I’m a freelance writer (in case you can’t tell). It has always been sort of a fun pastime for me, but as of this month it has taken on a whole new meaning. You see, I just quit my “real job” in order to stay at home and prepare to welcome our adopted children who will hopefully be coming home in the next few months. I am thrilled to finally be realizing my goal of being a homemaker, but the reality is that we can’t live on my husband’s income and so I need to start writing!
One of the things that I have found to be an issue already is balancing the housework and homemaking duties with taking the time out for writing. Right now I am sitting here writing while the dishes are calling to me to wash them and there are several loads of laundry on the floor in my bedroom that have no hope of being folded any time soon.
I think that this is a conflict that a lot of people who work from home face. What is more important – bringing home the bacon, or cooking the bacon in order to have a decent supper? This is even more of an issue for stay-at-home-moms and it is one that I know I will be facing soon. It is one thing to say that the dishes can wait, but what about the crying toddler who is clinging to your leg?
Balancing homemaking and a business is challenging and I definitely don’t claim to have all of the answers. However, there are a few things that I have learned from other work-at-home wives and mothers that I hope to incorporate as I adjust to this new phase in my life.
Get Organized
How much time do you need per day to work on your business? Does that time have to fall during certain hours or can you be more flexible? Go through your day and figure out when your business is going to fit in. Can you work during your kids’ naptime? Or perhaps when your spouse comes home they can take over and give you an hour or two to improve your business. If you are determined, you can make it work. The important thing is to come up with a schedule that works for you.
Have a Plan
Take some time to decide what your plan is for balancing your business and your home life. Set goals for yourself, but make sure that they are realistic. Someone who has three children under the age of three is not going to be able to accomplish the same amount that their neighbor with two teenagers can. Plan out what you want to do and figure out how to make it work. Even if you plan is that it will take you two years to really get your business running, that is still a plan and it is worthy of your time and energy.
Get Your Priorities Straight.
Regardless of how important your business is, don’t let it get in the way of your true priorities – your spouse and your children. Making that paycheck is important, but time spent with your family is truly priceless. Don’t get so caught up in your business that you miss out on the reason you started the business in the first place.