Three Tips for Making Time for Work and Family

Since we've entered the age where technology allows us to work from home and avoid a daily commute, more and more people are taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Finding a balance between work and family life, especially if you have small children, can be challenging at times but not impossible.

With your newfound freedom, you may find it tempting to change up your hours on a daily basis and not have any set schedule. But this can often be a source of frustration because it won’t allow you or your family to get used to a daily routine. Instead, try these tips to create a schedule with ease, and without taking away time from family and the life you love.

Have Set Hours – Although you're no longer working the 9-to-5 job, it’s still important to schedule regular working hours throughout the day. This doesn’t have to be the same for everyone, though. Obviously, you can adjust it to fit your situation and family life. It may be easier for some to work early in the morning and others to start their workday late at night. 

Keep your family involved and come up with a plan together so everyone is aware of the daily schedule. Of course you might have to change your hours every so often. There are always things that come up and exceptions that can be made. It helps to know ahead of time what hours you will be working, however, and make life easier on everyone.

Take Time Off – If you are new to working at home this may seem like a foreign concept. You may not feel like you need or deserve time off because you are home every day. You have to remember that even though you're home, you're still working and providing for your family just as if you were working the 9 to 5. It’s important to schedule some “you” time and also family time every so often in order to avoid burnout and simply spend time with those you love.

Be Present – There's a saying that you shouldn’t take your work home with you. When you work from home that's somewhat hard to do but the concept is still the same. When you have worked your set number of hours, turn the computer off, shut the door and be done with it. Take the time to be present with your family and spend precious time with them without thinking about work and what still has to be done. This is hard especially when you're first starting out but you'ill get the hang of it. Don’t get caught up in wanting to get so much done that you're avoiding that important family time.

A daily schedule is going to be different for every single person. There is no right or wrong way to set a routine. The important thing is that you stick to it once you choose one that fits for you. Family and work balance is always tricky because you're being pulled in two different directions on a daily basis. Don’t stress yourself out trying to be everything for everyone. This is especially hard if you're new to this type of lifestyle because you want to get so much done and still fill your role within the family. Make a schedule that works for you, stick to it, and don’t overdo it.

Hope this helps!

How to Keep Your Toddler Busy While You Work

This is for all of you work at home Moms and Dads ...

Anyone who has a toddler knows that they are VERY busy and have short attention spans. 

When you work from home that can put some stress on youl – especially if you are trying to get work done. It’s important to set up an environment where you can be your most productive, but also keep an eye on the little ones as well. Although toddlers still need the attention of an adult, they can begin to learn how to play independently for short periods of time. 

There are several ways to help your day go smooth and keep your toddler occupied at the same time:

Toys – Keep a specific space within your home where there's a variety of toys, books, and puzzles that provides a place where your child can stay busy. He or she will begin to think of this as their play area and naturally want to spend time there. You don’t want to leave your child alone for hours doing this, but it’s a short-term fix so you can manage to get some work done, especially if you have to make phone calls. 

You can even sit with your laptop near the toy area so you can keep a close eye on him while you work. Puzzles tend to keep them busy for hours and they can learn the value of independent play while using their imagination and motor skills.

Play Dates – This may seem like a backwards idea but it works. Inviting other children over to play can take the focus off of you temporarily so you can get some work done. And if you have older children, you may be able to get them involved and keep the younger ones busy for a while. 

They can build forts, watch movies, or play dress-up and enjoy themselves for an extended period of time. Outside play is also a great option. You can bring your laptop outdoors and work while they burn some energy and get some fresh air.

Art Work – Although this may sound like the messiest of suggestions, your toddler will love finger painting, coloring with crayons and/or colored pencils, and making you other works of art to hang up on the fridge. Set up a special “art” studio for them, placing a big sheet on the floor (so you can avoid a huge mess) and have crayons, poster board, stickers and other safe art supplies so they can go to town and be an artist for a day. Kids love stickers! 

When my son was small, I bought a roll of butcher paper and taped it to the hallway wall so he could color for hours without me worrying about scrubbing the crayon marks off the wall. Worked like a charm!

Online Educational Games – Kids are getting started with computers earlier than ever, and even toddlers can learn simple online games. There are several wonderful online learning sites where your child can play educational games. They can have fun and learn at the same time - all while keeping them from distracting you because they are bored.

Toddlers are a bundle of energy that keep us going constantly throughout the day. While not all of these suggestions will work for every child or your current situation, with a little imagination, you can develop a plan to keep even the most high energy member of your family busy for an hour or two. Toddlers still have their own schedule and parents, have to work around that. Not every day is going to run smoothly. As long as you go into it with that mindset, it won’t be as frustrating down the road.

Hope these ideas help!