Practical Ways to Get Work Done at Home

One of the biggest challenges to anyone with a home business is actually getting work done. There is always so much to do. This is especially true when children are part of the equation. It’s not so bad when they are in school, but what can be done until they reach that age? Here are a few tips that can help you get a little more done.

Hire a babysitter.

Wait! Isn’t the reason you work from home is so that you DON’T have to have a sitter? For the most part that is true. But, instead of having your children watched all day, only have them watched two or three days a week for 3-5 hours. This way you have time to get some work done, and the kids have a chance to play. You can send them to a reputable in-home care provider (which is cheaper than a daycare center) or have someone watch them in your home.

A creative twist on this is to arrange “play dates.” Talk to other mothers in your neighborhood and rotate play times each day for a couple of hours. You’ll have to watch the kids once a week, but at least the other four days you’ll have some uninterrupted work time.

Work with your kids’ schedule.

Arrange for all of your kids to be on the same schedule of afternoon napping. If your child does not nap, make the transition to “quiet play.” There are plenty of enclosures that can keep toddlers safe for an hour or so. Give your kids stuffed animals, books, and blankets and tell them it is time for “quite play.” When you have more than one child, explain to the older that it is nap time for the younger, and that means that s/he needs to play quietly for a while. Then with everyone safely ensconced, you can get some work done.

Head out of the home office.

Many people have laptops now. You can take it out to the living room to watch your kids play, or take it outside and sit in the backyard (during nice weather). I like to bring manuscripts I’m editing to the library’s story time. This way I can sit and work while my son enjoys a good story.

Another thing that I find works when I’m being continually pestered is to make it clear that I will play ONE game or read THREE books only, and then it’s back to work. Most children are content if you spend a few minutes with them before sending them back to play on their own.

Make TV time work time.

My son gets to watch one movie, about 1.5 hours in length, a day (it is recommended that children under five watch no more than 2 hours a day). I set him up on the couch with a blanket, a sippy cup and maybe a stuffed animal friend. He watches an education program or a Disney movie and I have time to take care of business.

The total.

Each week I add up the 6 hours of sitter care, 5-7 hours of “quiet play,” 5-7 hours of TV time, the fact that my husband helps out for 2 hours on many Saturdays, and the odd hour or two that I use in the evening to finish up a couple times a week, I actually end up with pretty close to 20 hours a week of work. If you need more than 20 hours a week to work at home, you should consider working in the evenings as well.