Really a WAHM this time

[MN Mom]

Hey guys - I have been working from home for over 11 years. In the last 5 years I have added two children. They have always been in daycare/preschool at least 3 days per week.

Well we decided to pull them out this summer...so now they are home full time.

I am still working.

But this is HARD.

I am sad.

Advice?

[Dadu2004]

Ugh...that has to be tough. I can't say that I've been in that position...hopefully someone around here has.

[Trina]

No personal experience, but how many kids do you have and what are their ages? Have you considered hiring a teen to become a "Mommy's Helper" for the summer? Someone to help with the kids and keep them occupied so you can get work done. Even if only for a few hours each day, that would help.

[IADad]

I know how hard it is to work from home just on a day when I have one of them home sickor something, and part of that difficulty is that i don't usually work from home.

I like Trina's answer a lot. It seems like you have to find some way to carve out time that is exclusive and sacred for work. I know, for my work, if I can get a couple hours of concentrated work in and then be able to fill in some email here and there it salvages most of a day for me.

[IADad]

oh, and I assume, since you said "we' that there is a dad around... can he re-schedule some work to take some of the additional child care duties you as a family have brought "in-house?" i.e. could he go in an hour later each day, or come home earlier, or take off every Friday afternoon in trade for extra work time elsewhere...something creative like that? Maybe part of your work day could happen in the early evening and he could be in charge of the kids then?

[bssage]

I am not a WHAM but when I work I am gone overnight and when I home its full days at a time so I do spend a lot of time with the kids.

Just a couple suggestions.

break the work into groups of the type of work I.E. Interuptable /Uninteruptable. Identify the parts of thier day. Eating for example depending on the kids doesnt require a lot of supervision. Some times of the day the kids may be more intense than others.

Try and plan you day so that you are doing thing that can be interupted when they are likely to interupt. And maybe save things things that require your total focus to time when its not likely to be interupted. Like early mornings/ nap time/ bed time. I find that I can get a lot of crap done early before they wake and even for a little while after they do. But of course you know you family better than I.

I think the important thing is to identify the course the day would naturally take and maybe write it out. Then try to fit the peices of the puzzle together. Try not to put a round peg in a square hole. Dont schedule meetings between say 09:30 and noon. Or from 13:00 to 17:00.

Also a lot of places have wifi now maybe you can do emails at the pool for example.

Also mirrors, small ones here and there help to see around corners. Put a reminder above your work area "quiet does not = good!" When its quiet around here it usually means someone is into something they shouldnt be.

I really dont think there is any answer to your question these are just some suggestions that have helped us.

[fallon]

"quiet does not = good!"

best parenting advice ever!!!!!

[MN Mom]

Thanks everyone! Those ideas are great! There are two of us and he does change things up if I need to get something done. He has always been helpful that way.

I do have a helper - on Wednesdays only. But at least it is something.

The kids are 3 and 5 and there are many times they let me get things done.

To be honest I am enjoying not being slammed and able to enjoy the kids and the summer. We have been continuing some of their pre-school work and starting to learn Spanish together. It has been quite fun. (my friends would NEVER believe that this was me talking!)

Is that bad of me? I have my own biz and have had it for almost 12 years now. It has been slow and busy. In many cases it has slowed down because I wanted it to (maternity leave etc.). I just feel that I am having a chance to experience the SAH thing and am enjoying it...

What are your thoughts?

[fallon]

well I'm a SAHM. I stopped working right before my son was born. I thought it would be easier but I've never enjoyed anything more