Working from home is a great way to spend plenty of time with your kids, yet also make a living. It doesn’t require commuting, or even leaving your front door. While this may initially seem like a dream come true, the truth is that juggling it all can be a challenge. However, finding a balance is possible if you can manage to learn the right strategies. With a little patience and organization, here’s how you can juggle raising kids while also running an at-home business.
Separate “Work” Time From “Home” Time
One of the biggest challenges of working from home while raising a family is that the two tend to blend into each other. Since your family and personal life occur in the same place as your professional life does, you might find yourself answering a work email during a family dinner or dealing with screaming kids in the middle of a work call.
While sometimes this is inevitable, you can reduce the chances of two worlds colliding by separating work from home. It’s all about treating each as two individual entities. When it’s work time it’s work time, and when it’s family time it’s family time.
Don’t give in to temptation or distractions. If you are in the middle of your workday, and you’re tempted to clean your home, don’t do it. Treat your workday as you would going into the office. If you are considerably behind on housework to the point that it’s distracting you from getting work done, then you may want to consider hiring a family assistant.
Create a Space For Work
One of the most practical ways to stay focused is by separating your workspace from your home. Creating a dedicated workspace will help establish boundaries between your work and family life. Make sure that you lay ground rules down with your family so that they know when you’re in your workspace you’re not to be disturbed.
The same thing goes with your family time. If you’re in the middle of playing with your children in the living room or spending one-on-one time with your spouse, it’s not the time to be working. Work happens in your workspace and family happens in your family space— don’t forget it!
Embrace Technology
Technology can be one of your greatest tools when it comes to juggling your business and your children. Tools like scheduling software can help you remember important appointments and meetings, ensuring you don’t miss a thing. This can be extremely helpful for your professional life, for staying on top of important deadlines, and equally as helpful for your personal life for remembering things like soccer games or school meetings.
Give Yourself a Break
Parenting isn’t easy, and neither is running a business. Make sure that you give yourself a break every once in a while, by prioritizing self-care. You can’t expect to fill everyone else’s cup without yours eventually emptying! So, make sure you spend at least a few minutes a day every day doing something that relaxes you or brings you joy.
