One of the top five tips that I got from the more than 110 professional working moms I interviewed was to get help. Let’s face it, though, right now that can be hard. Childcare is expensive if you can find it. So many families are away from extended family. Maybe it’s that you don’t have enough childcare. Or maybe you have childcare, but they have an emergency and you must manage work and small children unexpectedly. Whatever the reason, it boils down to sometimes you must be productive when working at home with small children (without help).
Prepare the night before
Plan your week. I like to do this late in the day or early evening on Sunday when I’m thinking through my week for my stuff and my kids’ activities. Figure out what you must accomplish each day to meet your weekly goal(s). 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.
Take it a step further and 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 to PowerPoint slides, or simply set up your goals for the next day and think through how your day will flow. That way you can hit the ground running instead of trying to figure out your plan. Get more done as your day starts because of the 10-15 minute preparation you did the night before.
It might seem like something small but also see what you can prep for lunch. If kids are home, you need to feed them. See if you can do something the night before to help move that process along. That way you spend the time eating with your child(ren) instead of prepping and then eating. It all adds up, so see if you can shave off a bit of time during your day.
I’ll share this, though. If you want to know how to wake up super early (think 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! If you have thoughts on how to help others with this, please do share in the comments.
A little more planning
One additional thing has helped me when it comes to planning (we started this during the pandemic and it made a huge difference). I share my plan with my husband. Sharing your schedule/plan with your significant other means that you can tag-team, especially when it comes to managing small children at home while trying to get work done. And it means you both get work done. It won’t all fall on you! It’s one more way you can share the mental load.
Be flexible
You might need to move things around. Maybe your child naps earlier or later than usual. You might have moments when your small children need more of your attention. Or it could be that your small child is at home sick and you need to care for him or her.
Start with what you know you can move. It’s easier to do this if you’re already planning your time. Talk to your team or manager to help you move things around if needed. Then work on what can’t be moved. Break things down into smaller bites (10-15 minute tasks can be helpful). That way it’s easier to work in small moments. It allows you to be productive while being flexible.
Prioritize (and reprioritize as necessary)
I always suggest you set your priorities. Prioritize your to-do list to be more productive when working at home with small children. It’s not enough to plan your time. Know what must be done. Choose 1-3 things each day that you must complete to feel successful for the day. Figure out how to achieve those tasks. Being flexible and reprioritizing go hand in hand. Reprioritize as you get new information/new things happen.
Wake up early
My boys have always been early risers, but this was especially the case when they were little. Sleeping in meant sleeping until 7 if the day before was packed full of activities. It was helpful to wake up a bit earlier than they did so that I could have uninterrupted time to get strategic work done. I say strategic work because the morning is when I’m at my best. I wanted to focus on my challenging work when my brain was fully engaged. Even an extra 30 or 45 minutes before everyone else gets up can make a difference.
Some kids wake up so early that it’s too hard to wake up earlier. I get it. This idea won’t work for everyone and that’s OK.
Consider how you work
You’ll hear me and many others talk about batching. It’s the idea of working in large blocks of time to get things done. You hit your rhythm faster and for longer periods. It works really well when kids aren’t around or when you have someone watching your kids.
Let’s face it. It can be hard to do batching when you’re working at home with small children. Kids will likely interrupt you, which is totally normal. To be productive when working at home with small children, consider using the Pomodoro technique. You work for 25 minutes and take a break for 5. And then take a longer break after a few cycles of 25/5. If you want to know more about this method, including tips, check out my blog post on productivity methods for working moms.
Naptime hustle
Know what you want to accomplish during nap time ahead of time. Don’t sit down and figure it out 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 why creating a plan for the next day can be so helpful. Use that time to set up your goals for the nap time hustle.
This is another reason that breaking everything down into smaller bites can be helpful. The idea is to keep moving toward whatever goals you’re trying to achieve. For example, the goal isn’t to “build a website.” It’s write the “About Me” page 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 to help you be more productive and enable you to manage your time better.
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.
Fun ways to keep your small child busy
Some of these might require a bit of prep time, but now you’ve got a list of things for your small children to do when you’re trying to get things done. You can also do one of these with your small child(ren) as a way to connect and do something fun in a small window of time. These don’t take massive amounts of planning or loads of money.
- Car wash for toy cars on your patio/back porch. Take your child’s toy cars and a bucket, sponge, and something to create suds and let him or her wash cars (this one might be better for an outside option).
- Fill up different containers of water. Get different size plastic containers and pitchers and let your child pour water from one container to the other. Better to take this one outside or put down towels inside for spills because they’re going to happen. Or even consider letting your small child put on his/her bathing suit and doing these in the tub.
- Build a fort. My kids loved building forts when they were younger. OK, so they still do this on occasion. Yes, they made a mess, but empower them to clean it up (or at least help if they are little).
- Bubbles! What young child doesn’t love bubbles? Pro tip: buy a big bottle and only fill little containers so you don’t have a mess on your hands.
- Duplo blocks or LEGOs. Our boys could spend hours building, taking apart, and then building something new when they were younger. Take time to help them create a masterpiece and maybe even build one of your own if you’re feeling inspired.
- Dot art. This one requires a bit more planning since you need to buy the Dot markers and potentially a coloring book or paper that works with the markers.
- Sidewalk chalk. Have your kids create a pattern with painter’s tape. Or you can create the pattern during one small work break and let them color in the pattern with chalk. You’ll be surprised at what they can create.
- Puzzles. You can find age-appropriate ones, starting at about age 3. They are great for children’s development. This one also takes some preplanning since you need to find a puzzle. You can sometimes find these in your local buy-nothing groups. I will admit I find this helpful with stress management as well. I slow down and focus on what’s in front of me instead of all the other stuff that’s going on.
- Color in a coloring book. Get your kids some coloring books and crayons (get fatter crayons if your kids are younger). Get your older kids an adult coloring book, but don’t forget the colored pencils if you go this route. Coloring is a great form of stress management as well.
You’ve read 8 tips on how to be productive when working at home with small children when you might not have childcare. So, what things will you change? What tips would you add? I’m always interested in hearing what’s working for fellow Mompowerment mamas.
Want to read more practical tips to help you maximize your time as a working mom, whether during the summer or the rest of the school year? Check out the award-winning Mompowerment Guide to Work-life Balance (affiliate link), available on Amazon.
