i started my photography business before i had a baby.  i guess you could say that my business was my baby.  i mean, it sure acted like a baby, always needing care and constant attention to ensure that it grew into what it is today.  after having a baby, i had to learn how to juggle my most important role of being a mom, but also maintaining my business.  i didn’t want to let my business go, it is something that is a huge part of who i am.  and honestly, just because i now had a baby didn’t mean i was a no longer interested in my business.  in fact, i built my business intentionally to allow myself to stay home with my children and also have a little piece of something to call my own.  so, i had to quickly figure out how to have it all.  how to have the satisfaction of being a wonderful and nurturing mom, while also being a great business owner.  i quickly developed 5 habits that makes working from home with kids super manageable.

photographing my everyday is one of my passions.  to inspire your everyday photography, be sure to read the everyday photograph.

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Working From Home With Kids : 5 Habits To Be More Productive

Make The Most Out Of 5 Minutes

when we think of 5 minutes, we think of no time at all.  but really there are so many things that can be done in 5 minutes.  when i started thinking about what i could accomplish in a 5 minute amount of time, that really was eye opening.  and also, it added up to being really productive.  for example, in the span of 5 minutes, i could either edit one image or respond to an email or tidy up my desk or take a picture or read a tutorial.  don’t underestimate the power of 5 minutes and use it wisely to get something accomplished.

Monitor Your Goals

my game changing secret to being productive while working from home with kids is…goal setting.  that’s right, goal setting.  once i started making daily, weekly and monthly goals for myself, i literally began accomplishing tasks that i had been putting off for years.  i am honestly more productive and successful with my business now, as a working mom, than i was before children.  i owe all of this to my powersheets, a notebook that has me making and monitoring my daily, weekly and monthly goals.  my powersheets are the reason why i have written 2 ebooks, blog daily, edit daily, and successful take multiple photography classes in the last 5 months alone.  all of this while being intentional with my time with my family.

working from home with kids it so much easier when you create balance.  be sure to read about balancing family and business.

Keep A Tidy Space

always, always, always.  a tidy space seriously equals a tidy mind.  make sure your workspace is tidy so that, once you get a moment to sit down and work, you are in a fresh space that allows you to focus and be productive.  don’t waste your work time cleaning, but instead always make an effort to ensure that your space remains tidy and ready for a productive session of work.

Have A Dedicated Work Time

i work from home with a baby, without help.  without a nanny, without a break.  but i figure it all out by creating a dedicated work time.  this will look differently to each person, as each person may work better at different times of the day.  maybe you work better after the kids are asleep or maybe you work better first thing in the morning.  for me, i get up a couple hours before the baby to work and work during nap time.  i like to stop work at 5:00 because that’s when my husband gets home and i crave time alone with him once the work/mom day is over.  figure out what works best for you and stick to it.  choose a time and be intentional about working during that time.   (this also means resisting social media and anything else unrated to work during your dedicated work time.)  as you are working from home with kids, it is more important than ever that your work time is strictly dedicated to work.

Multi Task When You Can

hear me when i say this.  there is absolutely nothing wrong with your children seeing you work.  nothing wrong!  in fact, you are teaching them work ethic.  it’s okay if you hand your child a book to read while you bust out a blog post or respond to email.  it’s okay if your child plays quietly on your office floor for 20 minutes so you can button up an assignment.  for me, one of the most important things i want to teach my daughter is how to be independent.  i have worked so hard at teaching her how to play on her own, instead of relying on another person for play.  now, is this all the time?  of course not.  my number one job is mama and i play with her all the time.  but she doesn’t rely on me to be happy and play, she can play perfectly content on her own.  i take opportunities like this to teach her to learn independent learning, while i get a task completed too.

i enforce independent place once a day for at least 30 minutes.  this looks like me editing images on the floor of my daughter’s nursery while she sits next to me, happily playing with blocks or flipping through books or dumping out her toy basket.  sure, it’s not a desk that i am working at, but it works and things get done.  i also want to teach my daughter how to grow up and be a successful adult.  i want to lead by example and showing her how hard i work is one way i can do that.  i want to show her how i make goals and achieve them.

working from home with kids isn’t always easy.  but it is possible!  i promise you, it is possible.  by using your time wisely, monitoring your goals, keeping your work space tidy for success, setting a dedicated work time and learning to multi task, you can totally be successful as mama and business owner.  you can do this!  and while you are doing it, your kids are watching you do it!

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