the picture!
Clean Sweeps
One thing that saves my sanity is having “clean sweeps” three times a day.
When my youngest goes down for quiet time in the morning and afternoon, and after she goes to bed, I go around the house cleaning up any messes. I throw her toys in her bins, clean up the kitchen and bathroom counters, and get things on my desk organized.
For me, I feel much calmer and productive when the house is clean, and I find it much easier to have a few set times a day where I put things away than to wait until the end of the day to tackle everything.
Also, when your kids are old enough (mentally and physically) to do something, HAVE THEM DO IT! The more you have them do, the less you’ll have to do! Have your kids bring their dishes to the sink and put them in the dishwasher. Let them put away their laundry (even if they put them in the wrong drawers and don’t fold them very well!). If your toddler is capable of putting his/her blocks in the block bin, push them to do it on their own!
My favorite tip is to have a few cute decorative bins around that you can just throw things into. It makes cleaning up a breeze!
Commit Even when You’re Uncomfortable
Some days, things just don’t’ work. Getting anything done while your kids are around is hard, and just doesn’t feel worth the struggle.
On those days, I choose to stay up late and work while the girls are in bed. When that is my only shot at working in peace, I take it, even though I’m more of an in bed by 8 PM kind of girl.
I pull all-nighters or operate on only a couple hours of sleep at least once a month. I don’t enjoy it, but I do love how much I’m able to get done when I have a long stretch of uninterrupted time. So even though I’d rather catch up on my favorite show and go to bed, I choose my business because, during the day, I chose everything else.
Sometimes, the hard choices are the ones that will help you thrive, even if in the moments they feel miserable.
Be Your Biggest Cheerleader
So often, we put so much stress on ourselves to get everything done, every day. Only it’s not always possible! Some days are easier than others, sometimes something unforeseen knocks you on your butt, and once in a while adulting just feels too freaking hard and you need a day to do the bare minimum.
On the less than ideal days, remind yourself that it’s ok not to get everything (anything?!) done. If you only succeed in keeping everyone alive, let that be enough because some days, it is!
Never forget that tomorrow is a new day. As long as you’re doing your best, you’re solid.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, give yourself the ok to take a step back and regroup. Allow yourself to enjoy life once in a while!
Like the time when the Cubs win the World Series FIIINNNAALLLLLLYYYYYY. The beauty of being a work from home mom is that you can run your business while also getting out there and enjoying life with your little ones. They’ll be all grown up before you know it!
What tricks and strategies do you use to make working from home a little easier? Share your stories in the comments! When it comes to being momma business owners, we’re all in this together, trying our best to make it to bedtime!
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