Each and every website that touts the benefits of mothers working from home will include photos of smiling women and cherubic children playing in the park or tossing a ball for the family dog. What none of these sites will admit to you, however, is the fact that working from home with small children underfoot is a precarious balancing act that requires flexibility, a good dose of humor, negotiating skills that make the fall of the iron curtain look like a walk in the park, and the ultimate ability and willingness to put your kids first and your home business second – even if it means missing a deadline or rescheduling an appointment.
Working at home while parenting may not seem like a big deal with you have school aged children, but if you will remember the last summer vacation, the odds are good that you know eventually you will have to face the reality of a bored child who wants your attention. While you cannot prevent boredom from rearing its ugly head, you will have the option of setting up your workday and your child for success with just a few simple tips:
? Parenting always comes first. Ensure that your children understand that you are always mom or dad first, and a home business entrepreneur second. Once secure in that knowledge, the temptation to reassure themselves of your affection and attention will noticeably diminish. Verbalize your commitment to them in age appropriate terms and allow your children to help you plan out your work day to the greatest extent possible to show that you are willing to negotiate and meet their needs.
? Adjust your work hours to your children’s schedule. It is unfair to them to work through their entire waking day, and then take the evening off. Whenever possible, work during your children’s naptimes, before they wake up and after they go to bed, but by and large plan on only working occasionally during the times that they are awake and with you at home.
? If a deadline is looming large, enlist the help of grandparents or close friends to come and help entertain smaller children. Bigger kids will appreciate the gift of some special art supplies or permission to watch a video. Additionally, when children are in school, try to make it a rule not to work after they get home. The time spent between the end of the school day and bedtime should be close to sacred and not intruded upon by work or other worries.
It is easy to get consumed with the needs of the business and when your spouse is at home you might be tempted to miss mealtimes in order to make up for some lost work time earlier in the day. Fight this temptation! Your children will only be young once and when they are off to college you will kick yourself for missing the precious times together so as to meet deadlines for projects you cannot even remember anymore now.
About the Author:
Andrew Brogden writes on a variety of subjects. This one could change your Life shmyl.com/iqfpson Copyright © Andrew Brogden
Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:37:28 - 100%
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