Working from Home when you have children
Being a parent and trying to earn a living can be difficult. Balancing the need to generate an income with the guilt of not being there for your kids is something we can really relate to here at athomeworking. The conflict between working mothers vs. stay at home mothers is often discussed in the media, and this usually reinforces the guilt many working parents feel. But it is possible to work at home, earn a good living and be stay at home mothers, or stay at home dads, for your children. We know, because we do it!
Working from home is not an easy option. What is important is getting your work life balance right. You still have to be clear about the time you want to spend working, and the time you want to have with your family. So many work at home parents find that they become workaholics- especially in the early days- and forget why they decided to change they way they work in the first place.
Plan your time carefully in the beginning and you will find that working from home as a parent is really the best of both worlds- you can have a lucrative business and the benefit of being there for your children when they need you. And the biggest bonus of all - NO GUILT!
Your Routine
One of the most important things to establish when you set up a new business at home is a routine.
When you plan your day effectively, you get so much more done. And this spurs you on to do even more. Your routine will depend upon many factors, including:
- Your type of business
- The age of your children
- The number of children you have
- Other commitments
Breaking your day down into blocks is useful. These blocks could be half hourly, hourly or longer. As you work for yourself, you decide on your ideal day- forget 9 to 5- it’s what works for you and your business. An example of a weekly plan for a parent who has a three year old child and runs an online shopping site, is shown below.
When you first begin to work at home, you will probably find friends and family dropping in at all times for a chat, or to ask if you want to go out. The phone will ring, and it may be a neighbour asking if you’ll mow their lawn and feed their cat as they’re going on holiday, and you’ll be at home…People will assume, because you are at home, that you have all this free-time, and they will want a piece of it. It’s tempting, and often easier, just to say OK to these requests. You’re the boss, and you can drop everything and do whatever you want. However, learning to say a polite ‘no’ to requests that don’t fit into your routine will probably help you be more successful in your venture.
Sample Routine for a work at home parent
Stay at home moms in the USA have a great number of home working resources available to them. Stay at home mums and stay at home dads in the UK have far fewer- and this site has been put together to help to plug that gap. We have put together a sample schedule for a work at home parent with a three year old child. This parent runs an online ....read more
