This is a guest post by Roz Walker from The Savvy Mompreneur
Working from home can be very rewarding, offering moms the opportunity to earn money from home while caring for their children. But how can you successfully schedule your day when you have small children at home? Here are some tips for SAHMs who are working from home with small children:

Establish a schedule

If you plan to be successful in your home business, it’s important that you do income producing activities every day. Establishing your work schedule will help ensure that you are consistent and stay on track. Julianne Alverez with Our Milk Money offers this suggestion, “It’s a good idea to set your alarm for the same time each weekday morning and to head to the home office/computer at approximately the same time each day.”

This may mean waking up early, before the kids awake, or staying up a little late after their bedtime. You may also find that you can complete small tasks while the kids eat lunch, play or take a nap. By establishing a routine, you begin to treat your home business more like a business and less like a hobby. Post your schedule and review it with your family so they can support you in your decision to work from home.

Find creative activities for children

If you are seeking to raise future savvy entrepreneurs, then involving your children in your home business is a great idea. Depending on their age, they may be able to help you post flyers, put mailings in envelopes or other small business-related tasks. However, there may be times where you need some creative activities for your kids to do while you complete a special project or work to meet a deadline. Here are just a few ideas I have found that work well:

Arts and crafts – establish an art station for your kids equipped with art project kits, coloring books, drawing paper, paints, crayons, markers (all washable, of course!) scissors, glue sticks, and scrapbooking/decorating supplies.

Books/Audio tapes – age appropriate books and audio tapes can keep kids entertained in short spurts. My daughter loves her kids Bible audio CD set and will sit and listen for an hour or two, learning while being entertained.

Imaginative Play – kids enjoy dressing up and engaging in imaginative play. Create a dress up box filled with adult-size clothes and shoes, career costumes, linens to make tents or other fun apparel. Encourage them to produce and practice a play that they will put on for you at a later time.

Play dates – You may have trusted friends who are also SAHMs working from home. Consider swapping days for play dates. This will allow you to have scheduled dedicated time to focus on your business while your kids have fun.

Seek help for childcare

While the idea for becoming a SAHM is to spend time at home with your children, childcare can be necessary at times in order for you to complete your work from home. Consider soliciting help from family members or close relatives. A mother’s-day-out program, where children go to enjoy activities for half a day or a couple of days a week, may be a viable option. You may consider seeking the help of a mother’s helper, a childcare provider who will come to your home to watch your child while you work.

Take time out for you

Being a stay at home mom who is also working from home can pull you in many directions. While it’s important to schedule your business hours and stick to it, it’s just as important to schedule time for you to relax and rejuvenate. So as you establish your work from home schedule, be sure to include time for you to “play”. Whether it’s time with the kids, your husband, or your girlfriends, schedule it in and stick to it. For ideas on ways to rejuvenate, check out my previous post Time Out for Mompreneurs.

By incorporating these ideas, I hope you are able to successfully schedule your day and work around your kids’ schedule. My goal is to provide you with information that inspires! If this article has helped you, please leave a comment below and then Share the Love on Facebook, Twitter, etc below. Don’t forget to GET THE GLOW by subscribing to our newsletter. Thanks!!

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