The end of the school year is almost here! This means warm summer days, time by the pool or at the museum plus lots of other fun activities to enjoy… as soon as you get your work done. But how will you ever get your work done and meet your business goals when they kids are home?
As a mom of four kids and the owner of multiple businesses, I have some tricks for getting work done when kids are home for the summer.
- Keep a Busy Basket. Keep a basket of supplies nearby when you are in your studio or on the computer. Fill it with toys that the kids don’t get to play with much. Make those toys special and are only to be played with while you are working. The more special and “prized” you can make that basket of goodies, the better it will work for you.
- Mini Me Office. Set up an office or studio space for your children that closely resembles your own. That way, everyone can go to work together. You might even be able to come up with a project or two that you can work on together. This activity will make work time even more enjoyable.
- Go with the flow. You probably have a general idea of when your kiddos are the most rambunctious, so it’s probably not a good idea to schedule an important conference call during that time. Instead, make this the time you go outside or share an activity. Work with your family’s natural rhythms to make sure the day flows.
- Nap time. Take advantage of the quiet afternoon naps and catch up, take conference calls or do work that requires concentration. Even after my kids got too old for naps, we had quiet time in the afternoon where they went to their rooms and read books for about an hour. Believe me, that little hour can be a real sanity saver.
- Hire a Mother’s Helper. If you have a teen in your neighborhood, hire him or her to come to your house a couple of hours a day to occupy and supervise your children. You’ll still be nearby if an emergency arises but you won’t be “on duty” for those couple of hours.
- Trade Childcare. Work out a trade of childcare with another mother in the same boat. If you watch her children on Tuesday afternoon, then she might watch yours on Thursday.
Of course these suggestions won’t work for every family but if you can find one or two ideas to implement, you can get more work done. Then you will be able to keep up with your business and occupy your children at the same time. The most important thing to remember is children don’t need our constant supervision forever. Try to relax, stay cool and have some fun this summer.
By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess
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