How to Get Work Done With the Kids Around

As all working mothers know, it can be hard to get work done when your kids are around. Even your greatest intentions can be thwarted as you set up a meeting in advance at a time when you know your kids will be out, or the baby will be napping; only to get a call from the school to say your little one’s got a stomach ache and needs to come home, or the baby wakes up for no good reason at all…

Canceled meeting, grouchy momma, crying children, oh my. Work can be stressful enough without trying to juggle it with your kids. And if working from home is seriously getting to you, it’s time to take a timeout and rethink your priorities.

Put Your Health First

Before you start working into the small hours or getting up in the dark to finish off a presentation, article, or client bid, make sure you think about your health first. Remember that a lot of people are relying on you (you know, the little ones you gave birth to; not the ones pushing you to hit targets), and making yourself sick from burnout isn’t going to do anyone any favors.

So if your quality of sleep has diminished, you’re experiencing aches and pains in the neck, head, or jaw, the chances are that you’re grinding your teeth in your sleep. Try consulting with a dental health care provider like J&S Dental Lab to see if a dental night guard could help ease your discomfort and wake up with a clearer head in the morning.

Also, try to make time for a brisk walk, jog, or workout, at least three or four times a week, and eat sensibly, as neglecting any of these things can leave you running on low battery, which is detrimental to your productivity.

Ask For Help

Now that you’ve made sure you’re looking after yourself too, remember that you don’t have to be superwoman. Ask your partner for help getting the chores done and make sure they understand that parenting is about teamwork, and that sometimes you need their help.

If you’re a single Mom, then try leaning on your parents, friends and other family members from time to time. You might think you can handle it all on your own, but you’ll end up giving everyone else the worst version of yourself. So get someone to watch the kids, even for just an hour or two, while you power through a pile of outstanding orders.

Try Outsourcing

If you haven’t looked into getting help online yet, then it’s about time you did. Sites like Upwork or Fancy Hands are great for getting admin help, writing, design, and even phone calls made, and PowerPoint presentations done. The costs are affordable and you can read about the freelancer’s profile and past experience to make sure they’re a good fit for you.

Power Through

If you’ve invested in your health, asked for help, and outsourced, but you still don’t have enough hours in the day to get your work done, then you may have no other option except to power through. As long as you’re getting at least six hours’ sleep a night, taking advantage of every moment before midnight that the kids are sleeping to meet the occasional deadline won’t kill you. And if you want to find out more information about the benefits of a custom night guard to wear while you’re sleeping, click here.

Guest Poster

Sam Jones is a digital marketing expert, social media and branding consultant and guest blogger for various publications, including Business2Community, Inbound.org and TestPrepPlace.com. In her free time, Sam is an avid traveler, foodie and lover of all things technology. She’s also a fitness fanatic (in the making).