When starting a new business with a new baby, sometimes it's just easier to dive right in and work it out as you go. That's what I did when I started a kids art studio. I taught classes with my youngest on my back! Just jump in and see what happens.....then add more as life allows. Now i do the art studio and have an organizing business, blog & book.
Home Management Articles
Balance Working from Home with being a Mom
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- Category: organizing
- Published on Saturday, 23 January 2010 20:48
- Written by Jill Notkin
- Hits: 1768
It’s every new mom’s dream – staying home with baby and being there for every meal, every bath, every diaper and every nap. But sometimes real-life gets in the way of this dream and we’re forced to do the unthinkable – WORK! While some women choose to focus their energies working in a corporate office, many mommies prefer to find a way to make an income and stay home. Impossible, you say? Not anymore.
With the relentless evolution of the Internet, working from home is becoming less of a dream and more of a reality for millions of moms. Thousands of websites are devoted to helping women find the right job for them, while staying home with their kids. There are many different types of jobs available to moms who wish to set-up shop from home, including:
* Freelancing
* Blogging
* Telecommuting
* Online marketing
* Virtual assistant
Or, if you have a little capital and a lot of ideas, you can start your own webstore!
There are many wonderful perks to working from home. You’ll be free to drive your kids to and from school, to doctor’s appointments, to play-dates. You can oversee mealtimes, bath times, and naptimes. But as with every dream-job, there are drawbacks to consider as well. Working from home means you never leave the “office.” The line between home and work is blurred. Kids are never more than an arm’s reach away which can be distracting. But there are definitely ways to find the right balance. In order to successfully work from home, consider the following:
Have an office with a door. Or better, set yourself up in an area of the house that is separate from where your kids play. You’ll have fewer distractions. Most importantly: Don’t allow your kids to play in your office!
Work wonky hours. Schedule your work time around your kids’ schedules. Work while they’re asleep, at school, at play-dates. Trying to work while keeping an eye on your children in the next room is inefficient and unsafe.
Set boundaries. Let your family know that Mommy is not available during work hours (emergencies notwithstanding). Enforce it! Asking for a sleep-over, what’s for dinner, and to change the channel are not emergencies!
Get help. Once your business gets off the ground, empower yourself by asking for help. Hire a babysitter, have your family babysit, give your partner “hours” to be on kid duty. You’ll accomplish a lot more knowing everyone else is taken care of.
Another crucial element to achieving work-life balance as a work-at-home-mom is You-time. Be sure to give yourself some time off for good behavior! Book a massage, have lunch with a friend, go shopping! But whatever you do, be sure to step away from the computer for a while.
The idea is simple – integrate a successful work-life balance (or as some say, balancing act) while earning an income and being present. But success takes strategy, careful planning, and a good support system. And the rest? Just gravy.
