(From Five-Time Author, Dawn Husted)
I’m a work-at-home mom (WAHM) and author of five books.
In my experience, working from home with kids who are running around is challenging—but not impossible. My kids have reached school age, so my hectic balance of working from home and taking care of kids has become easier. But once summer is here, my children will be home 24/7. Meanwhile, I’m in charge of dropping them off and picking them up from school, attending field trips, volunteering, making doctor appointments, and providing three meals a day, plus a few snacks.
What if your kids are home now? What if you have a toddler who needs your undivided attention? Or maybe you homeschool. There are many different WAHM types, but all our schedules revolve around our children.
How to be a successful work-at-home-mom
Here are a few tips to help you achieve a successful WAHM life.
- Designate a workspace. Having a designated workspace can help you transition into work mode. It’s also a great visual tool for the littles that mom is busy (which means don’t tug on her shirt unless it’s important). In my case, my desk sits next to a wall in my living room. Most times, I can use headphones to block out the noise of laughter and yelling. This location allows me to keep an eye on the kids while also working. For times when I need complete silence, I’ll go to our main office and shut the door.
- Find a routine but be flexible. Find a schedule that works for yourself and make it a priority. For me, it’s easier to work on projects from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. I do my best not to work on the weekends and reserve those days for family time. There are occasional moments where I’ll hide in my office for a conference call while dinner is cooking in the oven. If your kids wake up early, then maybe it’s best to complete most of your work at night when they’re asleep. If your kids are late sleepers or don’t need much attention when they first wake, then squeeze in a few hours in the morning—every morning.
- Think outside the box for childcare while you work. For example, check if your fitness club offers childcare and a cafe. If so, hunker down at the cafe with your laptop while your kids stay safe and busy in the onsite childcare. Or see if you can find a coworking space that also offers childcare. For more ideas, check out these 10 tips from Working Mother for unique childcare alternatives.
- Save time with grocery or food delivery. Many grocery stores deliver to your house, or you can pick up groceries in a designated parking spot. This option will save you hours of time, plus you won’t spend money on unnecessary items your children beg for. Another helpful food-related hack: use pre-cut veggies or store-bought frozen herb cubes (e.g. chopped basil, garlic, and ginger) to save time when cooking.
- Let go of the guilt. Guilt often comes with the territory of being a working mom, even if you’re home. It’s frustrating when your child is yanking on your shirt while you’re working. You may feel torn between trying to be there for your child and pressure to finish your work. How do I deal with the guilt? I realized that it’s important to show my children that I have dreams and goals too, and it’s essential for my well-being to pursue them.
- Keep work and time with your child separate. It can be so tempting to fire off a few work emails while you’re feeding your child or playing with her. Try to avoid blurring the lines between work and family time, if you can. Growing research backs up the importance of conversation and being present with your child. According to psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, language is the single best predictor of school performance. And volleying back and forth with your young kid is critical for building strong language skills. Being glued to your phone, on the other hand, doesn’t help. So, when it’s work time, stay razor-focused on work. And when you’re with your child, try to stay present with her.
- Ask for help. Hire a babysitter from the neighborhood to watch your child for a few hours each week. (Try Nextdoor to find local help.) When your partner gets home from work, ask him to keep an eye on your little one while you work. Your parents or friends may also have time to pitch in. Even a few hours a week can be helpful.
- Ask clients for flexibility. If you freelance, you may want to let your clients know that you have young kids. Reassure them that your work will get done — and it will be high quality — but on a flexible schedule. If you’re knocking it out of the park with work, chances are your clients will happily work with your schedule.
- Pay attention to your well-being. Being a WAHM can be grueling. You’re trying to be a good parent while producing quality work on deadline — all on an unpredictable schedule. And on top of it all, you’re likely sleep-deprived. During the day, do a self check-in and listen to your body. If your toddler is taking a nap and you’re burned out, skip work and catch up on sleep instead. Or, when the babysitter comes, leave the work for later and take a nap. Meditation is also a great tool for relaxing your mind and body, and you can use an app on your phone as a helpful guide.
- Keep expectations realistic. The younger the kids, the harder it can be to work from home, so it’s best to start small. When your kids are really young, you can use that time to ramp up to your WAHM career. For example, you can slowly set up a business website or take a self-paced online course. The older your kids get, the more time you will have to dive into the WAHM life.
As WAHMs, we try to do it all. The reality is, it’s impossible to do it all and do it all well. There may be times when you’ll have three baskets of laundry waiting for days to be folded. Or your child may eat cereal for dinner. As long as your child is loved, happy, and safe, you’re doing great, mama!
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