I want to thank Huggies for offering this sponsored opportunity to share a helpful deal with you—see the offer at the end!
I am a mom of four children, all age seven and under.
I work as a play therapist.
I maintain two blogs: this one and Blogging on the Side, which focuses on blogging tips.
I’m home with our kids six days a week and work one morning each week as a play therapist.
Working from home with young children presents unique challenges. Balancing family responsibilities with work tasks can be difficult. Often it feels like there is always something left undone, which makes it hard to get a good night’s rest and wake up ready to tackle the day. Being “always at work” is a common struggle for moms who work from home.
Here are five practical strategies that make my life easier. These are habits I rely on daily and that allow me to work from home effectively.
1- Use premade meal plans and slow cooker recipes
Meal planning is a small change that delivers big results. Weekly meal plans that include grocery lists and recipe cards remove the daily decision-making and grocery guesswork. I’ve tried several plans—paleo, low-calorie, and now slow cooker meals—and slow cooker recipes are my favorite. I can toss ingredients into the crock pot while the kids eat breakfast, set it to low, and have dinner ready by the time my husband gets home. If I forget in the morning, I can prepare it at lunchtime and set it to high. Either way, dinner is handled with minimal effort.
2- Keep the house reasonably tidy
A cluttered environment makes it almost impossible for me to focus. I’m grateful that my mom helps watch the kids when I work, and on those mornings the house looks immaculate. On days without that extra help, I stick to the simple organizing and decluttering routines I’ve shared in my decluttering and organizing series. A small daily routine keeps clutter from building up. I also rely on a robot vacuum set to run every morning at 9:00—it’s a huge time-saver and keeps floors presentable without extra effort.
3- Keep the kids engaged and content
I keep a selection of simple activities ready to occupy the kids when I need to work. These activities are quick to set up and usually let the children play independently in the same room as me while I work. When things feel overwhelming, I take a short break to sit with them and play—giving a tight hug can be a major stress reliever and helps refocus both of us.
4- Make chores a family effort
In our home everyone contributes. We use a daily cleaning checklist and age-appropriate chore lists so each child knows what’s expected. One helpful habit is “family clean up” after dinner—no one does other activities until the kitchen is cleaned and toys are put away. Involving kids in household tasks teaches responsibility and helps keep our home running smoothly. As I tell my children, “Many hands make light work.”
5- Shop online whenever possible
Online shopping saves time and often saves money. Ordering household essentials, including diapers, is convenient and reduces trips to the store. Huggies provided a special promotion for readers: an exclusive discount that takes $12 off a pack of Huggies diapers when you use the code WOWHUGGIES at checkout. Promotions like this make online shopping an even better option for busy families.
What about you? What tips help you juggle working from home with kids? Share your ideas below so other readers can benefit from your experience.
Thanks!