There's More To This Stay At Home Mom Than Meets The Eye!

It’s never easy to get people to take you seriously when you work from home. They think they can drop by whenever they want. Worse, they get offended when you don’t drop everything for them. Being a work at home mom is even harder. You may have chosen this career so you could work your hours around your children. But, the kids won’t understand why you can’t spend time with them when you’re right there. At least if you were at the office, they would understand you’re busy! And then there’s the problem of not being able to get to work before all the chores are done. Before you know it, you’re falling behind, and the house still isn’t clean. So, how can you balance home and work when the two are so linked? 

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SET YOURSELF OFFICE HOURS

Setting your hours may be a bonus, but, it can also be a downside. Do you often work late because you spent the morning entertaining the kids? Burning the wick at both ends is a bad idea. Instead, set yourself work hours and stick to them.There is, of course, some flexibility. You don’t have to opt for 9-5 if that doesn’t work for you. All you need to do is set yourself a certain time, preferably the same each day, and stick to it. That way, people know not disturb you during those hours. How are your kids to know you aren’t to be disturbed at mid-day if it wasn’t a problem the day before? Tell them when you’re working, and get a do not disturb sign to cement the point. Having set hours can also help you work out when to fit those household chores!

TACKLE THE CHORES

Talking of chores, come up with a routine for getting them done. If you’re anything like most of us, you use chores as an excuse not to work. The human race is fantastic at procrastination, and chores are prime targets. Setting a chore routine means you can’t distract yourself with them when you should be working. It may even be worth setting yourself a cleaning rota so that you know you need to carve out that time in your day. Or, turn to a laundry service or professional cleaner who can tackle the job for you.That way, you know everything’s done without your having to worry. No one wants to spend their day off cleaning anyway, right?

GET TO GRIPS WITH BATCH COOKING

There’s also the never-ending dilemma of what to cook for your family. How are you meant to work and have time for meals? Batch cooking is the miracle cure for many busy moms. It does have the downside that you can spend a whole day cooking the meals for the week. But, it saves you having to worry from one day to the next. Plus, it saves on any preparation on the day. Plan what you’re having each day and get a portion from the freezer each morning. Job done!