How to Work from Home With No Childcare
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I’ve had to work from home with no childcare forever. It’s all I’ve ever known. I did it when I had babies and toddlers, and now I’m doing it with older children.
At times, it is very challenging. However, there are things I’ve learned over the years that make it much easier overall. Here are my best tips.
5 Ways to Make it Easier to Work from Home with No Childcare
My kids are older now and I homeschool them. I still work from home, but it looks different with older children.
What I will say is that working when I had babies and toddlers was actually easier than it is working with older kids.
Naptimes were amazing for getting work done! Now, I have to be very intentional about setting work hours and boundaries.
Here are some things I’ve learned over the years.
#1 Have a Routine
I couldn’t even imagine trying to meet the needs of my children while running a business without having a routine.
It’s one thing to have the luxury of working from home in your PJs, but you do still have to have a certain amount of discipline if you ever plan on being productive.
I am a creature of habit and routine. I always have been. And I’ve nurtured the same habit for my children from just about the day that they were born.
We have used resources such as Babywise and Moms on Call to help develop healthy sleep habits from a young age.
When my children were little, they had naptime and independent playtime.
That gave me several hours to work with.
They were all three in bed by 7 pm at night.
Not only did that help them get the rest that they needed, but it gave me time to work and rest as well.
Having the entire family in a routine means I can much better estimate when I’m going to be able to slot in time for work.
Of course, things will always chop and change. That is the nature of parenting and motherhood, but for the most part, there is consistency to our days.
Now that my children are older our days look a lot different. We no longer have nap times, but we do have an hour of rest time afternoon.
Fostering independent play has paid off in spades! My children are able to happily entertain themselves (without screens) without me having to be with them all the time.
#2 Utilize Independent Play
Aside from establishing healthy sleep habits, teaching my children how to play independently is one of my all-time favorite parenting tools.
There are so many things that can benefit your child by doing this.
They learn to be content in their own company, which reduces separation anxiety, lengthens their attention span, and allows them to be content with less.
When they were little they each got a few of their favorite toys and I turned on some music for them to listen to.
Now that they’re older, they choose a quiet activity to do in their room for an hour.
Even after independent playtime, my kids have the run of the backyard and spend at least an hour outside every morning.
They do not need me to be there entertaining them 24/7.
Do they fight? Sure, but they learn how to resolve conflicts in the process.
Of course, I’m close enough that I can monitor what is going on and step in if need be. They are however content to play with each other without my interference.
#3 Use a Baby Carrier
If you have a young baby that hasn’t yet fallen into a consistent nap schedule, then babywearing can be a helpful way to get more done.
It is also really great for those times when your little one may be struggling with separation anxiety or teething.
I liked the Solly Baby Wrap.
#4 Find Great Activities
There are days when the weather isn’t great, or my kids just have a need to be close to their mama.
If I can, I spend a little extra time reading to them or playing a game.
When they were little and I needed to get work done then I would turn to this handy list of toddler activities.
There are so many options on there that occupy them and allow them to have fun at the same time.
Sometimes my kids will grab the old computer keyboard that we have and pretend to work alongside me.
It’s healthy for them to see mama working because as much as it isn’t always fun, work is a part of life.
#5 Use a Planner
If you don’t use a planner of some kind then trust me when I say that you should. This is the planner that I use.
It gives me all the options I need in order to schedule both mom-life and work.
I forget things easily now that I’ve had 3 babies suck all the memory power from my brain. Writing things down is essential.
I keep a daily to-do list in my planner and separate the work and home stuff.
If I think of something when I don’t have my planner nearby (usually as I’m about to go to sleep!) I record it in the notes app on my phone.
The next morning I check my phone and jot down anything that I need to write in my planner.
It keeps things organized and I am more productive as a result.
#6 Time Block
Here is a simple fact:
There will always be things for you to do and the work will never end.
My mother used to always say, “A woman’s work is never done.” and there is so much truth to that statement.
The reality is that if you’re struggling to spend time with your children because you feel as though there is always work waiting…nothing is going to change unless you’re intentional about it.
You need to put up some boundaries so that you can give attention to both work and your family without compromising one or the other.
Sure, sometimes you won’t be able to keep it balanced, but time blocking can really help.
A way that I practically implement it is to time block my day so that certain times are dedicated to very specific things.
For instance, 2-3 PM is blocked off for quiet time. 3-5 PM are my set work hours.
I think that we’ve bought into a lie that multitasking is productive. In actual fact, it leaves us with many unfinished jobs and a sense of total failure.
I have found time blocking to give me the space to focus on just one main task at a time. I am more productive in all areas as a result.
Pssst…You can grab a free copy of my editable time-blocking schedule by signing up to my email list below.
#7 Keep Things Balanced
Working from home is a pro and con in and of itself.
You get to be at home with your children, but the hard part of that is that it is difficult to set boundaries and find balance.
One of the biggest things I can recommend that you do is to keep the right perspective.
On the days when you are frustrated and struggling try and remember why you are working from home.
That reason is usually fairly important.
For me personally, it is to provide a better future for my children, and I don’t just mean financially.
Having that motivation really helps me when I am feeling overwhelmed.
It shows me what is important and what can wait.
Remember that working all of the time actually leads to less productivity overall. Rest is your friend, so when you create your routine, be sure you’re scheduling that in.
And remember to snuggle those babies of yours. Life is busy and it never does slow down.
Take just a minute to hold them close and remind them that you love them. It works wonders for the heart of the child and the mama.
Final Thoughts
You’re not going to have life balanced every moment of every day.
You will have moments of frustration and overwhelm, but that doesn’t mean that you are failing.
Implementing these tips will little by little help you to be a calmer, more productive mom who is able to be there for her babies and ace her at-home job.
