Working from home when you have kids at home is a struggle for anyone. Allow me to repeat that – it is a struggle for ANYONE! Even those that make it look easy have days where it is anything but. If you add a toddler or a baby, or both, into that mix, it is even harder. That is not to say its impossible, by no means! You CAN absolutely do this!
[This post was first published in 2018 – but updated in 2020, where all of us are facing the harsh realities of working from home with your kids – maybe you need this even more now? Anyway – I just wanted to say – hang in there – you are doing amazing! If you are interested I started an online community of people who get you – its called “Business building Moms” and I would love to invite you to join us in there.
Top 5 struggles of working moms and how to fix them.
Having been working online for more than 2 years now, and working with a lot of moms – the struggles that hear most are listed below. I have also answered how I have found ways to make it work for me, so that these things are no longer (as much) of an issue.
I say this to you, because if you struggle – you are not alone! It is very tough to create a business from scratch with 1, 2, 3 or even 4 kids running around you, and wanting to get your attention every 5 seconds. Its also the most rewarding, satisfying and joyful thing I have ever done, and I wouldn’t want to change it for the world.
Finding time
In the beginning of my online adventure I struggled to even find 5 minutes together to get a small task done. It was SO frustrating and I didn’t know how to push forward when I never had any time to work on my business.
I would hear the ever not helpful advice to get up early (when they already start at 5 thats just not doable) or to work at night (Thats not helpful when you have been up since 5 – nighttime is not the best time to work)
Solution: You need help! Find someone to take care of the kids, even for a few hours a week, and dedicate that time to work on moving your business forward.
This is so much easier said than done I know. Is there a way that you can find this time to work. And then set that time as work time, and stop worrying about it at other times.
Finding peace
Sometimes I just need a quiet place to think for me to be able to move on in my business. There are SO many tasks and in order to sit down and make a plan I just need some peace and quiet. Lets face it, a house with 4 kids is not the place for it.
Solution: Leave the house. Get out, even if its with the family, I find that a long walk in a different environment helps my thoughts get sorted. You need to be clear on what problem you are solving when you leave. Don’t spread yourself to thin, choose ONE problem and find a solution on your walk.
Being efficient
One of my biggest struggles is being efficient. When you only have small chunks of time to work, its just so hard to make that time count.
Solution: I use Trello to keep tract of all of my to dos. I can access it from every device, which means that whenever I have an idea, it can go straight to the right list and I can work on it later. I find time once a week to go through the most important tasks and have them in a seperate board, that way I always know what to work on if I have a minute.
Drowning in tasks
Starting out can be SO overwhelming. As a blogger you should create killer original content, post that to every social media platform, but in the right way or you will hurt your game later on. You need to be an expert on everything from design, to customer flow and SEO.
Solution: Take it ONE STEP at a time. You will get there. Make sure you know where you want to go, and make a plan of how to get there, one step at a time.
Spending time on everything else
I know it can be tempting to do the lundry or clear the kitchen. When I first started out I was spending way to much time doing everything but the work I needed to do.
Solution: STOP. Your new job, of working from home, is just as important as any other job. Dont do any of the tasks that you wouldnt do in any other work situation, in your set office hours.
Those are my top five struggles. Sometimes they can be struggles still, but I try my very best to keep them at bay! What is your biggest struggle, and how do you deal with it? Leave me a comment below, I would love to know!
Until next time
Malene.
That sounds amazing! Best of luck with it!
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