Once you have a child your life changes forever. Today most parents work outside the home to support their family and many feel guilty that they sacrifice time with their children. It’s a harsh reality that many parents face—a catch-22 between providing for the family and maintaining a relationship with them. It’s not easy, but now there’s more opportunity to do both. New technology makes working at home possible. Virtually any position can be filled with a remote online job performed right in your home. But working from comes with its own set of challenges. Here are the must-know tips to becoming a successful work-from-home mom.
Manage Your Time
When you work from home you’re left to your own devices. You no longer have a boss or supervisor peering over your shoulder to make sure you’re making deadlines, so now you’ve got to do this yourself. Whether you have one client or multiple clients, it’s time to get disciplined. Time management may be the toughest part of being a work-from-home mom. While working at home and spending time with the kids might seem like a dream, the freedom you gain comes with responsibility.
Now it’s time to make a schedule. If your intention is to spend more time with your children and tend to their needs you’ll have to schedule your work around it. If you’re a morning person try getting up before the kids to work until breakfast. Plan your day to get the bulk of your work done while they’re at school, or come up with activities that will entertain them if they’re home.
The beauty of working from home is that you don’t need to take any sick time to take your kids to the doctor or tend to them when they’re sick. Plan your day for the unexpected like this and you’re sure to have a more organized schedule.
One of the most important things you need to work from home is a reliable internet connection with a good speed. We all know how things can go from perfect to disastrous in seconds if the internet connection isn’t good. With frontier internet you can put those worries out of your mind and do your work with a calm mind.
Discipline Yourself
You may be comfortably typing away at the kitchen table in your pj’s, but at home distraction abounds. If you have young kids they’re likely to make a mess wherever they go, cry and make a fuss. You may love your kids, but when it comes to getting work done you need to eliminate distractions. Find days where you can get a babysitter or convert a room into a home office blocked off with a baby gate. Give yourself the privacy to focus. After all, the more work you get done now the more free time you’ll have with your kids. If you have any chores, try to get them done before or after work. Don’t let your mind wander to the piles of laundry, dirty dishes in the sink and dirt on the floor. While a little clutter doesn’t do any harm, a messy home will only cause unnecessary stress. Keep it off your mind by getting your chores done off work hours.
Build Strong Communication Skills
When you work from home it’s especially important to have strong communication skills. Whether you’re a freelancer or a full-time remote worker, regular communication is key to keeping a positive relationship with clients. Keep up to date with emails, deadlines, phone calls and Skype meetings. There are times you’ll have to adjust your schedule to your client’s needs, so make sure you’re available to communicate when they need you. If you’re only available during certain times of the day or if you’re taking time off you need to let your client’s know ahead of time. Don’t wait until the last minute to inform your clients of any discretions or delays in their projects. Businesses don’t always have a good history with remote workers, so if you want to keep a job be sure that you communicate with them regularly.
For many moms, working from has provided the ultimate opportunity to spend time with their family. Find companies that outsource work with Remote.com and follow these tips to be a successful work-from-home mom.