Time Management for Work From Home Parents

Juggling the demands of a work from home job or business and parenting can be a challenge. With a little creative time management, it’s possible to find a good balance.

First, choose a work from home job that fits your lifestyle and parenting style. For example, if you have very young children, phone work is probably not an option, since you'll need a quiet environment. It's hard to make a toddler understand that he needs to be quiet because you're working. Choosing an unrealistic job or committing to too many hours will lead to frustration and burnout both as a worker and a parent.

There are plenty of other work from home jobs that involve little or no phone work, and lots of creative time management strategies you can employ to find time to work.

Schedule some time to work either before the kids wake up or after they go to bed. If you're a night owl, working into the wee hours may seem like a good choice. However, you'll still have get up early to take care of the kids, and lack of sleep can really take its toll. Consider going to bed early and waking very early instead of staying up late to work.

If your work involves a lot of writing and you can afford it, invest in a laptop or portable word processor. It will make it easier to sneak in work during the day while the kids take classes at the local recreation center or keep busy at a park or indoor playground.

When either buying a laptop or getting out of the house is not possible, here are some other ways to work from home effectively:

1. It may be difficult to work for long periods of time, so plan to work in short bursts of 20-30 minutes at a time. Save in-depth research and involved projects for times when the kids are asleep or out of the house.

2. Experiment with different activities to find out what keeps your children occupied. Try coloring, Legos, Barbie dolls or action figures, ply doh and other toys.

3. Set your kids up with a craft activity. Give directions and help them get started, then leave them to work on their own once they get involved.

4. Keep toys and craft supplies well organized. Having everything ready when you need it will make things go smoothly.

5. Let older children have their own computers. Place the computer next to yours or nearby. Load it with educational software and let your child “work” along with you. An old computer with enough memory and disk space to run games won't cost much.

6. Use naptime well. Resist the urge to do chores or other household tasks, and be prepared to just get down to work.

7. Initiate a quiet time period for children who don't nap. During this time, the children must rest or play quietly in their rooms. It may take some time or this to work. They may resist at first, but with persistence you can develop a regular routine that allows you to get some work done and gives the kids some downtime.

Whether you decide to let your children watch television is a personal decision that should be thought over carefully. While TV will keep your children occupied, experts recommend limiting television time. If you do choose to let them watch, choose educational shows or videos.

When you’ve tried everything and still can’t find a successful solution, it may be time to consider some sort of childcare arrangement. This doesn't mean you have to do full-time daycare. Perhaps you can find a preschool that will take the children or only a few hours on certain days of the week, a mom in the area who is interested in watching children for a few hours, or someone to come to your home to keep the kids occupied while you work. A high school or college student majoring in education may be interested in a job like this. Whatever you choose, you'll need to determine whether you can make enough from your home business to pay or childcare.