WAHM schedule - when do you work?

I am starting a work at home job which needs about 10h a week on the computer. I have a bunch of kids in school/ childcare and a baby at home. I also have another job 1 day a week which is out of the house.

How do you juggle working, cleaning and spending time with the family, kids appointments, school functions such as concerts? Do you have set hours for you work or do you do your work whenever you have spare time. What schedule do you find best for yourself?

I am thinking that I will do my cleaning and housework while the baby sleeps and work while holding/feeding the baby or the baby could sit next to me. I am typing right now while feeding so I have no trouble doing that.

Do you find it more stressful having a WAH job with no set hours? At least with a regular job you know you have set hours and after work you do not need to think about work.

Posted: Thu, Aug 18 2011, 10:05 pm Post subject:

I find in some ways it's harder.

I try to work from 6am till about 10. and then again after my kids are in bed (my kids are much younger than yours). so like 8 pm

if I need to work longer - I do.

once my kids start school again, I will work until 2. and then do house work at night.

Posted: Fri, Aug 19 2011, 1:02 am Post subject:

I only have one baby and am a lot less busier than you are (wow you have a LOT going on) so I don't know how well we can compare. Very Happy

But I focus on most of the work at night after DD is asleep, for about two hours straight. I check in a little during the day while she naps, but mostly I use her naptime to unwind from entertaining her. Cleaning - all day long. Very Happy

But the stuff I can't do during the day I do right after supper, when DH is around to watch DD.

Last edited by Mrs.K on Tue, Jun 26 2012, 12:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

I think it may be worthwhile to give yourself more structure. I work 8 hours a day, plus additional overtime from home so it's a bit different, but if I had to do 2 hours a day, I would find the time of day that works best, and stick to that. No interruptions, no exceptions. I find things easier to do and the home to run smoother when I'm disciplined and organized.

This year my baby was home with me so I'd probably do 2 hours in the morning when he napped. Or maybe an hour in the morning and an hour from 9-10 at night. Or just at night after the kids go to bed. 8-10, 9-11, something like that. You wont take away from family time, and there's nothing wrong with the kids knowing that Mommy is working so if you need something after 8 or 9 or 10, you must knock.

If you show your family that you don't respect your schedule, then they wont. If the kids see that while I'm working I'm also moseying into the kitchen, putting up a laundry, reading a book, then obviously they can come right in with every little thing. But if you're structured and strict about it (and I'm not talking about like 5 PM - 7 PM when they obviously need you), then the kids know they need to be strict about it too because it's serious.

Posted: Sun, Aug 21 2011, 2:08 am Post subject:

I would also work when the baby is sleeping. I have had 2 types of WAH jobs. One I was paid per entry, so it didn't matter if I had to get up, feed baby, worked a bit slower, etc. If it took me 10 minutes or an hour, I got paid the same and the boss didn't care (as long as it was done by 4pm every day).

The second I was paid per hour, so I don't do that job unless I can sit and do it. It's not fair to my employer if he thinks I'm concentrating on work and I hve to get up to settle a fight, bring kids lunch, etc. My per hour job I do only when the kids are asleep or out of the house.

I also agree about Mrs. K. and having a set time to do it, or else it will just get pushed off until "later." Try a schedule, if you don't like it you can adapt it, but do have a schedule when you want to do things.
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