Considering Toddlers

Considering Toddlers is a whole separate issue when thinking about working from home. The following are just a few important thoughts to consider before you quit your job and stay at home with your Toddler.

 

1. When home alone with your Toddler, how long can you close your eyes while he/she is playing? This is important because looking at a computer screen is the same as having your eyes closed when a Toddler is running about!

 

2. After changing a diaper, feeding, or putting your child down for naptime, how long does it take you to get back on track with your work? I suggest using a stop-watch and being honest with yourself, starting with the moment you step away from the computer.

 

3. Do you need to communicate on the phone with customers or clientele that would understand when your little one begins to cry or scream? Or would you be stumbling to explain your circumstances?

 

4. Perhaps you work with paint or glue and need to stop in a hurry to accommodate your Toddler with an injury, could you drop it in an instant and still be there for him/her as well turn out good work? Maybe, maybe not, but only you can answer that question.

 

Now if your work is only a sideline or a hobby and you don’t depend on it to earn a living, then none of the above really makes a bit of difference. But if you depend on it for your survival, you must perform at least one Dry run Sunday. After all, Considering Toddlers puts an entire new twist on things!

Work From Home Mom’s Priorities

A Work From Home Mom’s Priorities are different for each. There is much more to consider than what kind of work to perform, or whether or not you can make enough money to sustain your expectations and needs. The following is an example of why it is so important to do what I call a Dry run Sunday, a day to see if working from home will work before you make the commitment or quit your current job with the conditions and priorities you have now.

 

My friend Jan was a medical coder in a hospital. She was expecting her first child and continued to work through her pregnancy, returning to work six weeks after the birth of her son. Although Jan loved her job at the hospital she often felt overwhelmed with guilt, and worried that she would be missing too many important events in her son’s life.

 

By the time her son was 18 months old, she decided to work from home which she was able to do easily for the work required, and her husband was supporting her 100%. She didn’t want to miss any more Firsts in her son’s early years than she already had.

Jan eagerly set up a home office which was easy and didn’t take very much planning as all she needed was a computer and a small desk which she already had.

 

Before the end of the third week, Jan was irritable and frustrated with her situation. She was frantically wanting to return to her job at the hospital. Why? Well her oh-so-active 18 month old son was a constant and continuous distraction. And the part that really bothered Jan was the fact that her relationship with him was turning into something very unpleasant. It was a far cry from the wonderful evenings she once enjoyed with him after work. She found herself to be very short tempered and unable to complete any work tasks at all. Jan soon after, returned to work and restored the loving relationship she once had with her son.

 

The above scenario is why I say every Mom thinking about working at home should first do a Dry run Sunday. Each situation is different! Take a day off and let all family members know what you are doing and instruct them all to go about their regular plans for the day. Do not send anyone away while you set up shop!

 

This will enable you to obtain a clear realistic check on your ability to perform your business duties from the comfort of your pajamas. What ever you do, make sure everyone else in your house goes about their normal activities in the usual manner. This is the only way you can figure out your Work From Home Mom’s Priorities!

Work From Home Time Management

It may sound easy, but Work From Home Time Management is and can be quite a skill. If you cannot learn to master that part of working from home, especially when you have children, then it just won’t work! What about time for yourself? Time for yourself is a necessity, not an extra.

 

Yes, becoming a work From Home mom can definitely be a dream job, but it can also be a disaster if not planned out properly! The very first thing to ask yourself is, can you perform your job with your child/children at home by your side? Or are they away at school long enough for you to complete your work?

The most important thing for you to consider above all, is how Working From Home will affect the children! If you want it to work, they must be considered and taken care of first! If you can do that, the rest will fall into place.

 

If you have a child that needs picked up at a certain time, then the importance of working with an alarm clock by your side is not an option. The worse thing you can do is forget to be there when they need and expect you to be! Isn’t the whole idea of working at home, being able to be there more for them?

 

Of course there’s always dinner, and breakfast, maybe lunch. How quickly your workday is shrinking already! What about laundry? Can you achieve some work time after they go to bed? Do you really want to? What are your best times of the day to be productive? Well, that’s different for everyone. Mine is in the morning, how about you?

 

Make a list of everything you want and need to do during the day if you work from home, and how long it takes to complete each item on your list right down to eating lunch! How can you possibly know if it will work without counting the minutes and hours needed?

 

I can’t stress enough how Work From Home Time Management is important if you truly wish to succeed!

Home Business

If you heard someone say I have a Home Business, what do you picture that person doing at home? Are they typing? Are they making clothing for resale? Talking on the phone or maybe painting?

 

The phrase Home Business means something different to everyone, but what’s important, is what it means to you. Obviously you’ve already figured out that you can set your own hours, get a certain amount of Tax breaks, or Tax shelter, and won’t have to pay rent at a commercial location or purchase a building. These are only the obvious advantages of working from home!

 

In the case that a decision has not been made as to what you will be doing once working from home, I suggest you do some serious investigating! Having a Home Based Business must be carefully set up in order to find true success!

 

First of all, the most successful home businesses are performed by people who do something well, and really like what it is they do. If you’re very good at typing and can earn a healthy living at it, but hate it, why on earth would you want to bring that thing you hate home? It is important to ask yourself whether or not you just hate where you work, or if you truly dislike with a passion sitting at a typewriter.

 

I used to hate typing, but found that doing it at home is an entirely different project than the chore I was once asked to perform under pressure and with a time guideline that was completely unreasonable!

 

The most important thing to do before quitting that 9 to 5 job, is to sit down with yourself and make a list of all of your talents, abilities, and desires, as well as anything you’ve thought of taking up in college. Maybe you know someone who is willing to teach you something that they are already successful at. Remember, a Home Business is something you can choose.

Dry Run Sunday

Performing a Dry Run Sunday is what I consider to be a very important step that MUST be taken if you have even ONE family member at home! When you make the choice to Work From Home, you will not be the only one that is affected. The following steps must be performed honestly and carefully if you want your plan to work!

 

If you have toddlers or little ones at home, you probably need to perform a Dry Run Week! This is because you need to see exactly what it will be like at home without your husband or older kids around to help! If you can’t use that much time for your Dry Run Sunday, then I suggest using what ever day of the week you feel is the most difficult around the house!

 

First of all, you need a stop-watch. Do not skip this part! The time starts when you start to work, and stops every time your child asks a question, cries, wants anything, needs a diaper changed, and re-starts when you return to work. This must be done for the entire day and must include lunch, phone calls other than business, and in general any break.

 

If it is impossible to perform your planned work at this time, then you need to find a substitute Job to perform in its place to provide a need for accomplishment. It doesn’t matter whether it is a crossword puzzle, painting, or sewing, because right now it is a measurement of Time Available for Work, and if you cannot determine this, then you are not ready to Work From Home.

 

At the end of the day, you will be looking at your stop-watch and adding up the amount of Actual time you are available to perform your duties. Remember to clock out when picking a child up from school, eating lunch, answering the phone, starting a load of laundry, starting dinner and any household chore done in-between!

 

Plan, Plan, Plan! Some people even find that they need to practice for their Dry Run Sunday or week. If you forget to clock in or clock out it’s crucial! Keep your stop-watch on you at all times. The only way to know if you can successfully Work From Home with family members, is to perform a Dry Run Sunday!

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