One of the top five tips that I got from the more than 110 professional working moms who I interviewed was to get help. Let’s face it, though, sometimes you can’t get that help or the number of hours of help you want, especially during the pandemic. It could be that you couldn’t find camps this summer or even when your child is at home sick. And who can count the number of teacher workdays in a school year! It boils down to you still must be productive when working at home with kids around. Let’s talk about how you actually get work done with kids around.
Waking up early
My boys have always been early risers. Sleeping in is sleeping until 7 – maybe 7:30, if the day before was packed with activities or they got to bed really late. During a normal school day, our boys are up by 6:30 each day, even on weekends. I’ve got to be honest, I can’t wake up earlier than that. When we switched over to remote learning and during summer, I’ve got wiggle room. I wake up the same as the rest of the school year and let everyone, even my hubby, sleep in a bit longer. I’m at my best in the morning, so working in a really quiet house is bliss.
The benefit of doing this in summer and during online school is that I get my most important work done early (remember, work on your priorities first). Then I have the wiggle room to have fun with kids in summer or help them with school work if they’re remote. Those dedicated hours make a huge difference when they’re uninterrupted.
I’ll share this, though. Long story short, if you want to know about how to wake up super early (I have friends that wake up at 4 am), I’m not your gal. If you do wake up super early and your kids don’t wake up at the crack of dawn, I think you’re amazing! Make sure you make the most of your time. That leads us to this next tip.
Prepare the night before
Take time to plan for the next day each evening. See what you can get ready for the next step. Grab a few articles you need to read to write a blog or white paper, add the titles of the PowerPoint slides, or simply set up your goals for the next day and understand how your day will flow. That way you can hit the ground running instead of trying to figure out your plan. You’re literally able to get more done because of the 10-15 minute preparation you did the night before.
It’s super helpful to do this for the week as well. I do this on Sunday evening but I know others do this on Friday as the workday is winding down. Set your weeklong goals and priorities. Do a quick flow for each day so you accomplish your week-long goals. It will take 15-20 minutes to get this done and you’ll feel the benefit all week. You’ll likely be more productive and better manage your time. And, let’s be honest, maximizing your time is a big deal when you’re a working mom.
It might seem like something small but also see what you can prep for lunch. If kids are home, you need to feed them, right? See if you can do something the night before to help move that process along, especially if you have slightly older kids who can take care of themselves in many ways. That way you spend the time eating with your child(ren) instead of prepping and then eating. Shaving off small blocks of time adds up.
Consider how you work
We each have different ways of working that help you be productive. The two I heard the most about in the interviews I did were batching and Pomodoro technique.
Batching is where you work in large blocks of time on similar things to get things done (e.g., a block of working on email, doing research for projects, or returning phone calls). You hit your rhythm faster and for longer periods. It’s a great way to get things done.
Let’s face it, batching can be hard to do when you’re working at home with kids. Kids will likely interrupt you. A lot. This is why the Pomodoro technique might serve you better. You work for 25 minutes and take a break for 5. And then you get a 15-minute break after you’ve worked a few of these rotations.
If you want to know more about either of these, including tips, check out my blog post on productivity methods for working moms.
Special toys when you need to work
This was incredibly important while the boys were young. At times I needed to be flexible and found myself doing interviews for the Mompowerment books or getting interviewed for a podcast. I might have even had to schedule a strategy call with a client that needed to happen after the boys were home from preschool. Whatever the reason, I found myself with a toddler (or a baby and a toddler) and I needed to get stuff done that couldn’t be moved.
I always had a few games or toys that were specifically for these moments when I needed to work. I would bring them out only on these occasions. Since the kids didn’t play with them often, these games and toys were special for the kids.
Really, though, you can always use a screen as a final option in those rare cases when other things aren’t working. One thing to consider with young kids. Don’t assume that a screen will keep really young kids engaged. And I’ll remind you that a random 30 minutes in front of the TV is OK. You’re not a bad mom for using TV to help you get things done. You need to use the resources you have when you can.
Nap Time Hustle
Let’s talk naptime hustle! Here’s what really helps you be productive while your child naps. Know what you want to accomplish during nap time ahead of time. Don’t take that valuable time to figure out your to-do list once your child goes down for a nap. Start working the minute you’re back from putting your baby, toddler, sick child down for a nap. It can be the difference between getting one more thing done or not. Essentially, don’t lose time because you didn’t pre-plan. This is part of what you should be working on in the evening. Set up your goals for the nap time hustle.
Break every larger goal down into smaller goals. The idea is to keep moving toward whatever goals you’re trying to achieve. For example, the goal isn’t “build a website.” It’s write your bullets and choose your stories for your ‘About Me’” page, then develop the content, and choose visuals for the page. You break everything down into smaller bites. And then prioritize them. As I share in the book, it’s great to have them in 10-15-minute bites if you can.
While the nap time hustle is your time to get things done, the one thing I don’t recommend you do during this time is to make calls. What if your child goes down late or wakes up early? You never know what can happen during this time frame. The ideal time to make calls is when you can have someone watch your child. If you don’t have someone to help during calls or Zoom meetings, remember you’ve got your box of special toys to help.
Prioritize (and then Reprioritize)
If you’re trying to be productive when working at home with kids, create a to-do list. What you really want is a prioritized to-do list. Understand what will move the needle at work or in your business. Know what it will take to reach your goals and meet your deadlines. Prioritize your to-dos and then reprioritize as you get new information. This need to get the most important things done first is even more so the case when you have kids at home and you’re trying to get work done. Keep in mind that weekly and daily planning really helps with this.
Consider a working playdate
I have a whole blog that helps you get the most out of a working playdate, but I wanted to mention that option here. Many communities are opening back up again and you maybe be in one of them. The catch with these places opening up is that there aren’t summer camps or, if there are, there aren’t spots opened because they have small numbers or they were snatched up quickly.
Consider a working playdate with another working mama you know with kids around the same age. The idea is that your child gets a playmate (i.e., they won’t need as much attention from mom), and you and the other mom both get to make things happen professionally. Win-win.
Hint: Make sure you’re both on the same wavelength with comfort levels of interaction. Outside time with kids, so you’re working on the patio while kids play in the backyard? Working inside with kids playing inside?
Trade kid duty with a fellow working mom
Let’s be real, though. Sometimes it’s hard to be productive when working at home with kids around. Consider switching off days with a fellow working mom who has kids that are of similar ages if you’re comfortable with being around others as things open back up. Similar to a working playdate, make sure you and the other working mama’s family are on similar wavelength about what you’re comfortable with.
How does this work? It’s simple. You watch your kids and hers 2-3 hours one morning or afternoon and the other mom does the same on another day. It doesn’t have to be for huge amounts of time, even just a few dedicated and uninterrupted hours a week for each of you can make a difference. Making a dent in what you must achieve during your dedicated time is even more likely if you use some of the other tips that I share here.
What tips do you have that have helped you be productive when working at home with kids around?
If you found this helpful, consider signing up for the newsletter that I send out twice a month. I share all kinds of tips and ideas, based on my own experience and research and the more than 110 interviews that I did with working moms for my two books. Click the link below.
