How to become a successful Work-at-home-Mom (or WAHM)?

Work-at-home-mom or WAHM as defined in the dictionary, is a woman who works from home in addition to caring for her child or children. Work such as freelancing or entrepreneurship when integrated with parenting can be challenging. How do work-at-home-moms manage both?

As a mother, we know what’s best for our children and most of the time, giving them the best means being a hands-on mom who personally attend to their needs. To watch every milestone of our kids as they grow and be able to provide support and guidance is more fulfilling than any monetary reward that we can get from the typical jobs outside home.

In our society, majority of WAHMs who had the courage to switch careers experienced the following:

· Guilt of not being with their kids when they are sick or;

· Not being a reliable employee due to unplanned absences at work

· Difficulty of getting a dependable babysitter

· Not enough time to spend with them; such as missed school activities, meetings and a lot more..

If you’re thinking about making the switch, or a stay-at-home-mom who wants to explore opportunities at home, here are a few tips that will help you succeed.

Work from home tips for Moms

1. Create your schedule.

Getting on schedule plays a vital part in your day to day life as a work-at-home mom. You will need to set your kids schedule of activities as well as yours to effectively manage your time. For example, if your baby’s nap time is your cooking time, train your baby to follow the same schedule every day. This may require training at the onset but will fall into place once it becomes a routine.

2. Keep your kids entertained.

Strategize your kids’ day by planning their activities. Keeping them entertained will mean fewer interruptions for you. For example, set their movie time during your working hours. That is 2 hours of work for you where you can check and respond to emails etc.

3. Prepare a to-do list for the next day.

Before going to bed, make it a hobby to plan ahead and list down the items that you need to accomplish the next day. They need to be action specific or actionable items that you can do (not the ones that you just thought of doing.)

Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle is a helpful guide in creating your to-do list to efficiently manage your time.

4.Select a tool to save your notes and stick with it.

Moms always have a lot on their plate and most of the time we tend to forget the things that we thought about while focusing on a task. It is recommended to have something where you can list whatever comes to your mind – could be a whiteboard, sticky notes, a planner or a tool such as MS outlook notes, notepad on PC or phone whichever works for you.

This will help you save a lot of time and energy as you only have one tool to look at in organizing your to-do list.

5. Have a dedicated working space for your home office.

Depending on your type of work, have a working space where you are comfortable and can keep your focus. It can be a room dedicated as your home office or a corner in the living room. Juggling between working and parenting, especially when you have a toddler can be frustrating at times. Thus, it is important to keep your sanity in case you will be challenged by the kid’s tantrums and your client’s deadline. A themed working space is a good idea to keep you motivated and relaxed.

6. Maintain work and life balance.

In any kind of job, it is important to maintain work and life balance as humans with different needs and desires. In order to do this, particularly for WAHM, this entails a lot of discipline and organizational skills. Keep in mind the purpose why you chose to switch careers. Time alloted to your family and work are equally important, and there has to be a balance on both.

Look for a job that relates to your current work experience or where you are skilled at. This will likely pay better and advance your current skills. With the right discipline and being highly organized, it will translate to higher productivity and work efficiency.

There are freelancing sites and communities nowadays, such as FVA that offers online courses for individuals who want to begin their freelancing career. These trainings help in equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed in their area of specialization.

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