You’ve finally settled into a perfect rhythm. Post-drop-off, you grab a quick (hot) cup of coffee and get to work. You can spend the whole day networking, creating and getting your hustle on.
Except now, school is out for the summer and your kids are at home with you. Your beautiful angels will be home all day long. Just like that, your perfect work rhythm is seriously in jeopardy.
You may need to work in the evenings when your kids are home with you for their summer vacation.
With a few tweaks, though, you can still work from home during summer break.
Work From Home Solutions: Find Child Care
Summer Camp
Behold the beauty that is summer camp. Your children will be having glorious adventures every weekday during regular school hours. You, on the other hand, will be able to stick to your perfect work schedule.
Unlike (public) school, however, you will have to pay for the privilege of keeping your kids busy. Luckily for military families, there are many scholarships and even free camping opportunities out there! And there are endless camping possibilities. From your basic day camp to specialty activity camps to sleep-away camps, there truly is something for everyone.
Even if you only use summer camps for a few weeks, this option can seriously keep your work groove in the zone.
Mother’s Helper
What if a magical person came to your house for a few hours a day to entertain your children? These angels from heaven do exist and they are called mother’s helpers.
Mother’s helper is a perfect job for an older middle school or young high school student during summer break. It’s a great bridge between being a child and being an independent babysitter. Plus, mother’s helpers usually command slightly lower rates because you, the parent, will be home.
Additionally, you will be helping another young entrepreneur get his or her start in the business world! Ask around your church, social groups or schools. You never know who has a child that wants to gain child care experience.
Enlist Your Spouse
One of the perks of being a work-at-home-parent is that you can pull double duty as the primary caregiver and a breadwinner. But you absolutely need some alone time to work or just get out of the house. Schedule some time for your spouse to step into your shoes. Then you can set up shop in a cafe with wifi to work and enjoy a delicious latte or two.
Other Child Care Options
Set up play dates or child care swaps with other families during the week. Create a backyard full of entertainment with kiddie pools, sandboxes and maybe a swing set. Or head to a playground to change things up. You should definitely use every minute of naptime and create rest time for children who no longer nap.
Worst-case scenario? You might be pulling some night shifts to get your work done.
Work From Home Solutions: Workflow Optimization
Planning
Make sure that you know what you’re doing in your limited time. On Sunday night, after the kids are asleep, write everything down in your weekly planner. Include your kid’s activities, your work commitments and other tasks to complete.
Make note of any days when you know that you might need to get work done at night. Also be sure to include a countdown to any big project deadlines. This way you can mentally prepare and plan in advance.
Batch Your Work
Working from home means you wear a lot of different hats all the time. When you’re planning your work week, try to keep similar tasks on the same day.
For example, plan to schedule social media posts on Mondays and write new blog posts on Tuesdays. Or micro-batch things, like answering emails during your first 20 minutes and then make 1 sales call immediately after.
Cut the Extras
Figure out what is the core of your business and focus on that during the school-free months.
If you are self-employed or a freelancer, this can be easier. In the summer, try to keep it simple. It might be a good idea to think carefully about taking on new projects, clients or commitments. Unless you have found a way to carry your school-year schedule into summer, your work time might be significantly impacted.
For current projects, stick to the basics and essentials. Think about what you absolutely have to do to keep going.
If you work for someone else, now is a great time to remind your employer that your children will need more of your time during the summer. Ask about flexible scheduling, like working more nights and fewer days if you are on the clock. If your schedule will be drastically altered, see if you can work part-time or be used as a backup.
Work From Home Solutions: Spend Time Together
As important as work is, cherish these fleeting summers spent with your children. Even while you maintain your business or career, schedule in lots of time for fun day trips and vacations.
After all, that’s part of the appeal of working from home, right? You can enjoy your kids’ childhood and rock your career dreams!
