Keep Home and Business Organized and Balanced
May 12, 2008 by Christina Lemmey
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What happens to a scale when it has more weight on one side? It begins to tip towards that side and the other side is just up in the air. That is what many WAHMs experience when they can’t figure out how to handle working at home and taking care of the family.
Listen, it is a fact that women who work at home are also saddled with the extra duties around the house. The mentality is that since you are at home, you can do the housework. This is erroneous but is the common thought nonetheless. So, let’s nip it in the bud first and foremost.
Just because you are home, doesn’t mean that all of the housework is solely your responsibility. Handling this issue before you start-up the business is a wise way to deal with the dilemma. If you are dealing with this now and you are already operating a home business, don’t fear. To begin, map out your activities throughout the day for one week. This is important to identify where you can tighten up or allow more time for various activities.
In my home, we have a community calendar. Each person is responsible for writing any future activities on the appropriate date on the calendar. The calendar lives on the wall in the kitchen where everyone can see it. For my business, I have a separate planner that I can coordinate with the community calendar so nothing gets missed. I keep the planner handy so that when I schedule business work I avoid planning it over family activities.
As far as day-to-day operations at home, choose when to work and when to play. Younger children may have preset nap times. If they sleep late, begin your day by doing small tasks that can be interrupted if they wake up. Answering emails and administrative duties would work in that time slot. To get right to work, keep your home office or workspace organized to find what you need easily.
While kids are awake and needing supervision, perform household duties. Fold a load of laundry while sitting in the playroom with the kids. Do the dishes or start dinner when they are sitting at the kitchen table coloring.
In addition to working at naptimes, schedule play dates for the kids with other WAHMs. When it is your turn to have peace and quiet, get as much done as you can. If you prioritize, the immediate concerns will get addressed. Coordinating meetings and deadlines around this schedule takes a bit of the pressure off.
About The Author: Cara Mirabella is manager and founder of The Household Helper, a site providing tips and resources for cleaning, organizing, meal planning and more. A former “domestically challenged” wife and mom, Cara now coaches other moms, whether working outside the home or a WAHM, to help them save their time, money and sanity when managing their home and family. Contact Cara for more information about home and family management coaching.
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