Today is Veteran’s Day. While many of us have taken the day off, in recognition of the brave men and women who fought for our country, there are some of us plugging along as usual today. The only difference - I am working alongside my little sidekick - my 20 month old daughter, Autumn. I normally have her in daycare on Mondays, as well as two other days per week. Although she is the number one reason I choose to work from home, I put her in daycare part-time when she turned 16 months old for the social interaction (she has great fun there, and is in excellent hands) and because without some alone time to work, my business could be in real trouble.

Of course, there are plenty of moms and dads out there who choose to work from home in order to avoid expensive childcare costs, and have no choice but to work alongside their children every day. If this is you, or if you are considering working from home and staying home with your children, here are some great tips on how to make it work:

1. Designate your workspace. Having a room in the home that is specifically for working will help you stay on task. Keeping this room organized is another plus, as it will help lessen distractions and make the most of the limited time you have available. Don’t spend your time straightening up when you need to be working.

2. Manage your work in chunks. You will find that to-do lists come in very handy when working from home with the kids. When with your children, you don’t have time to tackle many of the tasks, but as soon as the opportunity to work hits (child is playing independently or napping), you can tackle all, most, or some of the tasks at hand.

3. Make the absolute most of quiet time. Nap time for my daughter (she is soooo ready for one right now) is the time in which I am most productive. I make sure to devote this quiet time to work, and work only. After all, this is the best opportunity for productivity, apart from her actual bedtime at 8 p.m. In order to spend uninterrupted, quality time with my daughter (reading, playing, not thinking about work), it is imperative that I make the most of her downtime or quiet time, as well as the time she is at daycare (so I have more time to spend with her on work days where she is home).

4. Keep in mind what your priorities are. If you cannot balance the two (working from home and being with your children), you may find that the child is probably better off in the hands of someone who is less distracted. Which leads me to #5:

5. Enlist some help when you need it. It is very hard to balance working from home and being a fully attentive, devoted parent at the same time. Repeated attempts to work while your children are with you is not only unfair to them, but in the long run, will make you feel guilty and sad, and may interrupt your productivity. Either work while your children are asleep, at school, or are busy with an activity. Or you can check out some mother helper programs, such as babysitting co-ops; or talk to your family or friends who have time during the day to help out. Even it is just a couple days a week, that is valuable time in which you can get your work done, and be the mom or dad you want to be to your child.

I could go on and on with this, but I’ll stop here for today. :o) After all, my daughter is calling me, and I need to practice what I preach!

Digg:
Categories: Tips for Telecommuters
Tags: