Work At Home Mom’s (WAHM) Advice | Ganz Parent Club

A Work At Home Mom’s (WAHM) Survival Guide

Working at home can work for you

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Tips for WAHMThere are some amazing perks of being a WAHM—flexibility in schedule, opportunities to be a daily presence in your children’s lives, and being your own boss.  However, like any career choice, working from home comes with challenges.   After working from home for nearly eight years, and upon launching my second business, my greatest challenge still remains the same:  how do I balance working at home full-time while being a stay-at-home-mom?  I may never truly figure out the best way to handle this daily challenge; however, I have picked up a few tips along the way to make my time working from home an enjoyable experience for both myself and my kids!

Prioritize With A Weekly Task List- Make a list of everything you need to accomplish during the week for both your business and family responsibilities.  This list may include: laundry, grocery shopping, updating your website, following up with customers, taking the kids to the doctor, baking cookies for school, etc.  Once you have a list of everything that needs to be completed, it should be easy to prioritize each task.  For example, if the cookies have to be baked on Tuesday and the kids need to go to the doctor on Thursday, then Monday is designated for laundry and grocery shopping so that Wednesday and Friday can be dedicated to business tasks like updating your website and following up with customers.  Having a list will be a visual reminder of everything you need to accomplish during the week.  It will also assist with areas that may need to be delegated to someone else.

Pick A Work Schedule And Stick To It- Not only will this be helpful for your work/life balance but will also help your children to understand what to expect on a daily basis.  Instilling a daily routine will allow your children to know when it is play-time with Mommy and when Mommy needs to work.  It may take some time to establish this routine, but once in place, it will make transition time much easier.  Work short periods of time during the day and save the tasks that require uninterrupted work time for the evenings or early morning before the children are awake.  Schedule playtime during your day the same way you schedule work time.  This will ensure that you don’t get sidetracked and miss opportunities throughout the day to spend time with your kids.

Consider Part-Time Childcare- This can be a tough undertaking for some work at home moms.  “I chose to work at home so I can be with my kids, why would I hire someone else to take care of them?”  I used to feel the same way until I realized that if I had a few hours of uninterrupted time per week to work, I was able to be more present with my children during my off hours.  There are a lot of wonderful options for part-time childcare.  Some churches will offer Mother’s Day Out programs where for a few hours a week your child can play and learn with other kids their age.  Another great option is to hire a mother’s helper.  A mother’s helper can come over while you are working and play with your children. Depending on their age and abilities, this person may even help with light chores such as folding laundry or cooking a meal.  Another idea is to start a babysitting co-op with other work at home moms in your area.  Each of you can take turns watching the kids for a couple of hours a week while the other moms work.

Create A Mobile Office- Take full advantage of today’s technology by investing in a smart phone equipped with Internet service and a laptop so that you can work virtually from anywhere.  While the initial expense was a shock, the addition of these two items has allowed me to work not only from any room in my house but also from the park, library, backyard, roller skating rink, etc.  I used to feel tied to my office, but now I have the freedom to take my kids to the places they love and I can enjoy watching them play while I work.  It means more time with them and not missing deadlines or important emails.  Most importantly, it means less stress for me.

Quiet Time/Nap Time- A nap or quiet time should be scheduled during the day just like any other task.  Not only will your children benefit from having some rest, but you will be able to gain some valuable work time.  Use this time wisely.  This is when having a prioritized list of tasks can come in handy.  Maybe you use this time to catch up on housework, or to complete work assignments that can’t be interrupted such as phone calls to customers.  Or, maybe the best use of this time is for a much-needed break.  With so much to balance during a day, WAHM’s can often forget to take time for themselves.  Taking a break to read a book, watch a TV show, or take a 15 minute power nap can do wonders to get you through the rest of your day.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help-  Maybe a neighbor is going to the store and could pick up a gallon of milk and loaf of bread for you.  Maybe you could car pool the kids to soccer camp with another parent in the neighborhood so you can have a few more minutes to work.  Again, check your weekly task list and don’t be afraid to ask others for help.  Chances are you have helped them out in the past and they will be happy to return the favor!

Create A Family Calendar- Having a central calendar is imperative to maintaining order in your household.  There are many options for family calendars such as The Moms Family Planning Calendar and Day Timers as well as online selections such as Cozi Family Calendar and Google Calendar.  We personally use the Google Calendar because it allows my husband and I to both access the calendar from our computers and synchronize them with our phone calendars.  An added benefit is that each family member’s name is in a different color so that we can keep track of individual schedules.  I can also print a daily, weekly, or monthly calendar to post on our fridge for a quick visual reminder.   We put everything on our calendar from sporting events, personal and work appointments, to play dates and business trips.  In addition, each day will be scheduled according to what needs to be accomplished (i.e. work time, play time, chores, outings, etc.)  Keep in mind that flexibility is key.  There will be many times when things won’t go according to schedule, however, I find that by having a plan and a general routine for each day I am able to accomplish more with less stress.

Divide and Conquer Household Chores- I used to try to shoulder the responsibility for all the household chores plus running my craft business.  I quickly realized that running a household effectively was a team effort, and that I needed to get the entire family on board.  Once again, I made a list!  I included all of the chores that were required to keep our house running.  I listed everything from dishes and laundry, to washing the cars and cleaning the fish bowls (someone has to do them right?).  Then my husband and I decided what chores we would each handle and what chores the kids would do.  Even if you have young children, don’t underestimate what they can do to help around the house.  My children, ages eight and five, are each responsible for keeping their bedrooms and toy room clean, feeding their pets, watering the garden, taking out the garbage, unloading the dishwasher and helping to fold and put away clean laundry.  When everyone knows their responsibilities, it makes each family member accountable for helping out around the house.  When everyone works together, the chores get done quickly and you’ll have more time for family fun!

Last but not least, the most important tip I have learned is:

Cut Yourself Some Slack- It’s a mother’s plague to feel guilty over everything.  This can be compounded when working from home because your time is always divided.  You may feel guilty because there is housework left undone, or because you may miss a school event…it really never ends.  As hard as it may be; you have to cut yourself some slack.  When you work at home you are essentially working two jobs.  You have your mortgage paying job (your business) and your responsibilities as the home manager.  Both require a great deal of time and energy.    You’ll have to determine your priorities and learn to let some things go. You know that you have business obligations and that the kids will obviously need to be fed and, of course, the laundry washed; but, is it a priority to have all of your children’s socks color coded in their drawers?  Not in my household!  I’d rather have that extra time to spend playing a game with my kids or, heck, even stealing few quiet moments to myself!  One thing that I’ve learned is that no matter what comes my way, if I stay focused on my family and our goals, everything else just seems to fall into place.

About The Author

Rebecca Cousins
Rebecca Cousins is the owner of Freckles Crafts, unique craft kits for kids, and editor of the popular blog, Crafting with Freckles. She spends her days balancing the role of a stay at home mom to two fun loving little boys, while running a company from her home studio. When on break from being a mompreneur, chauffeur, cook, therapist and boo boo healer, you will probably find Rebecca holed up in her craft room with a big bowl of chocolate, a glass of wine, and a glue gun! To connect with Rebecca visit her website and blog, or you can always find her hanging out on Twitter and Facebook!
  1. Great article! As a stay at home mom and small business owner myself, it always helps me to hear tips from others. Thanks :)

  2. I recommend all the suggestions .

  3. Great Article! Refreshing & encouraging!

  4. I am one!!! i love the flexibility, having more time with my kids,and being able to be own boss, and i fell less stressed this way!

  5. Great article.Luv it.

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