Work-from-home setups seem like a dream come true for many because they no longer have to commute every day to the office. Since this work setup often comes with flexible working schedules, people believe it can provide a better work-life balance. But despite these benefits, working remotely can seem frightening to many moms.
Kids demand attention at all times, which is why a remote workplace isn’t always advantageous for moms. Parenting while meeting tight deadlines, replying to countless emails, and juggling one conference call after another is no easy task. If you are experiencing this dilemma and struggling to stay productive while working from home with kids, here are several tips that may help:
1. Familiarize Your Children with Your Work Routine
Women may be strong, but let’s be honest: mothers can’t help but give in to their kids’ needs. In fact, many moms choose to shut down their computers to tend to their little ones. This provides them with more quality time with their family, but this can affect their remote work performance.
If this scenario is familiar to you, the best tip is to get your children used to your work routine. Of course, they will have a hard time at first. However, once you educate them about your working hours and your responsibility towards work, they can learn to stay away from you while you’re at work.
Some creative method you can try is to hang a colour-coded and easy-to-understand signboard. Use green when you are available, while use red to indicate that you are busy. This helps your children read coded signs while nurturing their discipline by observing rules.
2. Avoid Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Landing an online job as a mother allows you to finish some household chores in between work tasks. However, running countless errands and caring for your kids during work hours can hinder you from fully committing to and completing tasks efficiently.
Although your family is your priority, you should never abandon your responsibilities as an employee. For this reason, be clear when discussing your terms and conditions with your employer. Also, check if you can allocate enough time for your online job besides being a mother. Otherwise, you will end up spreading yourself too thin, making you inefficient and ineffective both as a remote worker and a parent.
3. Take Care Of Your Health
As a homemaker, you are already experiencing a huge amount of stress and pressure day by day. While working from home can make you financially independent and help you revive your career to some extent, it’s best to weigh your compatibility with your office position. Don’t force yourself on a job that hinders you from fulfilling your responsibilities as a mother.
Committing to a demanding work-from-home job where you are required to clock in endless hours and provide your undivided attention can easily lead to burnout. Once you neglect your health and get sick, you’ll be unable to attend to your children’s needs, too.
Remember that no job is worth sacrificing your health over. When searching for remote work opportunities, don’t pick one that needs you to sit glued to your desk for almost an entire day. Look for one that allows you to take breaks, get adequate sleep, exercise regularly, and eat on time.
Conclusion
Staying focused at work is not easy, especially when you are taking care of kids. Although mastering working from home as a mom seems almost impossible, it can be done by following these suggestions. Meanwhile, if you are looking for another remote job opportunity that lets you have more time for your kids, then you’ve come to the right place.
At Skilled Moms, we have a list of work-from-home jobs for moms. We can also connect you with suitable remote job opportunities so you can have your ideal work-family-life balance. Check our job listings today!
