If there is a mom out there who can honestly say they have mastered the art of time management, they should receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This article aims to crack the code on time management for work-from-home moms without burdening them with perfect execution because motherhood in itself is not a walk in the park.
Experts say that a mother’s responsibility is comparable to nearly three full-time jobs. Moms need to find the right balance between caring for their families, nurturing their careers, and even finding time for self-care.
Time management is simply making every hour matter. It’s about smartly prioritizing your many responsibilities without jeopardizing any of them, including your physical and mental wellness.
If you are a work-at-home mom who is experiencing this challenge, do not fret. There is a method to manage your time effectively while keeping productive at work and without sacrificing time for yourself and your family.
Here are four time-management suggestions you can apply:
1. Create a Doable Schedule
Set a routine for work so that you and your family know when you’ll be working. Then, create a list of tasks you must accomplish in monthly, weekly, and daily intervals.
You can block work hours when your kids are sleeping or taking naps. You can also tag-team with your spouse or an adult family member so they can cover for you in caring for the children while you work.
As your children grow up, their sleeping patterns, demands, and even their schedules change. This is why it is better to find jobs or freelance projects that allow you time flexibility.
You need to create realistic or doable schedules for you, or you will always feel you are lagging. This is not good for your mental health and general happiness.
2. Multitasking is Counter-Productive
Multitasking can be beneficial when you’re doing menial tasks. For high-quality tasks that need your concentration, you need to prioritize them one at a time. That’s why scheduling your day is a must.
If you need to homeschool, set two to three hours of your day to focus on the task. Then you could either tuck your kids in for a nap or have them play in the living room for an hour while you allot that time to check your emails.
You can also send the kids to daycare or ask a loved one to watch over them so you can be very productive whenever you have to work.
3. Learn to Prioritize
Learn to prioritize and manage your time and energy for high-priority tasks. Schedule labour-intensive and time-consuming work and errands during the weekends when you have more opportunities for your spouse or family to pitch in.
During workdays, focus your waking hours on your family and work, even squeezing in time for an hour of self-care. If you can, get cleaning services once or twice a week to lessen the load for you.
You can also block specific days for work, like the weekends and a couple of days in the week. For example, you can schedule child care and cleaning services on these days to focus on work and be ahead of deadlines.
Go over your to-do list and prioritize, then work your way down. Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency and tackle the most critical tasks first.
4. Learn to Delegate
It is hard for one person to accomplish everything in the house. So, while it may be tempting to handle all home tasks solo, delegate some tasks to your spouse and children so they can pitch in.
The idea is to divide chores into manageable tasks and reward individuals for doing them. In the end, you and your family are a team, and everyone needs to do their share.
Conclusion
Finally, take a moment to celebrate your successes every day. Be the master of your precious time, not the slave of it, because you can only do so much in a day.
Focus on what truly matters for you in the long run. Strive to keep your joy in the midst of your hectic, demanding, but genuinely satisfying life as a work-from-home mom.
At Skilled Moms, we offer employment solutions for moms to suit the rapidly evolving work environment. We help women find the best jobs for stay-at-home moms. Book your free consultation today!
