Tips for Moms Working from Home for the First Time

Tips for Moms Working from Home for the First Time

How to find balance between mom-life and work-life

Due to COVID-19, many companies moved out of the office, giving employees the freedom to work from home. Working remotely can be exciting, giving you the freedom to enjoy time with your family and friends. Yet, it can be challenging for parents as the lines between work-life and home-life become further blurred. Here are our tips to stay productive and balanced during this journey.

It can be difficult to find a balance between mom-life and work-life as companies give employees the opportunity to work remotely.

Create a Workspace.

To stay more productive, have a designated area where you can hunker down and get work completed. Having home office is not necessary, but having a desk, couch, or any place that helps you stay organized and maintain normalcy is essential. Your workspace just needs to be an area away from the hustle and bustle of your home where you can go when faced with a deadline.

With a newborn or toddler, it can be hard to do two-handed tasks. Baby carriers and babywearing will allow you to have free hands to type, write, and work with papers while your child snuggles or naps. Keep two-handed tasks for when it is naptime.

Utilize a Routine.

Routines allow you to meet the needs of your family while continuing to be successful at work. Use online resources and books to develop healthy sleep habits for your children from a young age. Having a routine for you family will allow you to better schedule your day; so you can get extra work done during nap times. While a routine can always change, consistency is key when working from home.

Create a ritual that helps you transition from parent to professional. When it is time to switch from home time to work time, try to have a cup of tea or coffee, change into work clothes, or turn on music.

Work Early Instead of Late.

If you are behind on a work task or want to get ahead of your week, try waking up early instead of working late. You will inevitably lose sleep, especially during the first year of parenthood, while trying to get into a routine. Waking up before your children a few times a week will allow you some time to be productive.

Find Activities and Utilize Independent Play.

There are many benefits to teaching your child to play independently. Independent play allows children to be content in their own company, reduces separation anxiety, and lengthens their attention span. Giving your child some alone time to play with a few toys during the day will give you extra time to cross off items on your to-do list.

Look for activities for your child to occupy their time while you are working. Always have crayons handy for a rainy day when outdoor play is not an option. For older kids, let them “work” with you by giving them fun tasks or an old keyboard to practice typing.

Maintain Balance.

Remote work allows you to be home with your children, but the difficult challenging part is it setting boundaries. Working all the time leads to less productivity so remember that rest is important. Be sure to schedule time to slow things down, enjoy your family and do self-care. Remain flexible because things change.

Prep on Sundays.

Managing work, kids, and your home is tricky. One way to get ahead of your week is to use Sundays to meal prep and grocery shop. Plan your meals for the week and start prepping lunches or snacks. This Food prep will free up time in the kitchen; plan for the week by creating a to-do list to follow for your personal and work life.

Find a Planner.

A great planner will allow you to schedule your home-life and work-life and stay organized. Some planners have areas for daily to-do lists that allow you to plan out your day. Not a planner person? Still consider creating a long-form to-do list for the week both personally and for work. Each day try to tackle 3 to 5 tasks; if you can finish more, that is awesome! This technique will allow you to focus on certain tasks.

Consider using timers throughout the day to compartmentalize different tasks. Give yourself 30 minutes to respond to emails or work for an hour and allow yourself a short break. Creating time blocks for different tasks, will allow you to keep distraction at bay.

Working from home is a challenge but remembering why you are doing it will help you to stay motivated. Planning ahead of the week, managing your time, and maintaining balance will allow you to rock work-life and home-life!

Pregnant and working? Check out this blog post for our tips for working while pregnant http://pregnancyadoptionoptions.com/10-tips-for-working-while-pregnant/.