Balancing Productivity, Ergonomics, & Staying at Home
Being a Mom is a Balancing Act
Taking care of babies, small children, and even older children before and after school while still managing to keep house, let alone work from home can prove quite challenging. Sometimes it feels like you you either can’t do it right or you have to do everything half-way, neither of which is a satisfying conclusion.
Fortunately, without patting myself on the back too much, I will say I think it’s possible to be an intentional mom and a successful work from homer. Now, during the infancy stage {the first few months of a new baby} don’t count. But once you can predict a basic pattern or routine for your baby or small child, I believe you can set reasonable goals for yourself. Each mom will have to do what works best for her, but here are some tips for balancing home and work.
First and foremost, be reasonable in your expectations.
- Try out a schedule and see how it works. Then, you can figure out just how much you can get done each day or week.
- Set up specific time to work. If kids are at school, slot out several hours that are for work and not anything else. If you have some at home, try taking advantage of down time or nap time to work.
- Be sure to treat work like work- it’s not a hobby, nor is it 24/7. It works best for me to try to get my quota in Monday through Friday, though if I have to take time off during the week, I make up for it on the weekend. This will vary based on how you’re paid- you may need certain hours or it may be a task-finished kind of payment.
Set up an ergonomic work station.
One of the most common mistakes work from home moms make is to treat work a little too comfortably. They don’t realize that typing with one hand while wiping a bottom with the other may cause injury, not to mention a very dirty keyboard.
- Thus, be sure to set up a work space that is conducive for work. If you are a crafter, you need a craft corner that has all of your supplies in easy reach. If you work from a computer, you need a desk that houses all your equipment ergonomically. You should make a habit of working from the desk, even if it means docking your laptop. Your monitor should be at eye level to avoid eye strain and your keyboard should be centered, with the mouse right next to it.
- If at all possible, adjust your chair to support your back.
Balancing kids and working from home can be challenging. The key is to treat work professionally, even going so far as to set up an ergonomic work station, to ensure that you get your work done!