Work/Life Balance for Work-At-Home Moms

Work/Life Balance for Work-At-Home Moms

Guest Post By Leslie Truex

Being a work-at-home mom sounds like the perfect solution to achieving work/life 

balance. You can be home with the kids while still contributing to the household 

income. But like many theories, the reality is very different. Work-at-home moms still 

only have 24-hours in a day to get everything done. Their day often involves jumping 

back and forth between work and family activities, which can leave them feeling 

haggard and overwhelmed. Achieving work/life balance as a work-at-home mom can 

be possible with a little extra planning and support.

Don’t Try to Do It All

Many moms fantasize about life as a work-at-home mom. It usually includes serving 

the family a hot breakfast, getting the kids involved in a quiet activity, throwing in a 

load of laundry in (after doing the breakfast dishes), working for a couple of hours, 

taking the kids to the park, working during nap time, tidying the house, switching 

laundry into the dryer, making a gourmet dinner, folding the laundry and heading to 

bed to do it all over again the next day. Unfortunately, children and household chores 

are not usually so accommodating. Just like moms who work outside the home, work-
at-home moms need to realize that they can’t do it all. 

Create a Schedule 

A schedule creates a boundaries around activities to organize your day and lets you 

and your children know what to expect each day. As you create your schedule, 

consider your and your children’s daily rhythms so you can work during your peak 

hours and be available for your children when they most need you. Create a daily to-do 

list for each activity block in your schedule, so as you move from being a mom to an 

employee, you know what you need to do and can avoid wasting time. 

Keep the Kids Busy

Working at home with an infant or toddler is difcult because they need supervision, 

and apart for nap times, won’t give you an extended period of time in which to work. 

For that reason, hiring a student or retired person to entertain your infant or toddler 

for a couple of hours a few days a week can give you focused time to work. 

Older children can entertain themselves for longer periods of time. Before transitioning 

to work, get them involved in an activity. Keep a list of ideas that you can rattle of 

when your child gets bored, such as draw a picture of your favorite animal or stack the 

blocks as high as possible. 

Get Help

Just because you’re home, doesn’t mean you can earn a living, raise the kids and keep 

the house clean by yourself. Enlist the children and your spouse’s help in household 

chores. Even small children can sort socks and pick up toys. Your spouse can watch the 

children in the evening while you take care of work-related tasks. 

The household isn’t the only place you can get help. Invest in tools and systems that 

can make your work easier, such as a program to schedule social media posts and a 

smart phone. Consider hiring a virtual assistant to care of the more menial tasks, so 

you can focus on the tasks of higher value and have more time for your family. 

Take Care of Yourself

Balance is less about time management than energy management. A booked schedule

may be balanced, but if it’s overwhelming, you won’t feel balanced. If you don’t

occasionally stop and refuel your energy tanks, you’ll burnout regardless of the quality

of your schedule. Take care of yourself by doing something at least once a week that

reenergizes and inspires you. It could be a long soak in the tub, an afternoon with a 

friend at the java joint or a quiet, uninterrupted nap.

About Leslie Truex

Leslie Truex is a contributor for SmartMom, an easy way to receive fast answers to all of your parenting questions from the convenience of your mobile device. Leslie is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, adoption social worker, fitness instructor and mom trying to do it all from the comfort of her home. She is the author of several books, including The Work-At-Home Success Bible. You can find her on Google+ or on her Website.

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