With summer break quickly approaching, I thought it would be a good time to talk about my go-to strategy to increase your productive work time with kids at home. Whether you have teens, school-aged kids or toddlers, this can work for you. Sound like something you need? Well then, let’s jump into it.
Links for This Episode
- Mama Business Blueprint
- Mama Business Strategy Session
- Mama Business Community
- More Info & Podcast Transcript
Podcast Episode Recommendations
- #72: How to Grow Your Online Business in Messy Seasons
- #52: How to Grow Your Business by Asking for Help, 3 Tips for Busy Mamas
- #48: Have 5 Minutes? 7 Ways to Use Small Pockets of Time to Grow Your Business
- #24: Too Little Time? Use This Strategy to Get More Done as a Busy Mama
Quick Tip: 1 Way Increase Your Productive Work Time with Kids at Home
Well hey there! And welcome back to another episode of the Mama Business podcast. Today marks the first of a new weekly series I’m creating centering around quick tips. Because, I know that we all have a few minutes we can set aside each week to make a small shift – whether that’s within our business, family lives, or even our own mindset. So going forward you can expect a regular episode filled will all the training around systems and business strategy on Tuesdays and on Thursdays you can jump back in for one quick tip that you can implement immediately. Sound good?
I hope so. So without further ado, let’s talk about today’s tip.
One of the biggest concerns I hear from Mama Business owners is that they don’t know how to get more done in their days when their kids are underfoot. And for some of us, it’s little those little ones under five that are with us every day all day long. But for others it’s the school aged kids that are home during school breaks when we are used to working for many hours of the day uninterrupted.
Whichever camp you find yourself in, I want to suggest one strategy I’ve used over the years – with my now teens and my current toddler – to ensure that I am able to get some productive work time in even when they are home.
And that is having a preferred activity that only takes place during a critical mommy working time. You know, that time when you absolutely have to meet the deadline, finish the project, or just have a moment to think about an idea that you just had that’s going to make you millions. We’ve all had those moments, right?
So, this can play out in a lot of ways and it will really depend on the age and interests of your child, but these are some of the things I’ve used over the years.
Increase Your Productive Work Time with School-Aged Kids
When my now teenagers were younger, they loved to paint. So, when I needed 20 to 30 minutes to get a task done, we pulled out the paints, they sat at the kitchen counter, and they focused on making the best masterpieces they could come up with. But…the reason it worked was because the paint only came out during those times.
Increase Your Productive Work Time with a Toddler
With my now toddler, I have two different bags of toys that I alternate during times that the babysitter didn’t show or I have a client call that needs my attention. I can guarantee that when I pull that bag of toys out of the closet and he starts digging through it, he’s going to find a lot of things to keep him interested while I complete what I needed to get done.
Increase Your Productive Work Time with Teens
I’ve also used the favorite television show during these times as well. TV isn’t really something that we watch a lot of in our home, so that helps, but I know that if I turn on an episode of something that he really loves, then he’ll tune into that for awhile so that I can finish the task at hand. Also, this works with teenagers, too – but it’s not always necessary. We can talk about that in a future episode.
Of course, the options are endless, but in every season of my life that has involved my business, I’ve had at least one go-to in order to create a distraction for my child long enough for me to be productive.
Take Action: Which Strategy Will You Use?
So, we all know that action is where the dreams turn into the reality, and today’s action step for you is to take some time to think about how you might implement a preferred activity only during the times when you need some productive work time. This strategy absolutely does work at any age, and might just make that upcoming summer break a little easier for you and yours.
Whatever you choose mama, know that I’m cheering you on. Have an amazing day and I’ll chat with you again soon.
