Finally, a new article has been added to our Work section! Achieving Balance When Working From Home is up for your reading pleasure. This one has been added for all of our work-at-home moms who are struggling with figuring out how to balance work and family life. I am still trying to work on this myself so I hope to use some of these tips in our own home!
Sound Off: How do you create work and family balance when working from home? Do you have any special tricks or tips that are working in your house?
Okay, okay, I’ll sound off.
I constantly worry I’m not spending enough quality time with my kids because I’m sort of drowning in work at all times. So for my 3-year-old, I’ve started drawing up weekly lesson plans, complete with a theme, daily subtopics, arts and craft projects, books, activity pages, songs, the whole nine yards. I try to get through as many of these activities with her in a week as I reasonably can. She is LOVING it and I feel like we’re doing more together and learning in the process.
My older girls and I are going through the “Gilmore Girls” collection together this summer and we just started “Grey’s Anatomy.” I try to watch an episode with them every day. Yeah, it’s TV, but we end up talking about other stuff too- it keeps us all together, rather than off in our own separate corners of the house.
As long as I get in TV time and a decent chunk of lessons with my 3-year-old, I don’t feel as guilty getting my work done, too.
Now onto the juice. A certain person wrote to inform me that according to another person who was on “That Fateful Walk,” there was “a little more going on than dry humping” on the sidewalk! Ha ha!
I can’t believe I just said “dry humping” on Momadvice! Are you going to delete this? Because I just wrote for a really long time!
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Great article, Amy!
I’m a work-from-home mom of 3 children under 5. I’ve found a couple of tricks for meeting with my low-key and casual clients and business partners:
1. Meet for a walk at the park. I push the double stroller, while my 5yr old rides his bike. I carry a pad of paper & pen in the diaper bag to capture items for my to-do list. With snacks, toys & beautiful scenery, the kids enjoy the walk, while we talk.
2. Meet at the picnic shelter beside a playground. My 2.5 and 5yr olds play at the playground, while my 9mo old plays with toys in the stroller.
3. Meet at the YMCA. If you are a member, you can put your children in childcare, while you meet in the Y-Cafe or walk on the treadmills together.
Working at home needs to fit with your family’s lifestyle, so combining work with playtime and exercise time is a great bonus!
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