Running a home business can be stressful enough, let alone running it whilst having to take care of your little ones as well!
If you are a home business owner who has infant children to look after, or simply a home business owner who has been affected by the recent school closures, this is the article for you.
Parenting and business – two of the most stressful tasks in the world when combined could potentially lead to a total burn out on your part. In today’s article, we have a look at how you can balance parenting with a home business without losing your mind, so read on to find out more!
- Stick to a schedule… seriously!
For the free-spirits who love to wing it, this may come as an unwelcome tip. The truth is, without a schedule, you?re doomed for failure. Add children running around the house making a mess to a lack of scheduling and you?ve essentially got World War 3 on your hands. One of the greatest and most effective tips for parents with home businesses is to set a specific time for each and every activity throughout the day. Need to chuck the laundry into the clothes dryer before 9am? Add that to your list. Need to get snacks ready for the kids before noon? Add that to the list too. Never underestimate how a solid plan and schedule can help calm the chaos of running a business AND parenting at the same time. - Meal prep is your best friend
The last thing you want to do is to spend hours each day cooking meals for your family. This is why we always recommend that home business owners do as much meal-prepping as possible on the weekends. This could entail cooking up a huge Roast on the weekend and saving leftovers for weeknight sandwiches, or freezing homemade Pasta Sauce for when the kids are ravenous and demanding to be fed. It is important that you carve out a couple of hours each month to cook large batches of food and freeze them so that you always have something that can be defrosted and served as quickly as possible. Oh, that also means fewer dishes to do every day which no one ever complained about! - Don?t be ashamed of enlisting some help
As a parent and a home business owner, there are going to be times where you are stretched too thin. This is why we always recommend that parents enlist some help and not be ashamed about doing so. You?re not superman or super girl, and getting a nanny or a babysitter once in a while (or every day!), is one of the best ways to keep yourself and your children sane. Even if you?re not looking for a daily nanny, one could always use a little help on a busy day full of meetings, allowing you to focus on your business and get things done without interruption! - Have a designated home office
Having a designated home office when you run a home business is paramount. This is your little safe space where you can take your mommy or daddy pants off and switch into professional mode. Having an office space for yourself that is rid of clutter, toys or anything that will distract you is one of the best ways to focus on your business whilst at home. Doing your work in the living room or on the dining table is just an invitation for a plethora of distractions, and creating a separate ?workspace? is also helpful in teaching your children the importance of boundaries early in life. - Be flexible
The beauty of running a home business and working for yourself is the fact that you are able to work flexible hours and to the beat of your own drum. Forget about 9-5 if that doesn?t work for you as a parent, and instead embrace the gift of flexibility that you have. Flexible work hours allow you to never miss out on special moments with the family. After all, chances are that one of the reasons you became an entrepreneur in the first place was to have more time with the ones that matter the most. - Take time to focus on yourself
All work and no play makes… you a really neurotic person! It is so important that amongst the hustle and bustle of being a full-time parent and entrepreneur, you take some time to focus on neither. After all, you can?t take care of anyone or anything else if you don?t take care of yourself first. Designate some time each week where someone else can take care of the kids and get rid of every phone, computer or tablet in sight. Use this time to do whatever makes you feel best…whether that be a warm bath, yoga, exercise, cooking a fancy meal or simply going to the shops. Keeping yourself sane is the foundation of being a successful parent and entrepreneur.
Running a home business with kids at home doesn?t have to be all chaos and disarray. In fact, by finding the right balance and creating some structure in your routine, you?ll find that balancing the two can be an (almost) smooth sailing ride!
Amrita is a writer, blogger and content creator hailing from Melbourne, Australia. With a penchant for research and exploration of esoteric topics, Amrita is always on the lookout for more pointless things to get excited about.