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Keep the Kids Busy & Get Work Done

Ahhh! The joys of summer break.

I for one can’t wait for lazy days on the beach, cold lemonade on the porch mixed with long nights and even longer mornings sleeping in. Life doesn’t get much better than that. If any of you out there are anything like me you can’t wait for the end of the school year. The idea of no real routine, just me and the kids taking the days as they come sounds like a perfect treat.

But then reality sets in and you have to do the mental rewind. Did I just say the kids are out of school? Indeed they are, and that means a whole different kind of program if I am going to stay productive throughout the summer months.

Many moms who work from home relish the idea of a looser schedule during the summer months, but they fail to realize that a looser schedule does not mean no schedule at all. The easy-breezy time that you are imagining actually takes a little planning. In other words you have to know what you want to get done each day and be able to put it in its appropriate slot so that you can get it done.

After all, clients still need you to do what you do even when the kids are standing over you holding up a bag of Pirate’s Booty while you balance your telephone between your ear and shoulder all the while snapping your finger “NO” as you read off the end of the month figures. Didn’t you tell them not to ask for things while you’re on the phone?

Kids will still want your full attention as social coordinator, camp director, chauffeur, and head chef. (Because now you have to cook lunch which up until a few days ago was the one meal that you could pawn off on someone else. I love the lunch lady!). Oh yes, the joys of summer break!

No worries, ladies, help is on the way. I have a few sure-fire ways to help you navigate the summer’s choppy waters into the smooth sailing seas and blue skies ahead.

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First, you should try to plan play-dates. Your children will love you for this. And everybody wins. They get a few fun-filled hours spent with best friends from school and in return you get a few hours of uninterrupted work time. You could try to do this two times per week and return the favor to the other mom. When it’s your turn to return the favor make sure you pre-plan activities that don’t require your constant supervision. Of course, you will have to stick your head in from time to time but painting outside or a slip-n-slide on the lawn can keep kids busy and entertained for quite a while.

Another good way to give yourself a little work time is to pre-plan a two-hour span of time when the kids are busy. My children have to read quietly for 45 minutes to 1 hour each day, then they journal or practice instruments. You get the picture. Give them something to do.

You also want to capitalize on every opportunity to sneak a little work in. For example, when I take my children to the library, I find that it’s the perfect time to drag out my notepad or laptop and get some outlines or planning done. This means you have to have your work tools with you even when you don’t think you will need them. So just keep a small basket in the front seat of the car that is easily accessible and big enough for your stuff. The same thing goes for when they are at swim lessons. I can’t get into the pool with them, so why not get a little work done so that we have time to stop for an ice cream after class?

You might also want to try scheduling a week of summer camp here or there. While a full summer of camp may not be financially possible for all families, many can swing one week each month of the break. If finances are an issue, make sure to check into scholarship programs as many camps offer aid when there is a need, but you have to make the effort to ask.

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And last but not least, I found that my excitement over sleeping in everyday was not going to be my reality. Actually, I had to get over the fact that things would actually be the opposite of that. But once I got over the disappointment of my foiled sleeping plans I realized that giving up a few hours of sleep was a great idea. I found that if I scheduled at least two days each week where I woke up a couple of hours before everyone else in the house, I could get so much more work done. Once the household wakes up, I’m done with what I wanted to get done for the day, and I’m ready for a fun filled day of frolicking and lazing a round with my family.

Summer vacation can present challenges to the mom working from home, but those challenges do not have to be showstoppers. If you take the time to make concrete plans you can still have your fun relaxing summer. It will just have to be only slightly lazier with not so much sleeping in.

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