Time. The one thing we can never get enough of. From the time we wake up, the clock is ticking. So much to do, so little time. For those that work, especially from home, it is constantly on the brain. Add children in the mix, it seems almost impossible to keep up with everything.
What can I do today? Will I have enough time to squeeze in all my tasks? Will I have enough time to spend with my kids? How will I get any cleaning done.
ENOUGH!
Yes, it’s tough. It’s almost darn near impossible some days. What if I told you that there is a way to manage everything and still stay sane? Yes, this is possible! Here are my recommendations to time management when you work and have kids.
Make a List
I can not stress this important piece enough! Yes, there are many tasks to do each day, week, etc. What I want you to do is write down everything you have going on during the week. Even make a note of what chores you need to get completed. Once you have that, make a priority list. What has to be done and when. Do you have any appointments? Mark your due dates. If you have anything that isn’t a high priority, spread those tasks out through the week. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss this step!
Make a Schedule & Laugh
Okay. You don’t really have to laugh. I see this step all the time, and I can’t help but chuckle. If you have children that can take care of themselves or at least stay occupied while you work, please make a schedule. This step is extremely helpful when it comes to time management. When doing your schedule, make sure to map out your times and work in chunks. An example:
● 9am-9:40am- Do productive work for your business.
● 9:40am-9:50am- take a brain break
● 9:50am- 10:20am- Start laundry- wash, fold, etc
● 10:20am-10:30am- Check emails
The list continues on. You can make the chunks bigger or smaller. It’s all about making it work for you. Now, if you’re in my situation – two children, one in diapers – making a schedule and working in time chunks will not work.
Before I had my son, having a set schedule worked like a charm. Of course it varied a bit when my oldest was home, but it was easier to maneuver. Now that I have a new baby, I work around his schedule.
How do you plan around this? Honestly, there is no one answer. Every baby and every day is different. My best advice in this situation is to work when you can. This can mean work during naptime, bedtime, after a feeding, etc.
As much as you may want to do everything as your old normal, it won’t happen. If you have something due, work on that tasks and do everything else as you can. There is enough stress during the first year with a new baby. Adding on more work will not do anything but make you burnout faster.
Ask for Help!
If you haven’t figured it out already, you can’t do everything. As much as we want to believe this, it’s not happening. If you have older children, have them do some chores around the house. If you have a significant other, split the household responsibilities. If you are falling behind on something, speak up and ask for help.
If you’re comfortable, hire a sitter or mommy’s helper to help out if you have smaller ones.
Should your budget allow this, hire a Virtual Assistant for your business. You can have them do simple tasks such as maintaining your email or you can have them take over most aspects and you relax. If you need help with finding one, I do have a guide on my website that helps with the process: The AVAS Guide to Finding a VA.
Make Time For You
We often get so caught up with trying to do everything that we forget who matters. Us. Whether you make time daily or once-a-week, find something that gets your mind off working and being a mother. I promise it makes a huge difference with your well-being.
Use our Peaceful Living Wellness Workbook: Finding Time For What’s Important. It will help you figure out how to prioritize and clear time for the mindfulness and self-care that are so important for avoiding burnout. (PAM, can you put that link in here? THX)
There are quite a few steps we can take to manage our time better. Even though I am looked at as a guru in time management, I still struggle with some aspects. I hope you found this list beneficial, and if you have any other tips, I would love to hear them!
Remember, we are in this Mom Boss thing together! Leave a comment and/ or reach out to me! I love to hear from my readers!
Yours,
Adriana
ADRIANA RICHARDSON
Adriana Richardson is from the beautiful Charleston area of South Carolina. There she lives with her husband and two children. Adriana has her Bachelors degree in Health Science, and she is a Virtual Assistant and writer by profession. Outside of this, she enjoys getting involved with her community, watching Netflix, has a small addiction to sweets and just likes to enjoy life with her family and close friends.
