Surviving Summer Holidays as a Work at Home Mom

This is a guest post by Jan Ferrante from Queen of KAOS

Well, it’s that time again.

The time we look forward to all year long. And the time we… umm… I forget what I was going to say. I’m 3 days in with one still in school and I’m already wondering where my brain might be hiding - could be in the closet with the rest of me!

Somehow I had managed to stuff to the far corners of my mind that summer holidays have been fast approaching.

Now I’m starting to remember…

So what are a few tips that can help us to stay productive and enjoy the summer with our kids?

CHILL - I know it’s summer, but you gotta chill, even if its 100+ outside. Especially for the first week or so while you all adjust.

The kids are excited… and you are debilitated until you get your summer legs (which involves taking some time outside in your short shorts). Give yourself and your family a bit of constructive down time. Clear your schedule to the best of your ability and rest up. Your going to need it.

MAKE A PLAN - From day one, create some structure and rules. Don’t let even a few days go by without it, well maybe one but be sure to announce in your loudest serious voice that this is the first and last day of mischief and mayhem.

Plan what chores the kids will be doing for the summer and when they will be doing them.

Plan to plan meals. Get them to make a list of foods and meals that they like and include some that they can make. Get them to make at least one meal per week… maybe more… depending on hungry they plan to be. Wink

SET BOUNDARIES - Decide when you will work and put a structure in place that will make it work for you (a deadbolt on the door and a few chairs and maybe your desk against it for good measure can work) If that seems too extreme, sit down with the kids and brainstorm ideas and activities that will keep them busy and safe while you’re working - age appropriate of course. Boarding up their bedroom doors from the outside probably doesn’t count as an activity.

ADJUST YOUR SLEEPING PATTERNS - Basically, this is a polite way of saying that you can plan to skip sleeping until September. To get any focused work done, you will have to rise early and stay up late, I’m sure that you didn’t want to waste any of the summer sleeping anyway. HA!

Just kidding but you probably will want to make some adjustments if possible so that you can get up a bit earlier than the kids do if you are a morning person, or stay up a bit later if you are a night owl. This isn’t fail proof of course, depending on the ages of your child. I remember when my youngest was about 4 or 5, it didn’t matter if I got up at 3am, she knew… somehow she knew and BAM… she would appear. Try not to let it get to you. Remember that someday you will be sitting up at 3am wishing that she was standing in the room. You can get some work done then.

Seriously, you will find the hours when the kids are asleep, no matter what their age to be golden, but you also need to be well rested. It’s hard to type while holding your eyelids open with both hands - or even one, take it from me.

KEEP THEM BUSY - Taking time to drive them to activities will cut into your day, but it will ultimately take less time than having a bored child wandering around the house and it may even be a nice break for you too. Take full advantage of any child trading you may be able to do (be sure to check that you get the right one back… that would be the quiet one) or any childcare opportunities such as parents, inlaws or mothers helpers who may be frequenting the neighbourhood.

Plan outings, both for the kids individually and as a family. Resist the urge to say no on the grounds that you need a few more hours with your head stuck at the computer. It will still be there when you get back (at which time you can re-attach it to your shoulders).

PUT THEM TO WORK - Depending on their ages, you can hire your kids to give your business a boost this summer. You can hire them in your business and get a tax write off as well. Or hire them around the house to take a load off and free you up for a few extra hours. Even small kids may be able to help you with something and they will be more likely to respect your business if they are involved. I find the biggest bonus being that now they have their own money, it makes mine stretch much farther. That’s a benefit you don’t get by hiring out.

PREPARE SNACKS AHEAD - Put some healthy snacks in snack size containers in the fridge so that they can grab and stuff or have cut up veggies, boiled eggs etc prepared. 90% of all interruptions have been proven to be food related. Make it easy on all of you.

USE A TIMER - It’s easy to get involved and not notice the time. Avoid mutiny on deck… time yourself so that you can keep your promises… and keep them.

BE SUPER FOCUSED - Now is a good time to get in the habit of creating laser focus in your work day tasks. Outline a plan detailing exactly what you want to focus on over the summer. Do only what is necessary and ultimately will increase your bottom line. Cut out the chit chat and time wasters and spend the time with your kids. Remember, even though M comes at the end of WAHM, you are a mom first. Some days the summer holidays may seem to go on forever, but they will be over before you know it. And then you can PAR-TAY!

HAVE FUN! - Loosen up a little and enjoy your kids, however much of a PITA they may seem at the most inopportune times. There is nothing worse than a sad old woman missing her kids and wishing that she could have just one more day of total knock down, blow out, little kid KAOS with the herd. Except for a sad old woman who is alone and wishing she had spent more time in total knock down, blow out, little kid KAOS with the herd when she had the chance. Better to know that you are going to miss these days with the smug satisfaction that you have rung every minute possible out of their childhood and had fun doing it dammit.

All in all, if you can remember the 3 P’s - Priorities, Planning and Pizza, you’re in for a great summer!

Jan Ferrante is the Queen of KAOS, a work at home mom who will be found this summer, working in peace under her desk and dreaming up the next solution for work at home KAOS. Get your free subscription to WAHM in Focus so that you can increase your productivity from under your desk as well this summer.