The Balancing Act of A Work At Home Mom

I am a Work-At-Home-Mom (WAHM). Just being a Stay-At-Home-Mom is a tremendous job, but now that I’ve thrown “Work” into the mix, it’s become an even more tangled web of tightropes to navigate. Some days the chores don’t get done, and sometimes the kids watch a little more television than I’d like, but I know that eventually, we will reap rewards from my work that will enable us to have a fuller, more adventurous life.

I started working from home shortly after the birth of my son. I was laid off from my job at a publishing company while I was on maternity, which was really a blessing, as I was dreading the idea of leaving him in daycare. Being laid off gave me the opportunity to think about what I really wanted to do with my career. Writing was my passion and so I started my own business as a copywriter, providing professional writing services and editorial services to businesses.

It was a slow start, but the past year I did a lot of growing, both personally and professionally. But with being busy with work comes the challenge of balancing home life. Here are a few ways I manage my days:

I do something active with the kids first. After dropping my son off at school, I take my daughter out for a morning activity. Afterwards, she may fall asleep, which gives me a window to work for about an hour and a half.

I plan my work for times when the kids are most content. They’ll often entertain themselves for a while after an activity, meal or snack, so I have a post-lunch window, and sometimes I’ll try to get s few quick things done right after dinner.

I set up work stations. When I really have a lot to get done, I’ll try to set up a few activities around the house – paper and crayons or clay at the table, blocks by the couch, marble mazes or play food in the toy corner. That way, when they tire of one thing and want my attention, I can redirect quickly and get them interested in something other than me.

I stay up late. Most of my work gets done between 8:30 and 10:00 at night, after the kids have gone to bed.

I fit in bursts on my phone when I’m waiting – at the doctor’s office, waiting to pick up my son after school. If I’m waiting, I can use my phone to check or send out quick emails or look over to-do lists and plan my next activity.

My biggest challenge is still phone calls. Wherever they are, no matter how content, my children will almost certainly have some reason to melt down the moment I need to make a call. If I absolutely must use the phone, I step out onto my patio and close the sliding glass door. I can see them and they can see me, but if a meltdown happens, the person on the other end of the phone is less likely to hear the wailing through a thick-paned glass window.

The life/work balance is always a challenge, but my children and I are learning valuable tools (like patience and self-sufficiency) and are reaping rewards that create many happy memories that are well worth all of our hard work.