3 Steps to Get More Done Even With The Kids Home

With everyone in your home being home right now, it can be a struggle to get everything done.

Start working… kids need something… stop working… help kids… repeat.

Your days have gone from feeling fairly controlled, and and predictable for the most part, to complete chaos.

By 10a one of your children is already under the table crying, you are frustrated- and wondering if you are going to be able to make it through stay at home orders with your sanity and sobriety intact.

It’s tempting to let everything in your life, business, health, and household go. It hard!

But it doesn’t have to be this hard. It’s not easy, but it also doesn’t have to be this hard.

I get it.

Back in 2015- I reached total burnout trying to do a little bit of a lot of things at all times. I was working 18 hours a day, successful and miserable.

My husband and I were fighting all the time and I was convinces I was the worst mother in the history of all mothers (oh the drama!)

I realized at that time I couldn’t continue working the way I had been working or my family would leave me, my health would continue to spiral, and I would probably set my business on fire. I had to figure out a better way to work and live- because I was failing at life.

You probably feel like you are failing at life right now- but you don’t have feel that way.

TOP 3 THINGS TO IMPLEMENT RIGHT NOW TO MAKE WORKING AT HOME WITH YOUR KIDS EASIER

Create Focus Time

Focus Time changed my life back in 2015. I was able to shrink my workdays from 18 hour work days to 3-5 hour workdays. You will find you will actually get more done in those 3-5 hour windows that you ever got done before.

We waste a lot of time being distracted by our phones, internet browsers, magazines, online shopping, scrolling and so much more.

When you, and your children all put your devices away- and focus for 3-5 hours. School will get done faster and more effectively. Your work will get done faster and more effectively.

If 3-5 hours is too large of a window to focus- start small and try for 1-2 hours at time.

Communicate with your family what you are doing, why you are doing it and what they can expect.

Communication and boundaries are crucial to see success. If you struggle to communicate and set boundaries- this will be really hard, but there is no time like the present to start:)

Establish a New Routine

One of the hardest parts of this new normal for a lot of momma bosses, families, and children is the absence of a reliable routine. It can feel like a long term vacation, but the world keeps on moving, even if it is slower, and we must keep moving with it.

We have the choice each day, to do better, be better, manage better and cope better.

Embrace this current state as your new normal, and find ways to keep it as normal as possible. Wake up at the same time each day, get dressed and go work everyday, eat your meals at the same time each day, workout at the same time everyday. Create consistency.

Establish your work space, you kids should establish their school space- even if it’s everyone at the dining room table.

Have hard start times, and end times for all your responsibilities. I know how tempting it is to just sit around in your jammies all day, eating cookie dough and waiting for the storm to pass, but you’ve done enough of that.

Discipline and structure will be the greatest gift you can give to yourself and your family right now.

The world needs what you’ve got to offer now more than ever, so get up, dress up and show up. If you want help with this, download my Free Momma Boss Sanity Saver Course.

Be Gentle with Yourself & Your Family

Be gentle with yourself and your family and try to find ways to still find the joy in life.

Accept that there are more emotions for you to manage- because everyone is in close quarters right now.

Some days will feel like you are winning and other days will be a complete disaster, where nothing gets done. It’s ok.

Just keep moving forward.

At least if you are endeavoring to move forward you are stagnant or worse heading backwards.

If you want more help with this, I created a Free Momma Boss Sanity Saver Course that you can access here.

Keep up the good work Momma. You got this.

Also make sure you follow us on Facebook where I post videos, and content to help you be the Momma Boss you know you wanted to be before life got in the way.

For Momma Boss Motivation follow us on Instagram at @themommaboss

Watch this video I created, explaining Focus Time

5 Tips For Making Working from Home with Your Kids- Work

Hey Ladies! Are you working from home, with all your kids and even partners at home?

With the pandemic and people being forced to spend the whole day together in the confinement of their homes, the struggle with balancing your mom/ spouse hat and Momma Boss hat is real!

It can feel like the inmates are running the yard. Ha!

How do you manage it all, and still stay focused on the things that matter most?

Your business, your kids, your spouse and the messes that seem to accumulated faster than before everyone was home around the clock. Like many, you can't afford to take time off, and even if you can- the momentum you had before this whole this started will be harder to get back once this whole thing blows over. Eww.

So how do you keep your business and work on track and still take care of your humans. Depending on how old your kids are- there will be some variables, but it can still work. It just requires getting organized.

5 Things To Continue to Run Your Life and Your Household

1) Get Organized

Seriously! GET. ORGANIZED.

Keep a calendar, plan your day and maintain as much of a routine as possible. In most states kids are still in being held to a standard by the school districts, assigned homework and many teachers, if they haven't already are gearing up for teaching via video and zoom.

So kids still have to learn, do homework and submit the homework. Everyone is being homeschooled. So use this to your advantage. Map out time blocks of learning for them and working for you. It doesn't matter if its 30 minute blocks of 3 hour blocks. It's truly incredible what an happen in a short period of time when you are focused.

2) Communicate Your Needs

Communicate what you need to your kids and partner. Seriously, no one can read your mind, so you gotta tell them what you need.

If you need a break, say I need a break.

If you need to lock yourself in a closet and just get things done, then tell them you will be the closet- do not disturb.

If they need to fend for themselves, cook their own food or clean their own spaces, for the love of all that is good- tell them.

3) Set Boundaries

For real, rules and boundaries will save your life! It’s also really good to teach your children about boundaries early on, so they don’t have to learn how to set boundaries later in life, when they have realized the hard realities that come with not having any boundaries.

Set some boundaries, communicate your boundaries, and have your family set boundaries as well.

It will take the household stress from a 8 to a 2.

4) Have rewards

Your end of day reward used to be glass of wine, right?

Now everyone gets an end of day reward for showing up, respecting boundaries, and following through oon your households shared mission for the day.

I don’t know about you, but I love to celebrate a job well done. A win is a win is a win.

If the win of the day, as communicated to everyone was to get 3 hours of focused work done and complete a project- everyone gets a reward. Ice cream, board games, a living room fort building competition, etc.

Whatever the reward is- get the agreement of your family at the beginning of the day and everyone will work towards that reward. Making whatever sacrifices they need to make through out the day to make it happen.

5) Take Breaks

Take breaks through out the day to enjoy each other, and enjoy life a little bit.

You have to be intentional about taking breaks and not taking life so seriously. Even though most of us are holed up at home with our humans- it doesn’t have to be all work and structure. You can have fun too.

At the end of the day, we are all making sacrifices, stressing about the future and figuring out how to make it all work right now. Find a way to enjoy it.