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Working from home with kids can be challenging, especially if
they're young. Many work from home Moms choose to work from a home
office in order to spend more time with their kids, but it's also
important to maintain a balance so that some work actually gets done.
Having your kids around while you work from home means you're going to
need a plan in order to get the most out of time with your kids while
having a successful business.
The first major decision you're
going to have to make is to decide whether your home office will have an
open door or a closed-door policy. If you decide to go with a
closed-door approach, make sure your kids know that you aren't to be
disturbed during your work hours (and define when that is). In addition,
you will have to decide who will look after any young children while
you're working behind your office door.
If you plan on going with
the open door approach, you're going to need to develop some additional
strategies to make sure you are still able to be productive. If you
leave your door open, your kids are going to find their way into your
office at some point in the day. It's inevitable. You may want to keep a
small box of your kids' toys in your office so that they can play
quietly in a corner when they insist on being in the office with you.
Kids also love to imitate, so setting up an old computer in your office
with some kid friendly software will allow your child to "work" at a
computer just like you. This is a great distraction and makes your young
child feel involved. You might also consider letting your kids help you
with small tasks such as stapling, applying stamps, etc. This makes
your kids feel important and allows you to spend some time with your
children while still getting things done.
Try to develop a routine
with your kids so they know what to expect from the day and when to let
you get some work done. However, you're also going to have to be
adaptable because your kids are bound to need your attention at
different times in the day.
Working from home with kids can be
challenging, but it can also be very rewarding to be able to watch your
kids grow each and every day. Plan your time carefully, but be realistic
and don't beat yourself up if you don't always get everything done that
you had planned. Being a work from home Mom, and balancing kids and
work in the same space is a skill that will become stronger in time, so
be patient and have fun with it.
Donna Sickinger understands the challenges of earning a paycheque
while working from home. Her first home-based business began in 1984
after the birth of her first son.
Over the years, she has been
recognized for her many accomplishments including a prestigious legacy
award. As a celebrated leader in the direct sales industry, Donna is
known for developing successful business strategies and coaching others
to achieve their dreams. A graduate of the Coaches Training Institute,
an ICF-accredited coaching program, Donna lives in Toronto with her
family and spends a lot of time working in her pajamas. To learn more
about Donna and her coaching services:
http://pajamapaycheque.com
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