By Emma Anderson
A lot of what you see written is about mothers making the transition back into the workplace after giving birth and raising children.
Their time away from the workplace can vary depending on circumstances of the family involved. Some mothers return to work as soon as is possible, yet many have a few years off, from having a routine 9-5.
As hard as it is getting back into a workforce, deciding to work from home can have a few hiccups on the way. It is not a matter of starting work from home; there are a couple of things that have to be considered.
It is possible with some careful thought and planning to have the best of both worlds, as this is what the aim is all along. It is not much use if you work from home and you find you still work long hours and have little family time. This you would soon come to see as a failure.
To make sure you end up with a win-win situation when working, I have compiled a few pointers to help you:
Be Upfront on your Needs
Before making the jump to the successful working mother, you have to be clear of what you are looking to achieve.
You need a plan in place to make sure you can care and tend to your toddler, have the times available where you are committed to your work and still have time left for family and family duties.
Once you plan all this into the equation, you will be surprised how much you can get done in a day without burning yourself out. Everything comes down to balance, and once you find this, all aspects of your day will fit together.
Make a Schedule
Use a desk planner, one that shows weeks and even a month at a glance. They are so much more functional than a to-do-list. You can slot times in for your little one, your work projects and your family times.
Once you allocate times for everything you do, you will self-discipline yourself and also become more productive. As a result, you will find that you have more time for your baby and your family as you have already mapped this out in advance.
Time management comes into effect here; it has been shown that even answering an email during your day can distract you for up to twenty minutes before you get back to the work you were doing. Schedule times for grouping all these tasks. Answer emails and return calls, allocate some time and do them all together.
Your Home Office
This is crucial for you to be successful, having an area that is your workplace, everything labeled and filed away. When it is your work time, you should be free from distractions, even if you have family members at home. Until the agreed time, you should make aware; you are out of bounds for any ‘mom assistance.’
Once you have your space, your schedule will fall into place. Depending on your type of work and the age of your baby, your program should be dictated by them. When they sleep, use this as your productive times rather than napping at the same time. You can then spend time with them when they are awake.
There are a good many people who think that working from home is just a matter of falling out of bed and starting work in the comfort of their pajama’s. This is all well and good, yet you will be in that frame of mind for most of the day.
Have your business head on, treat the walk from the bedroom to your office as your daily commuting and have your work head firmly on your shoulders.
As a work from home mom, you have made a conscious decision, you want to work, and you want to spend time with your family.
You can do all of this quite quickly; you just have to draw the line where you see fit. You are the one in charge and dictate how things work for you. Running around in response to distractions will not help anyone, especially your child or family.
A burnt-out stressed mom is no good to anyone, least of all yourself. You might feel like superwoman, and you probably will have to be a good part of the time, especially in the beginning.
With the support of your partner, your win-win situation of being a successful work at home mom is well within your grasp.
Be strict, be flexible and keep your mind on what you want to achieve. After all, you are a mother, and we all know how resourceful mothers can be.
Source: http://www.opinions.ng