Work at Home Issues

Working from home while spending time with your children is a goal shared by many moms. It's a pretty picture when you think about it - the children playing together quietly in one room while Mommy builds her online business in the next. But in reality, balancing your home business with your family is not as easy as it looks.

Work-at-Home Problems - The Real Picture

Here's what real work-at-home moms will tell you...

Johnny does not want to play quietly while you make that important phone call. Your best girlfriend will show up on your doorstep for lunch because "you're just at home all day, anyways." And the minute the baby learns to crawl will be exactly one minute after the dog's had an accident in the hallway.

However, with some organization and some planning, working from home can be very rewarding for you and your family. Here are some work-at-home solutions, to help you create your ideal work-at-home picture.

Set Regular Working Hours

Setting regular working hours for yourself will help you stay organized and set boundaries for your family and friends. If you have regular working hours, you can let your friends and family know what hours of the day you won't be available because you're working. You can also tell them when you'll be free to spend time with them. Your clients will learn to respect your hours of work too.

Your working hours don't need to be Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, but they should be consistent. They should also fit with your family's schedule. If you have very small children, you may choose to work during naptime. If they're school-aged, you can work while they're away at school. Homeschooling parents can plan to work while the children are studying independently.

Working at Home with Small Children

When your children are very young, you may be able to schedule your work around their naptimes and bedtimes. Toddlers and preschoolers can also learn to play independently for a short time while Mommy gets some work done.

Some parents keep a box of special toys that they bring out only when they have to work, so their children are busy and happy while Mom's "at work" beside them.

Consider Using a Daycare or Babysitter

A lot of work-at-home parents shudder at the thought of sending their kids to a daycare. The reason they work from home in the first place is so their children don't have to go to a daycare! But, no one will be happy if the kids feel ignored because Mom is working today.

Even having a babysitter come for a few hours a week can be a big help. You don't need to feel guilty about having childcare for your kids. Parents who work outside the home full time need childcare for almost 50 hours a week. A few hours a day or a week is a big improvement.

Working at Home While Homeschooling

If you're homeschooling while working at home, you can still schedule time for your business. Start by teaching your children to work independently for short times, and gradually increase those periods as your children mature.

It will be helpful to plan their lessons well ahead of time so you know what they'll be doing each day, and when you can schedule your own work. Then stick to the schedule you created.

If you organize your life so you have time to focus on your business and your family, and then stick to your plan, over time your home business will come close to the peaceful picture you imagined.