Jennifer Bingham Hull
Working from home provides tremendous advantages for a mom.
You're able to set your own schedule, bag the stockings and read
at the preschool. You can nap when you're tired or call a
friend. What a life!
But challenges also abound. It's almost impossible to work
without childcare. The more you're in the house, the messier it
seems; domestic projects call from every corner. The mail
carrier may be nice, but he's not a colleague. And nobody is
looking over your shoulder to make sure the job gets done.
To thrive as a work-at-home mom, you need to set guidelines.
What follows are time management tips gleaned from my experience
writing from home as the mother of two girls, now 5 and 8.
*Establish boundaries. Don't allow the kids in your
office without permission. I set this rule early, and as a
result I can always find my stapler. I cannot say the same thing
for my hairbrush or lipstick.
*Set a schedule. Notice how your preschooler needs
structure? So do you. A regular work routine will help keep you
from getting sidetracked by daytime TV.
*Buy a stopwatch. I click my stopwatch on to write and
click it off when I leave my desk. At day's end, I log my work
hours. Tracking time keeps me focused and helps separate "work"
from "home."
*Keep a "small stuff" to do list. Working at home allows
you to use spare moments for office work. But to be efficient,
you need to keep a list of tasks that can be done in 15 minutes
or less.
*Stash toys. I keep a basket of toys in my office for
special occasions. Since the kids don't use them regularly, the
toys have novelty value. The basket buys me an hour of work time
on my children's sick days.
*Distinguish breaks. Two hours spent cleaning the
playroom is not a break, it's a morning. Start the day with
work, not chores. Keep breaks short, work hours long. Ignore the
dust bunnies.
*Set the handyman straight. Chat and then make it clear
that you have to go back to work. Tell him that you're on a
deadline -- even if you're not. He'll get more work done, and so
will you.
*Get out. Working at home can be isolating. Schedule
events that require you to wear clean clothes and interact with
adults who are not relatives, contractors or delivery people.
*Know thyself. It's confusing. You're a working mother
but you're mostly around stay-at-home moms. Deadlines call, but
you're constantly asked to volunteer. Consider your work
commitments before accepting outside obligations. Remember,
you're a working mom, even if you don't commute.
*Take advantage. What's the point of working at home if
you don't enjoy the perks? Sneak in a siesta. Check in on Oprah.
Shop for shoes. Celebrate the "free" in freelance, and the
"independent" in independent contractor!
(c) 2006 Jennifer Bingham Hull. Reprint rights granted as long
as entire article is published, including resource box and its
live links.
About the author:
Jennifer Bingham Hull is the award-winning author of
Beyond One: Growing a Family and Getting a Life.
To learn more, visit www.growingafamily.com,
where you can also contact her to receive this "Life Beyond
One" column regularly and sign up for her free newsletter.
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