Summer is in full swing and I am not going to sugar coat this for you. Working at home with with four kids out of school is INSANE. I have had to take many "time outs" and deep breaths. In between entertaining the kids full time, I have come up with a few suggestions that may be helpful to other "work at home" moms!
1. Pray
Before your feet hit the floor and as you stand on them during the day, PRAY! I need to be better at this, as all of my strength comes from HIM. Continually pray that God will open doors for you to do what you love, and love what you do. Pray that He will give your life balance and provide the strength that you need to handle your family first and then your work!
1. Call For HELP!
Don't try to do it all alone. Babysitters are expensive, I get that! So pull in your best resources, your friends! Trust me, they want a break as much as you do! Work out a trade day. Take their kids one day and the next day they can take yours! It works wonderfully! If your kids are like mine, having friends over keeps them busy and you have one less activity to plan!
2. Be Realistic!
Rome wasn't built in a day. You may not be able to finish your work projects in a day either! Plan accordingly, make sure to communicate your summer time constraints to your clients. Give yourself some cushion for your deadlines so that you can allow for kid-tastrophies!
3. Prioritize!
Boring but necessary! Make a list, check it twice-evaluate what can wait and what can not! Plan out your calendar in advance making sure that there is always some uninterrupted time with the kids each week. They need some play days where mom is not on the phone or the computer. This is called balance!
4. Relax!
Don't get worked up and frustrated when things don't go as planned. It isn't worth it to have a Mommy meltdown in front of the kids! This gets everyone upset and then you are much less productive!!! Be okay with crazy!! Until the kids get older, it just IS! Stop and take breathers, nap when you can and be proud of yourself for juggling the most important role you will ever take on...the role of mom!!!
