It’s that time, summer is here! And that means attempting to balance work and kids while at home. Yes, I’m the mom who does nothing with her kids each summer, even though I still have to bring home the proverbial bacon.
So how do I do both? Have fun with the kids and still work? It is possible – I promise, with a little planning and whole lot of letting go of expectations. I can usually get in 4-5 hours per day of work, while still spending time with the girls. Here are six summer work at home mom hacks that will help you stay productive, have fun, and not lose your mind!
SCHEDULE EVERYTHING
I’m a planner girl and need to write out the three top tasks that have to get done each week. This includes meal planning and the kid’s activities. Once I do this I can plan out what days I will work on which job task. Here’s how I prep on the weekends to set ourselves up for a kick-ass week!
GIVE THE KIDS RESPONSIBILITIES
Doing nothing doesn’t mean TV or tablet time all summer. It means mornings are for chores, pets, reading for 30 minutes, then doing something creative. This could be an art project, writing, drawing, Legos, whatever they choose. Once that is done they have earned a 30 minute TV show. How long does this take? They wake around 7:30 am and all of this doesn’t get done until 10:00 AM. That’s a lot of time for mom to get some work done! Especially if you wake up before your kids. I used these printables for the girl’s checklists this summer!
GET UP BEFORE THE KIDS
Do I do this every morning? Heck no! It’s summer, we’re supposed to sleep in and enjoy ourselves more. But on days where I have a heavy workload, I do try to get up around 6:00 am-6: 30 am. Which isn’t terrible considering that’s my normal wake up time.
ASK FRIENDS FOR HELP OR GET A SITTER
I have a good friend that also works from home and her kids are almost the same age as our girls. This is awesome because they love to play together, which means once a week we trade kids. I drop the girls there from 9:00 am to 1:00 or 2:00 pm one day a week and she does the same at my house on another. Is it hectic with four kids? Sometimes. But they play really well together which means more time to work.
DON’T DO EVERYTHING
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. It’s OK if the house isn’t clean or the dishes are stacked up! As for help, your kids are more capable than you think. It’s a trade-off, having it all isn’t having it perfect.
DO ACTIVITIES THAT REQUIRE MINIMAL SUPERVISION
I try to scour Pinterest on the weekends to find new things for the girls to do that don’t require a ton of supervision. I can set up in the kitchen with my laptop while they do a fun project. Or they go swimming for an hour or two while I work on the porch. Is ideal? Am I spending every waking hour with them? Nope. But they are at home, with someone who loves them and having a ball, so I think it’s pretty great.
Working at home in the summer with kids is a choice. We really took a pay cut to enable me to spend time with the girls, and it’s a sacrifice I don’t mind making for now. No, I can’t get my nails done, and we can’t afford a ton of extra activities, but we get to spend quality time together and explore where we live. For where we are in our lives, this is all we need.
Hope these tips helped you and feel free to share your work from home mom hacks with me!
If you liked this post please follow along on Facebook and Instagram as well! Also, you might like these 30 Ways to Have Fun Doing Almost Nothing with Your Kids This Summer.
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