Often I hear people asking me how I manage three children (husband included 😉 ), a blog, an online store, and of course a household. And all I can do is blush away and say Alhamdulillah! Because sometimes it’s difficult to explain everything to everyone you come across.
I have been a work-at-home mom for quite some time now and as a mom of two young children I have been struggling to maintain a healthy balance between my work and family life. I feel happy that I’m not the only one doing this, there are so many women out there in the similar situation, struggling to have a balance. And I proudly say that I have pretty succeeded at it. Alhamdulillah! And this is the reason I decided to share with you my top 10 productivity tips to ensure you have a merrier and more fulfilled time.
#1. Have passion for your work
No matter what you are, a stay-at-home or a work-at-home mom, or something else, having passion for your work will only take you higher! Because if you have passion and love for what you do, you can overcome any amount of hardship and still remain content at the end of the day. And if you have been following me for some time now, you already know that I’m very passionate about my blog, which makes me want to spend good amount time improving it.
#2. Wake up early
I used to sleep until the girls woke up. Then we would all be tired, trying to wake up and get some breakfast, and it would become chaos. Now I try to wake up before girls so I can have some coffee and sit by myself and read some morning news or workout.
Get yourself ready for the day during this time. Shower, get dressed, do your hair, brush your teeth; whatever your routine for getting ready is, do it in this time. That way if you do have to go somewhere, you just get the kids ready and go. Plus it’s a kick start to the day and that way you can get more work done instead of sitting in your pajamas all day. And if you are a person who doesn’t like changing into fresh clothes unless you are stepping out of the house! Then even that’s fine as long as you are doing everything else perfectly. Clothes don’t matter , you see 😉
#3. Maintain a schedule
Having a set routine is very important when you have young kids. Have fixed office times and family time, this will enable you to perform best in both roles.  And it can be extremely difficult to answer emails and write blogs with the kids running around (I know this from experience); hence it is essential to work in a relaxed peaceful environment. Work around your family routine, e.g. answer emails and make calls when your children are having naps or at school. I have met many moms who work for 2-3 hours in the morning and do the remaining work in the evening. Try different routines and see what works best for you and your family.
#4. Prioritize your tasks
To ensure you have a healthy balance between family and work life it is essential that you have top three or may be two tasks that you need to complete every day. If the rest does not get done its okay as long as you know those three/two important tasks have been completed. Also it’s very important to be realistic with your to-do list, there is no point jotting down 10 tasks for the day when you know you have a young family and very limited time.
#5. Set goals
If you want to have a productive month then it is best to list all the tasks you would like to complete and set goals for each day of the month. Writing down your monthly and daily goals will enable you to be more productive with your time as you would know what you need to do each month.
#6. Keep up on housework
Yes, at times this is impossible, especially with a three-year-old and a eighteen-month-old, but it’s best to try and stay on top of it! I’ve seen some people only designate one day a week as ‘cleaning day,’ or ‘laundry day’ however I find that with kids, it’s more efficient to do a little bit of cleaning everyday. Besides keeping up with the laundry and dishes, I try to do one room a day. It also makes everyone in the house feel so much better when toys are picked up before bedtime, so the next day you can start fresh and not with a leftover mess from the day before. When you keep up on the housework, it means more quality time with family.
#7. Learn to multitask
Are you waiting for the food to be cooked? Try to read emails in between. Is it your children’s scheduled screen time? Jot down ideas and concepts on a notepad while watching. Waiting in line at the grocery counter? Check your social networks. Use down times to multi-task and get those trivial activities out of the way to have more time for the actual job assignments.
#8. Include your kids in your activities
When you are cleaning or cooking, if your child shows interest in what you are doing, let them help! Most household activities kids can participate in with you, and it will make them feel like your big helper. It may take longer to get done, and more messier than you would do it, but it will teach them what you are doing and make them feel special. In the end they will be learning responsibilities and having fun with mom at the same time! And if you have more than one child, try to divide tasks among them, you can always do it, if they don’t get them done. The basic idea is to get them involved and to keep them occupied for some time.
#9. Seek assistance and take a break
As a mom, it is normal to feel overwhelmed from time to time; that’s why it is key to ask your loved ones for help. Ask your spouse or family members to watch the children while you work on a few blog post ideas, or just stop by at your favourite coffee shop and grab a cup for yourself, or may be just go and sleep for an hour or so. Just take a break from everything altogether. Often times, taking small breaks refreshes your mind and gives you new ideas and instant motivation to get back on track.
#10. Connect with your Creator
Last but not the least, spend at least some time doing a religious activity. Be it anything , offering prayers together, reciting some holy verses to your children or anything else. Let your children know that you are a God-fearing person. And getting them involved will instill the same ideologies in them. And in the end it’s important to keep that connect with your own Creator and be thankful to Him for all His blessing upon you and your family.
Also, writing this post, doesn’t mean I’m calling myself a perfect work-at-home mom. I’m only sharing what I follow to make my life a bit more merrier and content.
It obviously doesn’t mean these are any sort of guidelines you should be following. Because no one is just perfect, I have equal share of hard days, days when I literally drag myself out of the bed but then on the other side this is pretty much how I do it. So if you are a work-at-home mom like me, then try and see what works best for you and your family because at the end of the day we all want to make the most out of our lives. GoodLuck 🙂
beingamommy says
Its nice to read such tips once in a while… keeps one motivated:-) Btw…what online store do u have Haajra?
Haajra Fareen says
Haha! Thank you I’m glad someone appreciates my effort! You can check out http://www.facebook.com/ecotushdiapers 😊