This week on Mom’s Morning Show, the ladies are chatting on how to work while your kids are home from school. They made some great points today, and maybe even stepped on a few toes.
You see, it can be tempting to spend too much time at the computer – being a work at home Mom is no excuse for neglecting your precious little ones. At the same time, Mommy has to get some work done.
Since my kids are homeschooled, this is kind of an issue for me year round! I’ve been a work at home Mom for a few years, so I’ve had to learn how to work around their needs.
If you are a parent with school-age children and also have a home business, it can be difficult to work while your children are on summer vacation from school.
The following are tips on finding ways to work around your children’s summer schedule.
If there are other families in your neighborhood with children of similar age to your children’s age, try organizing a babysitting swap.
Get together with the other parents and create a schedule where each family takes turns being the designated sitter. Any of the other parents who need to run errands, work, etc., can drop their children off at the sitter’s house that day.
A simple trade off with another work at home Mom (or stay at home Mom) might also work. Sadly I’ve never been able to take advantage of this tip.
Since I have 4 kids, it wouldn’t be exactly fair for me to swap with someone who has fewer. And my one friend who does have 4 kids – well let’s say I don’t necessarily want to burden her with taking care of 8 kids at once. 
You may also want to find out if there are local day camps. Unlike overnight camps, these camps allow you to drop your children off in the morning and pick them up in the evening. They are usually filled with various learning activities, art, music, and drama. These activities will keep your children’s minds stimulated during the summer, and you will get a few hours to work each day.
I signed up my 3 oldest kids for an Arts Day Camp. Today was their first day.Your place of worship may also have some summer activities planned.
There may be a “Mom’s Day-Out Program” that allows parents to drop off their children for a few hours three days a week. Volunteers in the congregation may teach the children a craft, read stories, or simply play with them.
You may also want to look into hiring a young teenager to come over and play with your children while you work on the computer in your office. Since you are still in the house, you can feel safe knowing you are there in case of an emergency. A young teen who may not have much babysitting experience will also charge less than an older teen.
Another option is to call the local high school or college before school gets out and let them know you are looking for an intern. This can take the form of someone majoring in early childhood education to watch your children or you may want to hire a student interested in business, marketing, etc. They can help you with your business tasks which will free up some of your time.
Normally, you do not pay interns. They work in exchange for the experience.
You can also get your children involved with your business. Depending on your children’s age, assign them tasks that they can easily complete.
For example, my 10 year old son is one of my (not so virtual) assistants. I pay him hourly (and this is tax deductible for us – check with your accountant) to do certain things for me. He has learned a lot about managing a website and works for less than other VAs! Hiring your kids will help give them an understanding of business and increase their self esteem. It will also enable you to spend time together as a family and still get work done.
And finally, invest in some fun activities for your kids if they are old enough to entertain themselves for short periods at a time. Give them one new craft activity each day to keep them interested.
If you need to make phone calls, have a Happy Basket near your desk and pull it out for your toddler or preschooler – it can be filled with nearly anything they like to play with. The secret is not to let them have access to it all the time so they’re always going to be intriqued and will let you have a few minutes of quiet to make important phone calls.
Some moms have had success with setting up a child’s “office” next to their own. Give them your old cancelled checks and Monopoly money and let them play bank. Pens, paper, crayons, an old keyboard – and your child is in business!
Working around your kids’ summer vacation can definitely be a challenge, but you can find ways to do it.
==> Go here to learn how to hire your kids, tax free, to work in your business and save on your tax liability.
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