Sometimes, being a work at home mom can feel like walking on a suspension bridge with missing planks! Your laundry is staring you in the face while you're working, and oftentimes your kids are, too.  When you're doing the laundry or playing with the kids, oftentimes your mind is on your business.

Balancing your work-time and your family-time can be overwhelming sometimes, but by following a few simple tips, it can be done.  AND you get to keep a shred of your sanity as part of the bargain.  :)

You have the ability to set your own hours, so take advantage of that right now. If you can handle some tasks at “odd hours” of the day, you will have more family time during the day. Are you a morning person? If so, try to get up an hour before your family to take advantage of some “quiet time” to focus on your business; night owls can take care of emails and other administrative tasks after they have put their children to bed.   (Just don't  stay up TOO late, especially if you need to be up and "on" for the kids first thing in the morning!)

If you pick your children up from school, use the time you spend waiting for them to return customer phone calls.  A wireless headset for your cell phone will allow you to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road if you make calls while driving.

I once did a Service-based home business, and we received our training via emails and training websites.  If you are in a similar type of business, print out your training info and stash it in your purse.  You can take it out while you're sitting in the car waiting for the kids (with the car in "Park", please!), in line at the Supermarket, or even while you're waiting at the doctor's office.

During the week, when schedules are busiest, plan quick and easy dinners. Let your kids help out in the kitchen while you cook – you’ll be spending time together and teaching them skills they will need. There are plenty of cookbooks out there dedicated to “kid friendly recipes” if you need some inspiration on what to make.  Also remember that the Crock Pot is your friend!  You can put a whole chicken or even a lasagna in some of the bigger crock pots, and you don't have to worry about trying to cook and simultaneously distract cranky, hungry kids (or husbands!).  Try planning your meals at the beginning of the week (this saves you time and money!).  If you need some additional meal-planning tips, try an online service like Dine Without Whine - A Weekly Menu Plan & Grocery List Delivered To Your E-mail Box or Menu Planning Central.

Get the kids involved in your business as much as possible. Smaller children can put stamps or mailing labels on envelopes;  older children can help hang flyers; and teenagers can take on some administrative tasks like data entry.  This method allows you to have a little extra "face-time" with the kids while they're doing these tasks for you, and will hopefully free up some of your time that you can invest back into the kiddos.  Which brings us to the next tip:

Set aside some time each day to spend with your children with no distractions (that means no phone and no computer!). You don’t have to go anywhere special; the time can be spent reading a book, playing a game, or spending time outside together. The point is just to let your children know that they come first, and the business comes second.

Remember – you became a work at home mom so you could spend time with your family. Don’t forget to take some time out to enjoy them!

Have you ever dreamed of leaving your job to be home for the kids full-time? Or maybe you’re already a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mom) and would like to earn money at the same time?

What does it take to be a Work-At-Home-Mom (WAHM)?

WAHMs are proving everyday that women can contribute to the family financial situation and nurture their families. Both online and off, a network of support has been created for any woman who wants to consider an option that will help them meet their financial needs while being able to set their own hours and be available for the family.

How to get started?

When you talk to your family about the possibility you want to have an idea of the direction you will take. Check out sites like justaddsweat.com, internetbasedmoms.com and wahmtalkradio.com. They offer helpful hints to moms getting started with a work at home enterprise and also a network of opportunities for connecting with other WAHMs. You can also sign up for a free 9 Day eCourse from Mom Masterminds. If your income has been a big part of the monthly family finances, then switching to a work at home enterprise will cause your finances to take a hit. Be sure there is enough financial cushion in your bank account to weather the first six months of your new career. It will take time to establish your business.

Opportunities

First, figure out your interests and skills. WAHMs can find business opportunities to work for someone else doing everything from audio transcription to writing articles to accounting. Be aware that there are scams about and that legitimate companies looking for professionals won’t ask for money upfront from you. Some WAHMs carve out their own niche and begin an online business. If you are skilled with crafting, you can create a website to promote your crafts and sell products. A blog is also another idea. Blog about your area of expertise and develop a following. Combine that with affiliate or search engine marketing to generate revenue.

Making it work

With new career comes the issue of balance between home and work. Just because you are home doesn’t mean you won’t need help around the house or time away from the kids in order to work. Consider these tips for creating a balance:

• Develop a set schedule for work and play on a weekly basis
• Discuss dividing up household chores between you, your spouse, and older kids
• Do prep-work such as fixing lunches, prepping breakfast, choosing clothing the night before
• Hire a babysitter once or twice a week
• Separate home office space inside the house

There are advantages to being a WAHM. Plan carefully and be patient. Support from your family makes all the difference.

I am pleased to announce that I have recently taken over MomKaboodle.

If you are a returning visitor, you may notice that some things have changed. Part of that is due to the fact that I lost some things when I was transferring the site over to my own servers. I have tried to recover as much as possible, and I look forward to making this great site even better.

My goal is to spotlight WAHMs who sell handmade products and help them get more exposure. If you are one of these WAHMs, please email me at momkaboodle@gmail.com.

This is FREE advertising for you. I will give you a short survey to fill out so readers can get to know you. All I ask from you is that you link back to my site. The beauty is that you'll be linking to YOUR spotlight - double the exposure!

Family-friendly products only, please. (Keep it G-rated). Looking forward to working with you!
Thanks!

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