Congratulations! You welcomed a sweet, new bundle into your life! What an exciting time and one full of so many changes, where to even begin?
The beautiful part about having a baby and experiencing so much change is that you are never alone. Women are regularly experiencing the transition into motherhood and while each mama is unique, our situations might look a lot alike sometimes!
We started Peanut Butter Creative as we were having children of our own, so we certainly know what it’s like to juggle mom duties, kid’s needs, plus other responsibilities, PLUS working. Are you in that same boat? Are you working from home while also caring for a child - infant or older? We know this specific situation is not for the weak, and it often comes with challenges that others who work at an office or off-site location typically don’t see.
However, we’re here to help you navigate this transition and encourage you to find confidence in your new position. Whether you’re lucky enough to keep a previous position post-delivery or are starting something new, these tips will help you navigate the new work-from-home lifestyle while simultaneously loving on that cutie of yours.
3 Ways to Rock Being a Work-From-Home Mom
1. Set Up a Kid-Friendly Work Schedule
This may seem like a no brainer, but obviously your child’s needs will often take precedence over your other responsibilities. The trick is to create a schedule that is supportive of their needs AND helps you maximize your availability to meet your work demands.
For example, many work-from-home mamas revolve around nap times to get work done or schedule calls / meetings. We highly recommend doing this and planning your day around it as much as possible. Do what needs to be done around the house, with other mamas, etc. with your child before and after nap times so that you can focus exclusively on work while they are asleep.
This may mean playing peek-a-boo while you fold laundry, having a dance party in the kitchen while you wash dishes, and even grocery shopping first thing in the morning. These tasks are kid-friendly and can clear your mind of those “to-do’s” when your little one is resting and you are finally free to crank out some work uninterrupted.
Another tip is to have a set of toys that are kept special for when mommy needs to get important work done or take an important call and little one needs to be entertained. These toys should not be always available but pulled out when you need a few minutes to tackle an important matter.
2. Create Boundaries for Mom-Time and Work-Time
Similar to the above, a kid-friendly work schedule will provide you some set times that work for your child and for you. However, setting clear boundaries for when you will and won’t be working will allow you to feel present with your child or family despite a more flexible work schedule.
This may look like setting a cut off for 5:00 PM to be done working and focusing on your child and family’s needs. Additionally, this could look like always closing your computer in order to put your child or children to bed, even if your typical work hours are often near that time.
By setting these clear boundaries, your family can predict mom’s schedule and you can feel capable of meeting the needs of all of your responsibilities.
3. Communicate With Your Partner
Another potential no-brainer here, but communication is absolutely essential for feeling like you can do both mom duties and work duties. Your partner needs to know your general work load and list of mom duties for the day to help support you where you need.
Mothers are definitely known for being extraordinary and handling tons of different tasks, but they should never feel like they don’t have support or someone to help off-load some of their demands in order to take care of their family and themselves. Especially when juggling a job and family life, moms need support and communicating that is essential.
We sure commend any woman who has the opportunity to be a stay-at-home-working-mom. It’s not always easy, but there are so many benefits! We support you as you go through this transition and know you will rock it because you are a warrior!