6. Utilize Nap and Sleep Times to Their Max

When your kids nap, you must take full advantage of these precious hours!

I try to get all my high-priority, time-sensitive work done during this time because it means zero tending to my son while he naps.

As you plan your work for the week, arrange it so that you can get all your necessary work done during these precious low-alert hours.

7. Work Time Is for Work Only

Regardless of any housework you have piling up, and regardless of any plans you’d like to make, keep your work-designated hours for work only.

Be disciplined about this, and you’ll find that you’ll get most of your work done during your designated work hours, leaving you feeling accomplished and on top of your tasks for the rest of your day.

8. Plan for Setbacks

As any working mom will tell you, nothing will always go 100% according to plan, even the most detailed, fool-proof plans.

The babysitter might cancel, your husband or kids might fall ill, or your laptop might crash.

There are a million and one things that can go wrong, and the first step when it happens is to “b r e a t h e”, and re-set your planner accordingly. Which leads me to my next tip…

9. Set Realistic Expectations with Your Employer

Always have honest and candid conversations with your manager about what your schedule and constraints are.

Let them know well in advance about the dates you won’t be available, and try as hard as you can to honour your commitments and deadlines.

At the start of every year or quarter, make a list of the goals you and the team need to get done and let them know where you can perform and meet expectations.

At the same time, be forthright about where you may face difficulty and challenges.

10. Don’t Over-Commit

To really build trust and your reputation for integrity at work, don’t over-commit to assignments you’re unsure of completing.

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While it’s important to demonstrate skill and competence and take on challenges to move up the corporate ladder, take an honest stock of your priorities, both professionally and personally.

See where they align and conflict, and go from there.

Once you have a solid understanding of what you’re able to do, it’ll be easy to say yes to new opportunities and no to those that may hurt you.

11. Do Over-Communicate

Working from home means you don’t get the benefit of sitting side by side with your manager and colleagues every day and can’t stride over to their desk if you need to troubleshoot an issue.

This means you need to communicate down to the smallest detail in your email, text messages, or Slack conversations.

Frame every written message respectfully and succinctly, but give enough detail that would otherwise be conveyed in an in-person encounter.

This way, everyone is on the same page, and no one gets any surprises after weeks of non-communication.

Working from home as a mother definitely has some challenges, but many rewards as well.

We get the option to work on our own time and don’t need to waste time in traffic or commuting.

Best of all, the flexibility of our schedules can afford us to spend more time with our kids, which is important to take full advantage of!

Whether or not you are able to get outside help, the key to making work-from-home work is to set up a solid routine that works for you and your family. Happy working!

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