Time Management Tips for the Work at Home Mom
A Home Business Article Contributed by Cassandra l. Keller
Time Management Tips for the Work at Home Mom
A work at home mom's biggest challenge is often the reason she opted to work from home in the first place. Juggling motherhood and career can be a tough task, but doing both in the same place can be harder. The following are helpful hints on how to work at home with children in the house and still be productive.
Set Work at Home Office Hours
Determine office hours that work best for you and your family, post them and stick to them. Focus on work during these hours and be a mom when closing time strikes. To assist in this transition, lay down some "closing time" rituals, such as straightening up your work space, during the final hour of your day.
The most important tip, however, is to punch out for the day when that hour ends.
Leave Your Work at Work
Very few people will argue that it is a good idea to leave your work at work when you are done for the day. This can be a hard suggestion to accomplish, however, if you office is at home. When your work day is through, walk away from you office and leave it be until the next work day. If you can, close a door, or put up a screen to block your view of pending projects. This will help you stay in mom mode during the off-hours.
Establish Work at Home Boundaries
Just because your home office is in your home, doesn't mean everyone in the house should have access to it. Determine what you want and need from your family in terms of interaction with your work and set boundaries accordingly.
Create Work at Home Phone Rules
For some unknown reason, it seems like every time the phone rings, your once angel-like children turn into heathens and make you look like the worst mother ever to the caller on the other end of the line. To help prevent this, and so you can actually achieve something while on the telephone, set some ground rules regarding the telephone. So general rules should include no talking, or whispering when you are on the phone. If you, or your kids are having a melt down, screen the call.
And finally, do not allow unauthorized persons to answer the phone during business hours, unless you feel comfortable doing so and then be sure to they have instructions how to field the call.
Assemble a Special Work at Home Activity Box for Your Children
If you are working at home with toddlers or infants, you might want to compile a a special box with goodies reserved for times when you need to do focus on your work. For example, depending on age, you might want to give them markers or clay for this special time, or pop a movie into the VCR. For younger children, try giving them unbreakable kitchen items that they normally wouldn't be allowed to play with. If you are really lucky, you might buy yourself 15 to 30 minutes of focus time.
