WAHMs: How to Find More Time for Work

Let's face it. Being a work at home mom is stressful and hectic, especially when you have more than one young child at home. After mediating your children's spats, cleaning and re-cleaning the kitchen, preparing and putting away meals, and trying to keep up with the laundry, how can you find time to work? Try a few of these hints to create more time for work, and hopefully a little extra time for yourself as well.

1. Get up earlier. Many women who work at home find that working late into the evening is the only way they can accomplish all that they need to do. However, most women who work until the pre-dawn hours find themselves exhausted and short-tempered in the morning. Instead of being able to greet her waking children with a hug and a smile in the morning, the late-night working mother instead finds herself awakening to see her children standing at the side of her bed. With a groan she either begs them to go play for a little while longer, or she drags herself out of bed. The result? Guilt. Wasn't part of the reason for being a WAHM so that she would be happily available to your children at all times?

If it is possible for you, work for a couple of hours after your children go to bed at night, but go to bed early enough that you will be able to be awake and welcoming for them in the morning. You may find that by getting up earlier, you can accomplish much more work before your kids awaken than you could in the twilight hours. Plus, you'll feel better about yourself as a mom.