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One of the things I love about being a work at home mom is setting my schedule. Here’s when I work, but why it may not be for you.
Being self-employed in both of the businesses that I run, I get to say when I work. Okay, there are times when my schedule is affected by others. I’ll need to attend specific webinars for my finance business and I’ll need to be available on certain days for press junkets for my entertainment journalist business. However, 95% of my schedule is set by me.
This is what I love. I get to work when I want, which is usually around my children. It was a little harder when I was with an ex who did barely anything. Now I have a 50/50 split, I have a little more time to work on my business, and I take full advantage of that.
Working while the children are in school
If you have school-aged children, you’ll probably work when they are in school. This is the benefit of being a work at home mom. You can do your work when the kids aren’t around, focusing on those tasks. I even put the kids into daycare when they were younger to work then.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a day I have parenting time or a day my ex does. During school hours, I work. I try not to let people distract me during that time as I just prefer having this schedule. My ADHD brain* needs it.
Once the kids are home from school, I stop work. That’s it. Okay, there are times I overrun by 10 minutes to finish that last thing up (and it’s while they’re unpacking their bags from school) but I stop work when the kids are home to spend time with them.
What if your children are grown? What if you homeschool? If you homeschool, you’ll need to figure out your own pattern around that. If your children are grown, you’ll have more choice. This brings me to the next part of my schedule.
Being a work at home mom without the kids around
When I don’t have parenting time, I’ll work later hours. This allows me to take the days when I do have the kids completely off.
On a Wednesday and Thursday, I don’t have the kids after school. Those days, instead of finishing at 4 p.m., I’ll finish at 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. I try to get to some Zumba classes in the evening, so my work needs to fit around those schedules. Sometimes, I’ll go back to work on a night because I have nothing to do. I enjoy my work so it doesn’t actually feel like work.
On the Fridays I don’t have the kids (every other weekend), I’ll also work late. Then on the Saturdays I don’t have them, I’ll do a little bit if I need to. With a week-long vacation coming up, I will work Saturdays to get ahead and have content planned out and scheduled. On the weekends with the kids, I don’t work at all. Nothing. Nada.
Working when it suits me
What about you, though? Do you work best during the day? Maybe you’re like me and always found the middle of the night the best. I did when my kids were younger. My youngest had colic so while I walked around the house with her, I would dictate articles to finish off later on.
I don’t feel bad for staying up until 3 a.m. working on something when I don’t have the kids if I want. I don’t force myself to do it, but if the inspiration strikes, I run with it. People tell me all the time to work during the day, but why if my brain is working at 3 a.m.?
There’s nothing wrong with working when is best for you as a work at home mom. It doesn’t matter what others think you should do. Work when you are most productive. You’ll enjoy it more, and you’ll get more done.
MORE: Why you can’t treat your business like a 9-5 job
What are you struggling with as a work at home mom? Share in the comments below.
