The Joys & Challenges of Working from Home with Kids

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Working from home with kids around is both a joy and a challenge, here are four tips to make work and connecting with your kids easier!

Work from Home Parents & Challenges

In this week's podcast, I talked about making the transition to stay at home with the kids.

For some, that means one parent is devoting themselves full time to taking care of the kids and house. Other couples, including us, have made the decision to have one spouse work from home.

I think we can agree that each of us has our own challenges. Today we're looking at navigating as a work from home parent.

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Working from home can a fantastic opportunity to earn income and be with your kids.

The internet has plenty of gurus, bloggers, and advisers flaunting how easy it is.

And maybe it really is with some families, but our day to day reality is a bit more…chaotic. In a good way.

Keeping Balance as a Work from Home Parent

Here are a few of my tips for those looking at running a business from home with little ones.

Create a schedule. You don't need to (or really want to) have things planned out minute by minute, but having a routine is a lifesaver for running a business.

With a podcast, I have to set aside time to do interviews and record shows.

After testing things out, I have a fairly set schedule where I can handle these tasks while the kids are napping or my husband is at home.

Have a plan for crunch time. Sometimes I have evening calls or assignments I have to get done that day, but because of the kids or something else, I have to wrap it up at night.

My husband will step in and take the girls out while I finish. It is easy to take one another for granted, so talking about it before it happens makes it less stressful.

Have boundaries. Many entrepreneurs who work from home say it can be hard to separate things. They're checking email on the weekend in the middle or family.

My advice is to be clear with your clients about your availability. You also want to sit down with your spouse and your kids if they're old enough and explain the situation.

My oldest knows that if I'm recording it's a quiet time for her while she plays in her room until I come and get her. On the other hand, I respect that she's a kid and I keep my recording session short – no more than 30 minutes.

Getting what I need to be done in that time means I have to be prepared and have already done my research for the guest, but it's been worth it for me.

Get back up. Look there are just times when you need an extra pair of hands so you can finish up something.

Don't be afraid to get help. It could be a babysitter or you perhaps do a kid swap with another work from home parent.

Be selective with your clients. I know there's a temptation to say yes to more income, but when you work fro home, it's especially important for you to weigh the pros and cons.

How demanding is the client or the work on you? I'm grateful for the clients I have, but looking at my immediate future I've decided to do more projects where I have ownership and control such as this podcast.

Thoughts on Staying at Home with the Kids

That's what I have. If you have any other suggestions or you want to share your stories, please send them in.

Don't forget to join us in our free Thriving Families Facebook group. We're focused on helping one another our with our family and money goals!

This show was originally released in July 2015. Show notes have been updated in March 2020.