Motherhood + Working from Home = HARD… But Not Impossible!

Motherhood + Working from Home = HARD

You see… it’s been a while since I’ve written a post. I have drafts of different posts but haven’t been able to complete them. Why you ask? Because…

Motherhood + Working from Home = HARD

As I mention in my “about me” section, I am a Pathologists’ Assistant turned multi-passionate Work at Home Mom / Serial Entrepreneur. Prior to becoming a Tutu Designer / Maker, Beautycounter Consultant, Blogger and serial volunteer, I had no other work experience besides working in a hospital / laboratory. The thought of me not working (although being a SAHM to two littles is more than enough work) because of an illness (I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease) just did not sit well with me. I have always worked. I have always been independent. For my sanity, I needed to find a way to stay busy and contribute to the family finances… hence my multiple entrepreneurial endeavors.

That was 5 years ago… which is hard to believe! It is also hard to believe that it has been more than one year since I launched my blog. Actually, it has been 19 months… eek!!! When I began my blogging journey, I did not know where it would lead me or what I really wanted to focus on. There have been ups and downs as I am continuously learning how to balance being a wife, a mami , a blogger and an entrepreneur, while doing it from home. Through it all, I have learned a lot about myself and what I want to do.

Now… one thing I love doing is helping others. I know I appreciate when others help me so I am making it my goal to help others as often as I can. With that said, let me share with you the top 4 things I learned to make being a Work at Home Mom easier.

1. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Let’s face it… as a mom there is always a laundry list of things to do. Add working from home to the mix and the list doubles (at least). Making things easier and simpler in order to be more efficient with the time you have is key. It is also necessary to maintain your sanity and health.

While my girls are at school, I can be found reading up on the newest Beautycounter products and sharing with my clients, trying to write a blog post, updating my website, catching up on social media, cleaning my house, trying to start dinner, going food shopping and more. I try to get this all done before my girls are home because I want to spend time with them (mom guilt will be another post). But I can’t do it all. Again… I can’t do it all (do you know how long it took me to finally say that?)!

So I have started to simplify things. I pick the top things that need to be done for the day and then make a plan. For example… after I drop my girls off at school, I will do work at the Panera across the street from Shop Rite so that I can go food shopping when I am done working on a blog post, Beautycounter and/or my website. This makes things simple as I save myself the drive home and then the drive to Shop Rite. I also tend to do my food shopping online so all I have to do is pick up the order without even getting out of my car which saves me a good amount of time!

2. Get The Kids Involved

Working from home with little ones is tough. You want to be there for them but feel guilty when you have to work when they are home. However, there are times when work needs to get done. What I have started to do is get my girls involved. One way to do this is to play “work” with them. I will give my little one a coloring book and crayons and tell her her job is to color a beautiful picture. Since my oldest has learned to read and write, I give her a pencil and notebook and have her write a story. While they do this, I catch up on what I need to do. This can get me anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour… but every bit of time helps!

Another way to get your children involved is to have them help you. For example, when I need to package Beautycounter product samples or orders, I have them help me organize everything and put the items in the bags. They can also help by writing a note or coloring a picture for my client. By getting my girls involved, my mom guilt is decreased and I can get some work done.

3. Plan / Schedule

My planner and phone are my best friends… literally! I enter all of my “to dos” and events on my planner (color coded of course). Erin Condren planners are my personal favorite. I also enter everything into my phone calendar and set alarms/reminders. Honestly, I even have my alarm set every day to remind me to pick up my girls from school.

By writing it down and putting it in my phone calendar, I am able to remember more things and stick to the time frame for that event. This helps me to get more things done.

4. Find Yourself A Support System

Probably the best thing I ever did was find myself a support system. This support system includes friends, family and other amazing women that are balancing the work-at-home mom life which I have met through social media. Being able to bounce ideas off of other women in similar situations as well as learn about different business aspects… whether it is social media and/or direct sales and/or blogging has been priceless because now… I don’t feel alone. When you don’t feel alone and you feel supported… amazing things happen personally and business wise.

Motherhood + Working from Home = HARD….

But not Impossible! Everyone has a different situation… but there are ways to adapt and always something to learn. I hope these tips helped you. Tell me in the comments other ways you have made working from home work for you!

MamiWorks

My name is Michelle and I am the wife of the hardest working man I know, the Mami of 3 beautiful and AMAZING girls and a Pathologists’ Assistant turned Stay at Home Mami turned Mompreneur of not one… or two… but three businesses! I am super excited to share my experiences and learn from you. As women/moms/entrepreneurs, we must stick together and support each other!

www.mamiworks.com