A productive, working mother and happy children? For sure it seems impossible, even for the mothers who are working from home. Although some think that working from home is easier, as a matter of fact it can make you lose your mind if you have your kids around. How to survive this and maintain your career AND a good relationship with your children?
Know your limits and plan accordingly
Before having kids, you were able to work for hours and hours without taking a break, and you could take a great nap at the end. Now, you can barely finish your projects, not to mention that once you are done with your work you have to watch out for your kids.
One important thing is to realize that you will not be able to work as much as you used to, and to plan according to this. You have one hour of work today; what can you do to make the best out of it?
Have everything you need around
And by this, I mean that you need to have everything ready so you don’t need to leave the home when you are planning to work. The designer diaper bag is a must; your children will need a change at some point, and you shouldn’t have to go to the store to bring napkins right when you are in the middle of a project.
Work when your children are asleep
Most of the children get at least a couple of hours of sleep during the day. You can take advantage of this and schedule your work in the middle of this time. It will not always work just fine and sometimes you will have to postpone your important calls for later, but you will get used to it.
Plan some entertaining activities for your children
You can’t expect them to stay still while you are working, so you need something to keep them distracted. There are plenty of (safe!) games that you can choose, but it’s better to choose them with your children, just to make sure they like them.
You can’t do it all
You might be able to do your work and take care of the kids at the same time, but will you be able to cook two types of food and clean the house at the same moment? Probably not. It’s fine if you can’t do it all and you have to accept it. Focus on your priorities and deal with the details later.
Listen to your children
There will be days when they will need you more than usual; this doesn’t mean that they are trying to stop you from your work. Instead of getting frustrated, listen to what they need and do your best to give them your attention. This will make things easier for all of you.
It is perfectly possible to work from home while taking care of your children. You just have to plan everything in advance and to deal with the unexpected!