There are more and more professional women that have now established their own families and have become moms. Being a mom doesn’t stop a woman from working a job. More and more moms have made the decision to work from home so that while they do their jobs, they can be there to take care of their family and see their kids often. People say being a mom is already a full-time job; so you could only imagine what a working mom, even those that work from home, have to deal with everyday. How do moms get more done each day while having the time attend to their kids needs especially the toddlers who are called the terrible two’s for a reason?
Here are some tips to help you get through the day with getting work done and dealing with your toddler:
- Manage your time and get organized. Make a list of the things that need to get done in a day and allot a determined amount of time that you have to give for the tasks. This way, you are able to work a schedule for work and for your kids. Also, plan your day according to how much you can handle. Set some limits because your family may see you as supermom but in reality you can’t actually do everything all at one time.
- Establish your priorities. As a mom, your family is surely your top priority and they are the reason that you are working. If your work is taking too much of your time, focus and energy, you should at least take a step back and re-evaluate how you managed your time and your priorities as well.
Now, the primary concern here is getting actual things accomplished even when you have a toddler at home. It is a challenging job so you need all the tips and tricks that you can learn to make things work.
- Keep your child happy. Children become clingy when they need something. A needy child is a clingy one so see to it that your children have everything they need before you go on to do your thing. During the day, schedule some time to bond with your child, like reading books, cuddling, playing with puzzles on the floor or cooking up some homemade stuff. Give them the attention that they need. They should have some time during each day when they have you all to themselves. During this time, the focus should be on them. When their needs have been met, they demand less attention and that will be your chance to get things going.
- Take advantage of naptime in the afternoon and sleeping time at night. When the children are down and asleep, it is your chance to do some uninterrupted work. Train your child to go to bed early during the night. This way, you have some time to do more work and even spend a little time with your husband, who by the way, also needs some loving.
- Take interruptions positively. Interruptions in your work are inevitable. You are doing work at home with a kid so you should expect to be interrupted at certain times. Take that time and use them to your advantage. For example, when a child interrupts your work for something or when work is being interrupted for diaper change or your toddler as for some milk, that is your chance to refresh your mind, stretch your body and recharge. Make sure to keep track of work so when interruptions have been handled, you can pick up where you left off.
- Be very patient. It takes a lot of patience to be dealing with a child, a toddler no less, and juggle work at the same time. Just keep things simple so you don’t come across too much stress. Just keep in mind that seeing your child grow and being able to witness their milestones is something that no amount of money can ever pay. Be thankful that while you do work, you don’t miss the chance.
totally agree with all the suggestions. i’ve also decided to include my toddler in some activities. it takes 5 times as long, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s better than plopping him in front of the tv so i can do laundry. yesterday he “helped” me pick up sticks in the yard, and then “helped” me with laundry (i blogged photos today!! http://www.thekriegers.org/2013/02/laundry-day/)
This is great advice! I don’t have toddlers at home, but I do have 2 puppy toddlers …. while I know I am fortunate that I can lock them up in their cages and get some stuff done, it makes me nervouse for actually having kids and not being able to lock them up! 🙂 Great tips, thanks!
I’ve had my share of working at home and raising kids at the same time, too. There were times I felt lucky to do so, and there were other times, I thought I could not take it any longer.
Imagine being in a lesson, the kids keep coming in every five minutes, the phone keeps ringing, the mailman has a package for the next-door neighbor, and another neighbor needs flour. Try that seven days a week.
Then I tried babysitters. With each new lesson, I had four people coming and going (student in/student out, babysitter in/babysitter out), doorbell ringing, phone ringing, kids clinging. Husband late at work and hungry children. Then the babysitter would come into the lesson saying one of them did such and such…
Remedy: Take student to the kitchen, teach him how to make a grilled cheese sandwich and feed everyone. Send babysitter home.
Get red wine for self when everybody has gone to bed.
This all ended about six years ago. The kids became older, had longer school days, became independent, got more homework, and hid in their rooms.
But I am glad we all survived somehow 🙂