I have been asked how I got so much done with 3 littles at home. I wanted to share some of my tips for work at home moms.
Tips for Work at Home Moms with Toddlers
The naptime hustle as so many call it is the time of the day when your little ones are either taking a nap or having quiet time. This is a 2-hour part of your day you *should have uninterrupted time to get work done. Your work could be TpT, blogging, or working on social media. Either way getting the most done in that short amount of time is important and something I’ve done for like 5+ years!
Tips for Work at Home Moms: Cleaning Schedule
The first tip I want to share with you is all about how to get household work done but still have time to get work done. We all want to just have that time to work so doing laundry or cleaning the bathroom is not something I want to be doing. I like to schedule my day so that I can do my cleaning and other household tasks while my kids are still awake, to ensure that when I sit down to work I’m able to dedicate all of my focus to my job. I give my kids small tasks to “help” me or have them do something near me like workbooks, activities, or have them play with toys. Having a weekly cleaning schedule can really help organize each day, too!
Tips for Work at Home Moms: Prepping work During the Morning
Next, I want to share a quick tip that can be done throughout your morning. Some tasks are as simple as taking a picture for a blog post or writing out a blog post outline during snack time. Take advantage of any free time you have during the morning so you can have content ready during your work time. Every activity I share on my blog I do with my preschoolers, so this is an easy way to take pictures while they are engaging in an activity. If my kids are having a snack, I might brainstorm ideas for blog posts or research different topics to blog about. You could even prep Pinterest pins while your kids are playing.
Tips for Work at Home Moms: Planning Your Day
Next up, plan your worktime. Planning your worktime the day before can be a great way to start the day feeling organized and prepared. To get the most out of this process, start by making a list of your priorities. Once you have your list, start at the top and work your way down. As you create your plan, make sure you also list out what you need to be prepped for the day. This will help you stay organized and make sure that you are accounting for all of the tasks that you need to complete. Each week I start with a long list of ideas and things I want to get done. Each day I pick what I am going to do (3 max) then check them off as I go. If I don’t get something done, I move it to the next day. Having a short priority list will make you feel less stressed and more likely to get those 3 things done and maybe a couple more! I have some great printable planning pages that will help you organize your days and weeks!
Tips for Work at Home Moms: Setting a Timer
This one is for the tasks you have to do but don’t want to do or tasks that are stressful. Setting a timer is a great way to stay focused and motivated when doing work that you don’t love. Set a timer for a reasonable length of time and make sure to keep your phone away from you while the timer is running. This eliminates any potential distractions, allowing you to stay focused and finish the task more quickly and efficiently. I used to write books and sometimes the short timelines were overwhelming so I would set a timer for 1 hour and work for that entire hour. Then, when it was over I stopped for the day on that. This is a great way to not let one task take up your entire work time.
Tips for Work at Home Moms: Staying off Social Media
Last but not least, staying off social media can be a great way to stay focused on the task at hand. Taking a break from social media can help you stay productive and on track. It can also help you to keep your thoughts organized and focused on the task. Try setting yourself a goal to stay off social media for a certain amount of time each day, so that you can get the most out of your work. I like to keep my Instagram use to 1 hour each day. I can get anything I need to be done in that amount of time.
Tips for Work at Home Moms with Toddlers: Recap
I hope these tips helped! I am not saying to work all day long, but there are different times throughout your day when you can do quick tasks. If it will take a minute to do, throw it into your morning so you can have more time during naptime to do tasks that require your full attention. Looking for ways to make money as a stay at home mom, check this post out!
