Working from home comes with its own unique set of challenges, especially if you have kids. But there are lots of ways to make working from home as a mom or dad more manageable.
Whether you’re a freelancer, self-employed, or just looking for ways to make working from home more productive and enjoyable, here are 15 tips for finding the balance between parenting and working at home.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Prioritize and schedule: Set clear priorities and create a schedule that balances both motherhood and freelancing responsibilities. |
| 2. Delegate and seek support: Identify tasks that can be delegated or outsourced to lighten your workload. Seek support from family, friends, or childcare services to help manage childcare responsibilities. |
| 3. Set boundaries: Establish boundaries between work and personal life to ensure dedicated time for both. Communicate these boundaries to clients and set realistic expectations. |
| 4. Time management techniques: Utilize effective time management techniques, such as Pomodoro technique or time blocking, to enhance productivity and focus during work hours. |
| 5. Self-care is essential: Take care of your physical and mental well-being by prioritizing self-care activities. This includes getting enough rest, exercise, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. |
| 6. Flexibility and adaptability: Embrace flexibility and be adaptable to the changing demands of motherhood and freelancing. Adjust your schedule and expectations as needed to find a balance that works for you. |
| 7. Communicate and seek understanding: Openly communicate with clients, colleagues, and family members about your unique circumstances as a mother and freelancer. Seek understanding and support from those around you. |
Don’t Be Afraid To Say No
No matter how much you love your freelance work and the time you get to spend with your little ones, there are still times when it can be hard to find the time for both.
If you’re feeling stretched too thin or overwhelmed by all that’s on your plate, take a minute to breathe and remember why you wanted this in the first place: quality time with your kids.
Reevaluate what’s eating up so much of your day, week after week; consider what isn’t working out (such as an overly-complicated schedule), then spend some time streamlining it until things feel more streamlined and manageable.
If something comes up that doesn’t fit into your schedule (like an unexpected doctor visit), don’t be afraid to say no you’ll thank yourself later!
Balancing freelancing and motherhood can be challenging, especially during maternity leave. Our article on freelancing while on maternity leave provides valuable tips and strategies to help you maintain your sanity and navigate this unique time.
Look For Mentors And Role Models Where You Can Find Them
It can be easy to feel isolated as a freelancer, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience in the field. If this is your first time freelancing, you must look for mentors and role models where you can find them.
You should also make sure that you are spending time with other people who share your values and work ethics. This could be friends who also freelance or just any friend who understands what it’s like to work from home sometimes!
Consider Hiring Help With Childcare And/Or Domestic Duties
One of the biggest challenges of trying to balance motherhood and freelancing is finding enough time in the day for everything. If you’ve got a child or children, there are many ways to get help with childcare and domestic work that doesn’t require quitting your job.
The cost will vary depending on what service you choose and where you live, but it can be well worth it if it means taking time away from your computer screen so that you can spend quality time with your children. To help get started:
Nanny
A nanny can watch after your kids while they’re at home during the day or take them out into the world when necessary (to visit friends or go on playdates).
This is especially useful if there are only two parents involved in raising the children because one parent may prefer to stay home.
While another prefers going out more often than not; hiring someone who lives nearby makes this possible without sacrificing quality time spent together as a family unit.
Are you a mother trying to work for yourself while on maternity leave? Our guide on how to work for yourself while on maternity leave offers practical advice and insights to help you successfully juggle motherhood and freelancing.
Housekeeper
A housekeeper cleans up after meals, does laundry when needed, dusts furniture regularly basically everything besides meal preparation itself (which includes shopping for groceries).
You’ll want someone reliable who doesn’t mind working independently but also has experience working within tight deadlines (say 4 pm). They should also have some experience managing their schedule so that they don’t show up late every single day without fail!
Find A Co-Working Space That’s Family-Friendly
You’ll find that many co-working spaces are family-friendly. This means they have a variety of goodies like onsite childcare, Wi-Fi, and power outlets close to where you work.
You may even meet other freelancers who are also moms or dads, which could help you form a support group at the office!
Co-working spaces can also be great for meeting mentors and professional contacts who can offer advice about freelancing or business growth.
Because co-working spaces often offer free trial periods (which is something every mom needs), this can be an excellent opportunity for trying out one before committing to join it full time.
Co-working spaces are also great places to network with other professionals in your field; if you let them know your goals, they might be able to introduce you to clients who need help with similar projects as yours!
Plan Your Time Carefully, But Build In Room For Flexibility
As a freelancer, you know that planning is important. You need to be able to plan your time carefully so that you can do your work and make the most of it.
As a parent, you also know that planning is important, or at least, I hope so! It’s not just when I was working part-time or full-time jobs on top of being a mom that I needed to plan my time.
Even now with all these other responsibilities, there are still some things we can only do if we schedule them well in advance:
Like going for walks together as a family or making sure everyone has activity during the weekend (although giving them free rein over their schedule and trusting them not to go too far with it sometimes works well).
Set A Kitchen Timer To Make Sure You Don’t Let Your Work Bleed Over Into Personal Time
I’ve been known to spend ten minutes on the phone with my mom only to realize, after hanging up, that I had spent all of my “good-bye” time working on freelance projects instead of visiting with her!
This has happened more times than I can count, so now I set a timer for exactly how long we’re going to talk and use it both to keep myself on track and remind myself that I need to get back to work.
At the end of our conversation, when that dang buzzer goes off signaling its end (and thereby reminding me), I’m able to immediately jump back into whatever project needs completing instead of getting distracted by something else altogether!
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Be Clear About Your Boundaries When Working From Home With Kids Around
You will be working from home. Your family will be around. You need to make sure that you keep your work and personal life separate, or else you’ll find yourself having trouble keeping track of time and feeling exhausted all the time.
Here are some things you can do to ensure that your boundaries remain in place:
Make sure that when you are at the computer, you are working (not Facebook stalking friends or perusing Pinterest).
If possible, choose a space where there aren’t any distractions a spot where it won’t be easy for small hands/feet/heads to interrupt your flow as they wander by on their way elsewhere in the house (or outside).
Set up a “work station” away from where most of the action happens in your home so that when it’s time for productivity, this is where everyone goes and when it isn’t, everyone knows not to bother mom there!
This could be an extra table in another room or even just an old laptop sitting on top of paper piles on an end table next door; either way works fine as long as it feels like you are alone during these hours!
Build In A Routine, Even If It’s Not The Same Every Day
You might not have a traditional 9-to-5 job, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a routine. This is especially important if you’re trying to find time for both freelancing and motherhood.
Routines are crucial because they help us focus on what we need to do instead of thinking about all the things we could be doing.
They also help keep our brains from getting overwhelmed with the barrage of tasks in front of us every day, allowing us to stay focused and productive without having to overthink everything all at once.
Once you’ve decided what your routine will be like, try sticking with it as much as possible. The more often you do something in a particular order or a specific place.
The easier it becomes for your brain (and body) to know what’s coming next so that it can get into flow mode more quickly each day and get out of its way when necessary (like when changing gears).
Outsource Every Task That You Can Afford To Outsource
Outsourcing is a great way to free up time for your family, but it can be expensive. For instance, if you’ve outsourced the task of cleaning your house, what you’re paying for is not just the cleaning itself it’s also the time it would have taken to do the job yourself.
The same goes for other tasks: If someone else does your laundry instead of you or makes phone calls on your behalf (something I’ve done many times), they’re spending their own valuable time doing that work and deserve compensation as well.
You’ll want to make sure that whatever tasks are being outsourced are worth both your and their efforts: Tasks that aren’t enjoyable or don’t come naturally should probably stay in-house.
However, if they are things that take up a lot of time or aren’t something at which you excel but could use help with anyway (like managing social media accounts), then outsourcing may be worth considering!
Never Forget How Much Value You’re Providing By Working
Working as a freelance writer, I’m contributing to my family’s financial situation, emotional wellbeing, happiness, and future. I’m giving them the resources they need to live comfortably and pursue their passions and that’s not something to take lightly.
Make sure your family sees the value in what you do for them by asking them what they appreciate most about having you around (or even sending them an email with some inspiring quotes related to your work).
When they see the positive impact of what you do on their lives, it’ll help them understand why freelancing means so much to you and why it’s important for everyone involved!
Keep An Eye Out For Ways To Streamline Or Automate Admin Tasks
As a freelancer, you’ll want to keep an eye out for ways to streamline and automate as much of your work as possible.
There are lots of tools available that can help with this Zapier is one that we use often! but they all have one thing in common: they make life easier by taking care of the admin so you don’t have to.
If you can afford it, consider hiring a virtual assistant or intern who can take on some of the less exciting tasks in your business (like invoicing). This will free up some time for other things like actually making money.
A good to-do list app like Todoist will ensure that nothing slips through the cracks while making sure your priorities stay at the top of your mind.
It could also be handy to set goals with deadlines throughout each week or month so there’s something concretely motivating you towards work completion (and away from Netflix).
A calendar app such as Google Calendar is also useful for scheduling appointments and meetings, especially if multiple people need input on when certain tasks will be completed by (or if there are external factors impacting those dates).
Interested in becoming a freelance writer in the tourism industry? Our comprehensive guide on how to become a freelance writer in the tourism industry provides valuable tips and insights to help you kickstart your career and thrive in this exciting field.
Go For Walks Outside Whenever Possible With Your Little Ones
It’s important to be active, not only for your physical health but also for your mental health and mood.
Exercise gives us more energy and helps us sleep better. It improves relationships with others because we’ll have better communication skills. It even helps improve the quality of our work!
Exercise has been shown to reduce stress levels, improve concentration (+ make you more productive), increase self-esteem & confidence, lower depression symptoms (especially in women), and increase happiness levels + general satisfaction with life as a whole.
Freelancing is reshaping the way we work, providing new opportunities and challenges. Gain a deeper understanding of this transformative shift with our thought-provoking article on how freelancing is changing how we work, and explore the evolving landscape of work in the digital age.
Conclusion
“I’ve been freelancing since I had my first child, which was almost 7 years ago. Most days, when I’m up to my eyeballs in freelance work and also trying to manage toddler tantrums, laundry, dishes, and a husband who needs food occasionally it just seems like one big struggle.
Every day is a juggling act between being a mom and freelancing. But once in a while, there are moments like this when the struggle suddenly makes sense.
When my 3-year-old says “Mama” for the first time, or helps his little brother put on his shoes without any prompting from me, or when I figure out how to squeeze out an hour of work during nap time instead of using that time to catch up on Mad Men.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to explore for further reading on time management, work-life balance, and organization for freelancers:
Time Management for Freelancers: This article provides practical tips and techniques to effectively manage your time as a freelancer, helping you increase productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
11 Tips and Tools to Help Build Work & Life Balance from a Freelance Editor: Discover valuable insights and strategies from a freelance editor on how to establish a healthy work-life balance while freelancing.
Organize Yourself: 15 Time Management Tips for Freelancers: This comprehensive guide offers 15 practical time management tips specifically tailored for freelancers. Learn how to prioritize tasks, set goals, and optimize your workflow for increased efficiency.
FAQs
How can I effectively manage my time as a freelancer?
Balancing multiple projects, deadlines, and personal life can be challenging as a freelancer. To effectively manage your time, consider creating a schedule, prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, and using productivity tools such as time tracking apps or task management software.
What strategies can help me maintain work-life balance as a freelancer?
Maintaining work-life balance requires setting boundaries, scheduling dedicated time for personal activities, practicing self-care, and learning to say no to excessive workload. It’s essential to establish a healthy separation between work and personal life to prevent burnout and maintain overall well-being.
How can I stay organized with my freelance work?
To stay organized as a freelancer, consider using project management tools or apps to track tasks, deadlines, and client communication. Additionally, develop a filing system for documents, create a designated workspace, and establish routines that promote efficiency and organization.
What are some effective techniques for prioritizing tasks as a freelancer?
Prioritizing tasks involves assessing urgency, importance, and deadlines. One effective technique is the Eisenhower Matrix, which categorizes tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. This helps freelancers focus on high-priority tasks and minimize time wasted on less important activities.
How can I improve my productivity as a freelancer?
Improving productivity involves creating a conducive work environment, minimizing distractions, setting clear goals, breaking tasks into smaller manageable chunks, using time-blocking techniques, and adopting effective time management strategies. Regular breaks, proper rest, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance also contribute to overall productivity.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
