Tips for Work-from-Home Mamas...to Avoid Stress with Kids!

My daily life as a work-from-home mom goes like this...

It's 07:30Am, I wake up, as silent as I can, I try to move around and set up my workplace.

One beep from my computer... ugh, the baby wakes up. Instead of checking my mails, I need to do meals. I am unable to work mornings because I need to take care of my baby. What other choice do I have? The only peaceful time I can get is the he's sleeping. Lucky if I have someone here at home to take care of him during the day. I work in flexible schedule. But stress comes when urgent work is needed and my son is crying his lungs out all day. I start to get irritated by every move and cry he makes. Every little mess is an eye sore. When I thought working from home is easy, now it made me a shrew, the kind of mom I swore I’d never be.

Working from home is challenging indeed. But in today's situation, this is the new normal, and most of us moms feel this way. What choice do we have right? So I listed below some tips that would help us moms make the most of working from home with less stress.

1. Set some Activities for the Kids. Plan activities for the week during weekends. Maybe some books, puzzles, lego blocks, or maybe some playdoh. Find something that interests them. So while you work, they can also have some activity time with you. Assigning some house hold chores is also a good idea. Not only they learn, it also saves you sometime and energy. Ask them to water the plants, sweep the floors or windows or maybe just feed the dog. Who knows, they might enjoy it.
   

2. Make Non-Negotiable Schedules Aside from assigning some household chores, making daily schedules, especially if you have teens are very useful. Instead of you doing all the work after your shift, assign them tasks that should be done daily. My dad used to do this. He write everyday tasks on a piece of paper, and stick it on the fridge door. There, I see the time and what I need to do in that moment. Say, it's 08:00 AM and I need mop the floor and wipe dusts out of the cabinets. It's I very strict schedule I follow. It not only thought me how to be disciplined, I also learned to manage my time as well.
   

3. Make the most of Nap Time It really helps to get the stress out of your system when you have the time to nap it out. Try to spend some nap time with your baby or kids. Have some cuddles and just relax your tired body and mind.
   

4. Make Sure to have Playtime Spare some time to play with your kids. Even a 10 minute break to play with them will help. Sing them a song or build some blocks. Having a little laugh time with the kids will help a lot in releasing your work stress and also gives you some time to catch up with what the kids are doing. Do not depend on letting them have a whole day of screen time just to avoid getting disturb. Have some interaction with the kids from time to time.
   

5. Set Up a Mini Pantry Have some snacks and drinks set up up the night before. A little table will help so they can reach it on their own. Biscuits, some fruits, few candies and water ready so they can get one when they start to get hungry. Be sure to use a safe glass or water bottle. My son usually likes to eat bread from time to time, especially when he's playing. He'd go to me crying wanting to eat some bread or want me to make him milk. It helps whenever I prepare them near my place and have the milk ready so when he starts whining, I can just grab one and give it to him.
   

6. Ask your Partner for Help Most of us have partners that work outside. But that doesn't mean you can't ask them for help especially when you are working. Taking care of the kids whole day is as tiring as working outside. So ask for a little help to your husband or partner. My husband works full-time in a refinery and goes home every night. I know he's tired and needs to rest but he still manages to help me with our son. He knows I work night most of the time, so he's takes his turn in simply giving our son a bath and putting him to bed so I can work and finish my tasks.

Having right strategies will help you get through your day to day struggle as work from home moms. Just keep in mind, working from home maybe hard for us, but having a work from home parent is also hard for our kids. So as long as you can spare some time for them, do it. And when the work is done, make sure to spend lots of attention and love to your family.