Working from home provides tremendous advantages for a mom. You’re able to set
your own schedule, bag the stockings and read at the preschool. You can nap when
you’re tired or call a friend. What a life!

But challenges also abound. It’s almost impossible to work without childcare. The
more you’re in the house, the messier it seems; domestic projects call from every
corner. The mail carrier may be nice, but he’s not a colleague. And nobody is
looking over your shoulder to make sure the job gets done.

To thrive as a work-at-home mom, you need to set guidelines. What follows are
time management tips gleaned from my experience writing from home as the
mother of two girls, now 5 and 8.

*Establish boundaries. Don’t allow the kids in your office without
permission. I set this rule early, and as a result I can always find my stapler. I cannot
say the same thing for my hairbrush or lipstick.

*Set a schedule. Notice how your preschooler needs structure? So do you.
A regular work routine will help keep you from getting sidetracked by daytime TV.

*Buy a stopwatch. I click my stopwatch on to write and click it off when I
leave my desk. At day’s end, I log my work hours. Tracking time keeps me focused
and helps separate “work” from “home.”

*Keep a “small stuff” to do list. Working at home allows you to use spare
moments for office work. But to be efficient, you need to keep a list of tasks that
can be done in 15 minutes or less.

*Stash toys. I keep a basket of toys in my office for special occasions.
Since the kids don’t use them regularly, the toys have novelty value. The basket
buys me an hour of work time on my children’s sick days.

*Distinguish breaks. Two hours spent cleaning the playroom is not a
break, it’s a morning. Start the day with work, not chores. Keep breaks short, work
hours long. Ignore the dust bunnies.

*Set the handyman straight. Chat and then make it clear that you have to
go back to work. Tell him that you’re on a deadline — even if you’re not. He’ll get
more work done, and so will you.

*Get out. Working at home can be isolating. Schedule events that require
you to wear clean clothes and interact with adults who are not relatives, contractors
or delivery people.

*Know thyself. It’s confusing. You’re a working mother but you’re mostly
around stay-at-home moms. Deadlines call, but you’re constantly asked to
volunteer. Consider your work commitments before accepting outside obligations.
Remember, you’re a working mom, even if you don’t commute.

*Take advantage. What’s the point of working at home if you don’t enjoy
the perks? Sneak in a siesta. Check in on Oprah. Shop for shoes. Celebrate the “free”
in freelance, and the “independent” in independent contractor!

(c) 2006 Jennifer Bingham Hull. Reprint rights granted as long as entire article is
published, including resource box and its live links.

Jennifer Bingham Hull is an award-winning author and mother of two. Her book,
Beyond One: Growing a Family and Getting a Life, looks at the
issues women face as the family grows. Jennifer’s articles have appeared in The
Wall Street Journal, Parenting, Working Mother and many other publications.
She also speaks to parenting groups. To learn more visit http://www.growingafamily.com/ where you can also contact her to receive this “Life
Beyond One” column regularly and sign up for her free newsletter.