Six Tips for Work at Home Families, Part II

4) Sticking to a schedule.
I’m not talking “Baby Wise” here or anything, I’m talking about my own schedule. I do not allow myself to schedule anything during predetermined family times. Family night is off limits for work activities. Family meal time is off limits for work activities. My work schedule is my work schedule and my family schedule is my family schedule. My kids know that they are the top priority no matter what, and if they really need something I can get it – regardless of the time of day. However, if mommy is working and they just want me to play a game, or help change the TV channel etc. They know that there will be a break soon, and I will be able to do whatever they would like. I show them respect and attention, and in return, they do the same for me while I’m working. Even the youngest, which is 15 months old, is starting to understand when it’s okay to ask for things, and when you need to wait.
5) Responsibility and manners.
We’ve been very careful to teach our children responsibility and manners. Our kids have a set curfew and bed time. They say please and thank you. Why? It’s been paramount in our family to make sure that there is always a form of respect for others, whether it be for their items, their person, or their feelings. We’ve worked with them from a very young age to know the difference between respectful, and impolite. We don’t talk down to them either. When we ask them to complete a task, we ask, and we say please. Don’t get me wrong, if they say no thank you, we explain to them the importance of doing what they are asked to do by their parents. They’ve sat in time out several combined hours over the past few years, but they understand the lesson and why we behave the way we do. We also treat everyone around us, friends, acquaintances, people we meet randomly on the street, with the same sense of respect that we would anyone else. This shows our kids that we don’t just ask them to do so; we actually live this way too. My kids see me running my business this way; speaking with my clients in this way, treating others the way I ask they treat others. Everything I do and say is an educational experience for my kids.
6) Time out for parents.
This one is very important too. It’s easy to forget that we need to take time for ourselves too. My husband is currently studying for his Masters in Electrical Engineering while working full time as an Engineer. I am currently working full time from home while running a business, raising our children, and caring for our home. We remember often to take time out for our kids, but it’s so easy to forget to take time out for us as well. We make a point of taking a date night once a week for us. If we aren’t relaxed and sure in our role as not only parents, but as a married couple, it’s easy for the household to show signs of tension and stress. As you may have already guessed from all of the text above, you may have already realized that with us, simplicity works just as well as extravagance. Our date nights sometimes (more often than not) consist of putting the kids to bed, popping a bowl of popcorn and watching a movie in our family room. These much needed respites from our daily grind help us to remember what we are really working for, and how important it is that we remain united and happy in our journey together. This is important for single parent households as well. Take time out for yourself. Re-unite yourself with a bubble bath and your favorite book. A well relaxed parent often shows in the faces of their children.
While I know and understand that the above six examples will not work for everyone, I sincerely hope that they’ve inspired you to look into your own family, and find that balance that works for you. Most of all, if you are reading this because you wonder how you will ever be able to manage with all your looming responsibility and still care for your kids – know you are not alone. Today especially, things are difficult financially, physically, and especially emotionally for everyone. As work at home professionals, we face unique challenges every day – but with them come great rewards. I suggest finding a support group of other like- minded individuals who understand the challenges and pressures you face. Hang in there, take time out for you. Here’s to your success.

Six Tips for Work at Home Families, Part I

I often get asked how I manage my job, my home, my business, and my children from day to day. Usually the question is followed by nervous laughter and the phrase, “we just do what we have to do…” but is that really the case? It seems from day to day, more and more people are enthralled with the idea that I actually work from home, approximately 40 hours a week – and I still seem to be raising well adjusted, normal and above all – polite – children.
I’ve decided I needed to dig into what we are doing differently than most other work at home families. How is it that we are still able to manage from day to day? I have come up with the following six reasons that I think contribute strongly to our family’s success.
1) Take a time out.
There are always going to be pressing deadlines at work, emails that need to be sent, and phone calls that need to be made. Our children are not going to be children forever. One cardinal rule at our house is that no matter what is going on – regardless of the deadlines or emails waiting for me – I always take at least one hour a day and dedicate it to my children. I know this doesn’t sound like much, but when you figure that I have three kids at home, all three who nap for approximately 3 hours (which is time I use to take care of those pressing business issues) taking one hour away from what I am doing to do what (and this is key) they want to do – really is not a large sacrifice. The emails will still be there when I get back, and the deadline will still be pressing – but my kids are happy, and they’ve had some time with their mom.
2) Enjoy one meal a day together as a family.
I have extremely active children. With one on a swim team, one in soccer, one in T-ball, two in dance and one taking piano lessons, our calendar is extremely full. There are days sometimes that we are running out the door with a granola bar in one hand and a juice box in the other on the way to the next event. However – we always make it a point to have one meal together as a family. It doesn’t have to be anything too spectacular – I’m not running a five star restaurant here – sometimes it’s Pizza from Little Caesars’. But, we always take time to eat together as a family. This is time where we are able to hear from our kids about their day at school, listen to the latest about Susie or Sally or whoever is new in the fourth grade, etc. This one hour a day is not interrupted by phone calls, emails, telephones or knocks at the door. It’s family time. Period.
3) One night a week is reserved for family fun.
That’s right, I said one entire night. Again, this doesn’t have to be spectacular. We’ve gone to the park, watched a television show, played a board game, put together a puzzle. Anything and everything that we can do as a family, we’ve done. We’ve even enjoyed rousing games of “duck, duck, goose”, and yes, we’ve had a day where we played a “cleaning game” to see who could get their room cleaned the fastest – and then rewarded all participants with ice cream. These simple, yet fun and rewarding nights are looked forward to with anticipation by our children, and as they grow – we are able to do more activities such as volleyball and half court basket ball. Our kids actually look forward to these nights, and plan their weeks around them.