Working from home is great, especially since all three of mine are in school most days. My youngest only goes three times a week but I still have chunks of time to get things done. But…as of tomorrow we will be on summer break and all of that changes.
I am starting to panic a little about how our summer will go. How will I get all my work done and still spend pleanty of time to allow my kids to have a fun summer? It’s a challenge for sure. I can’t afford to hire a babysitter or put them in daycare at this time.
Until Mid August it will be me and the boys. There is summer camp, day camp, swim lessons and a few other random things we have scheduled. On days when we don’t have a lot to do I want to go to the pool, the park, the library, $1 movies or just something fun and summer like.
So how do I get my work done? How do I find time to still do what I normally do during the school year?
Here is my plan:
- Waking up early, before the boys. Based on spring break, my boys will probably go to sleep around 9-10 and wake up around 7-8. Mornings are pretty simple IF we don’t have to rush out of the house first thing. I think there are only a couple of weeks where we will have to be somewhere by 9. Even that is later than the school year. So I will get up early, work for a few hours while they sleep and slowly get up.
- Less tv, working at night. I love my tv but that is time I could work especially during the summer. I can stay up a little later after the boys go to bed, we will see how this works out.
- Using my Smart Phone. I can do a lot of my phone. I can even blog on it using Google Docs. I have found that when I do this I even write a little faster for some reason. My kids can be playing at a park and I can be writing my posts. It’s perfect.
- Write everything down. If I don’t write it down, I will forget it 9 times out of 10. Even if I tell myself not to. Making lists of what I need to get done each and everyday goes a long way. I literally have to schedule everything, even downtime but that is how I can get it done.
- Taking breaks. I don’t want to work 24/7 this summer. I couldn’t really enjoy the time with my family if I did. I think it will be important to stay on a regular schedule but also take time off, especially when my husband is off work. He won’t have very many days to spend with us but we plan to take advantage of the ones he does. And on those days I probably won’t be working at all.
What about you? Do you struggle with working from home during the summer? I know some bloggers take the summer off but I just can’t do that. What tips would you add to this list?
