Hey there, momma, did you find it hard to create the perfect work from home mom schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic?
I think a lot of us moms did.
With the spread of the “novel” coronavirus (COVID-19), moms everywhere were mandated to work from home.
Likewise, schools also shut down, anywhere from a few days to months – and years, in some instances.
As schools stayed closed, moms found themselves not only working from home but homeschooling their children as well.
After all of that… a lot of us never returned to “normal”. 😆
Some of us liked staying home, and managed to snag work at home positions. And others hated it, but their bosses continued to mandate it.
So, even after covid, we may still be trying to figure out this whole newly acquired sahm gig! Or, rather, wahm (work at home mom) gig!
How do you manage working from home with your kids, now that covid is on the “decline”?
Even before COVID-19, a lot of moms worked from home
Remote work is not a new idea. Thirty-six percent of the U.S. workforce currently work in the gig economy and a whopping 62% of stay-at-home moms are working from home as well (at the time of this publishing). In fact, work-at-home moms are on the rise, particularly among millennials.
And many more moms are already homeschooling their children. There are approximately 2.2 million children being homeschooled (at the time of this publishing), according to FutureSchool.
Homeschooling moms don’t put their careers on hold just because they homeschool. Many moms now homeschool their children and work from home at the same time.
So, it’s not a new concept – moms have been doing it for years.
Moms have been working from home and homeschooling for years now
But for those moms who were suddenly thrust into the work-from-home and home-school arena, it was overwhelming. And almost frightening.
Especially because it lasted for so long.
And now that it’s happened, there’s no guarantee that it won’t happen again.
If you are planning to stay a wahm or a sahm, or if you want to be prepared for another “unforseen future event”, you are probably asking the same question as moms everywhere ask themselves: How do I manage it all?
Lucky for you, as a fellow wahm/sahm, I can help you sort it all out! And so can all of the other WAHMs and homeschooling moms out there.
Moms like Angela Merzib-Sorensen, who has worked from home for over a decade. Angela, a certified brand strategist, advises moms new to the scene:
“Give your kids a visual queue as to when you are working and cannot be disturbed, like when you’re wearing headphones or the door to your office is closed. And try to tie work into their world (depending on their age). They may not understand why you have to work. It sounds funny at first but relaying to them that work helps you get money so that they can get the toys they like to play with helps them understand why you have to work.”
Just like Angela, I often remind my boys about why I have to work at my own desk. It’s to the point now where when my little Toots wants something (like a Fitbit!) he tells me to ‘go work’! 😂 🤣
Whether you are an old pro at working from home or you are brand new on the scene, in these trying times, there are a few things you will want to consider when managing your days at home:
- Setting your daily priorities
- Creating a daily routine
- Keeping your children connected
- Practicing selfcare
I’ll show you how I do it. 🙃
How to create a work-from-home mom schedule
If this is the first time you’ve ever stayed home with your kids (rather than working outside of the home) then you’ll need to spend some time setting up your daily priorities. This will consist of identifying your values, finding the activities that represent these values, and then creating a daily routine consisting of those activities.
It helped for me to think of myself as a “professional” daycare provider or preschool teacher. 😁
# 1: To create a work from home mom schedule, first set your daily priorities
If you are suddenly working from home, your work will be a priority. And if schools are closed, your child is distance learning, or your are homeschooling, your child’s education will be a priority as well.
These are no-brainers. But how do you fit both of these activities into your day, along with every other responsibility you have as a mom?
The only way to do it is to identify your values and make them a priority. Everything else happens only if there is time for it. It sounds brutal and very hard to do, and trust me, it is. 😂🤣
To set your daily priorities, first identify your values
In order to set your priorities, you need to know your family values. So, yes, working from home will be a priority. And yes, teaching your children will also be a priority.
But what about managing your child’s behavior? Doing crafts and playing games? Spending time together? Physical activity? Dinner on the table?
How do you decide what is a priority and what you need to let go of?
The way you do things will drastically change when you decide to stay home. During covid (or other times of crisis) restaurants might be shut down, which means you’ll be making a lot of home-cooked meals. Or, maybe you value a home-cooked meal and have that planned as a crucial part of your daily schedule already.
The problem is, that it takes time.
The house will need to be cleaned. When everyone is home, it gets dirty fast. I don’t have to tell you that kids are perfect at making messes!
So, you will need to decide what you value the most. Is it a clean house and homecooked meals? Or is it spending time together as a family?
Your family values will determine your daily activities
Identifying your family values will help you to prioritize your daily activities. So, grab some paper and list out all of your family values.
Next to each value, list a few example activities that portray that value. For instance, if you value quality time as a family, what does that look like?
For me, it means we play together, snuggle in the mornings and eat meals at the table together, with no electronics. We go outside together. And we watch movies together.
We do all kinds of things together, and that is how my value of quality time together shows up in my daily activities.
If you value the arts, the associated activities might be music lessons, painting, or craft time.
Moms who value physical activity will want time outside, music and movement, or active playtime.
And if you value homemaking, you will want activities that lead to a clean house and dinner on the table.
Choose your real values, not what you think you should value
I think it’s important to mention that you need to be true to who you are. I know a lot of us spend a lot of time on social media. But social media has a great way of making us all feel like less of a person.
It’s important for you to choose values that are really your values, and not what you think you are supposed to deem important.
[Side note: read this post to find out why I gave up social media – and I don’t regret it!]
Nora Jacques, a homeschooling WAHM, Lifestyle Design Specialist, and host of the Soul Regimen Podcast says it’s important to:
“…go with your own flow. It won’t look the same for everyone, you have to know yourself, your family, and your priorities and do what works for you. Many times, I will see that the kids are feeling active or sluggish or creative, so we’ll go with that! I don’t guilt myself about not checking certain boxes, I give myself and my children a lot of grace.”
When you are as sahm, give yourself permission to NOT CARE about what your mom thinks you should value, or what your sister thinks is important. Now is the time to let go of everyone else’s opinions of you, and truly be who you are.
You do you
You are the one who has to live with you during this time. So, make sure you like yourself. 😉
Don’t list housekeeping, and fill your schedule with cleaning activities, if you don’t really care about a clean house. Likewise, don’t pretend to value playtime or crafting with your kids just because everyone in your Facebook group is doing it, or because it’s all over Pinterest.
If you do that, you will set yourself up for failure.
Be true to who you are. Play on your strengths. You need to make this season in your life good – not painful.
#2: For the best work from home mom schedule, create a daily routine
After you know your values and the corresponding activities, it’s time to actually create a daily schedule and/or routine.
Obviously, you are going to want time for work and time to homeschool your children. They are going to be your first priority, as will meal and snack times, nap times, and any other mandatory childcare activities.
So, you will need to pencil these in first.
After that, the activities that reflect your family values fill the leftover slots.
That’s how you prioritize. It really is as easy as that.
Since we are homeschooling our children, I think it is easiest if we set our days up to mimic the school or a daycare setting.
Daycares and schools have a set time for everything, with natural transition points in between. We can do that in our homes, as well. All it takes is a little planning and a lot of consistency. 😉
To create a daily routine, break your day up into chunks
The easiest way to create a daily schedule is to break your day up into chunks.
Katrina Villegas, a work-at-home mom, author, and blogger at Mama’s Organized Chaos, calls this block scheduling.
“Get in a routine and stick to it. “Block scheduling helps to provide structure and freedom throughout the day. A block schedule is chunking the day into blocks like outside time, free play, focused learning, independent time, etc. It makes the days much more manageable and kids love knowing what to expect.”
Katrina Villegas
You’ll have a morning routine, an afternoon routine, and an evening routine. Your mealtimes are natural transitions between each chunk, or block, of your day.
So, when you think about creating your daily routine for the next few weeks, you start with your meals.
Chunk #1: Mealtimes
Mealtime is a natural break to each chunk of your day. If you can set up your meals, then you can determine what each chunk of time looks like before and after each meal.
What do you want your meals to look like? And when are you going to eat? It’s best to keep your meals and snacks consistent. Eat at the same time every day, and in the same way.
For example, if you eat as a family at dinner, then do it every night. If you don’t allow electronics, always follow that. Consistency is key. 😉
Breakfast
In the morning, do you want one meal together, as a family? Or is it okay for the older kids to sleep in and patter to the kitchen whenever they wake up? Will you be making a big, traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon, or will you toss some Pop-Tarts and cereal on the table? 🙋🏻♀️
When you think about how you want your meals to play out, just remember that this is all based on your own priorities and values. If you value a good old-fashioned breakfast, then do it! What better time, than when you don’t have to rush off to the office?
But if breakfast is the start of a very busy day and you need to get cracking, then Pop-Tarts and cereal are good choices. They fill the void and they are quick. 😉
Lunch
Again, what does your lunch look like? Will you be eating together with your kids? Or will you be working while they eat? Is it a big, hot meal, or chips and sandwiches? It all depends on your priorities.
Dinner
Just because you are working from home now, it doesn’t mean that you are spending a lot of quality time with your kids. What you will most likely end up doing is managing behaviors so that you can get your work done.
Dinner together as a family is a great way to end the day and spend quality time together. If you haven’t made it a priority before, I’d highly advise doing it now.
It’s not about what you cook. It’s about eating together at the table and talking. No T.V.’s, no electronics. This is your chance to really connect with your children.
Snacks
Snack time is typically around 2:00 at schools and often around 3:00 at daycares. Some daycares will have a 10:00 morning snack as well, depending on the age of the children enrolled.
I’d consider setting a set snack time. This way kids aren’t roaming the cupboards because they are bored.
Plus, it’s another natural transition from one routine to the next. And, it’ll give you a break from your work. You can get up, walk around, and interact with your children. Assuming they’ve let you work, that is.
Chunk #2: your morning routine
After you’ve got your meals laid out, it’s time to break your day up into chunks. You can actually have two chunks in the morning if you want to – one before breakfast and one after breakfast. That is if your kids don’t eat immediately after they wake up.
Before breakfast
Most successful work-at-home moms get up early. Waaay early. As in, four or five o’clock in the morning early. I personally have never been able to do that.
If you can do that, you will find it very beneficial. But even if you can’t do that, you might consider actually letting your kids sleep in a bit. Even an extra hour could give you some quiet morning hours to work in.
My kids get up at 6:30. During this break, I’m not going to wake them up. I am going to hope they sleep a long time. 🤣 😂 And then I’m going to use those quiet hours for work time. (So far, it hasn’t happened…)
Some moms like to use this time to ease into their day, with a cup of coffee, a good book, or some quiet reflection time. Other moms like to exercise first thing in the morning. Find what works for you.
When your kids wake up, chaos begins! 🤣 😂
Know your kids and start your day off with what works best for them
What do they like to do when they first wake up? When I was growing up, we watched cartoons in the morning. So, when my boys wake up, I give them an hour of “free” screen time. While they are busy easing into their day, I am busy working.
But Jessica Gruber, a website and brand designer WAHM of three says, “Don’t do screen time in the morning. Save it for the afternoon. Kids are refreshed and ready to play in the morning.”
So, know your children and what works best for them. Early screen time works well for us. It might not for you.
After that hour of free screen time, my boys are ready for breakfast. And my work is done for a bit.
After breakfast
The possibilities are endless! This is where you really have to know your priorities. If you worked a bit in the morning, it might be a good time to transition into something else. If you didn’t get any work in before breakfast, it might be time to get to work.
You also need to consider your strengths, as a person and as a mom, during this time. And take into account your children’s strengths.
Do you guys work better, first thing in the morning? If so, it might be homeschooling time.
Are you groggy and not quite awake in the morning? Then maybe it’d be time best spent outside, going for a walk or playing in the yard.
Block out this time with what is a priority to you
Look at your list of values and block out this time with the activities that support what you value and with what works best for your family.
I use this time of the day to get my chores done. I do the dishes and the laundry, make all of the beds, sweep all of the floors, wipe down the kitchen floor, and wipe down the bathrooms. Oh – and I vacuum the front door rug.
I do this every day. But I value an orderly, clean house. My mind is in a frenzy if I don’t have a clean house! 🤣 😂 I can’t work in chaos!!
When my boys were little, we’d go outside during those later morning hours. It’s still winter here 👎🏻 though, and plus, now they don’t need me to take them out. So, I send them outside, if it’s nice out. And then I can get a little more work done.
Chunk #3: your afternoon routine
I work best in the morning, so I want to focus on working in the morning. That means that homeschooling will have to come in the afternoon.
Which is good, because that’s when my boys start to become a little rambunctious. They don’t play together as well in the afternoon. In the morning hours, they get along, in the afternoon hours they are sick of each other and fighting.
Enter: homework time.
But you set your afternoon up the way you need to. If you have little ones, you might be spending some time outdoors. Maybe you are rocking a baby or reading stories. Or maybe it’s quiet time after lunch, and you can get some work done.
If you homeschool or are distance learning, no matter when you decide to hit the books, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to mirror the classroom schedule exactly.
Catherine Chapman, a work-at-home mom, and blogger at That’s So Catherine, says “Relax. You do not need to recreate a school classroom at home. I think teachers are giving everyone a lot of slack right now because we’re all in the same boat.”
You can get a whole day’s worth of school curriculum completed in just a couple of hours, because you do not have 30 students to attend to and all of the extras, such as recess, lunch, and the arts.
After snack time
Snack time is another natural transition. After you know what your morning chunk and your afternoon chunk look like, fill in your ‘after snack time’ chunk. What activities do you have left? What will work best during this time of the day?
This is when my little guys and I would go outside to play. Now, however, they go outside first and then come in for a snack. But it works either way. Maybe it’s snack and homeschooling time in your house. Or maybe they have some creative free playtime while you work.
If you enjoy doing crafts, projects, or science experiments, maybe this is a good time to tackle that.
Some other ideas are movement activities, such as dance or obstacle courses, or maybe it’s a good time to get some athletic practice in – the best you can at home.
Maybe you have music lessons during this time, such as piano or trumpet. Or maybe it’s a great time to get chores done. The possibilities are endless!!
Chunk #4: your evening routine
To me, the evening has always started with suppertime. Once I’m making supper, I consider it ‘the evening’. So, what will your kiddos do while you are making supper?
And when supper is finished, what happens? At my house, we do the dishes. I often have my boys help me with that.
Then we traditionally did homework and had baths. But…if you are homeschooling, in quarantine, or distance learning…. there’s no school! 🤣 😂 So, our schoolwork gets done earlier in the day. And to be honest, I prefer to give baths in the morning when we don’t have to go anywhere because our evenings get so full.
Our favorite thing to do after supper is to gather as a family and do something fun. It can be anything, from playing baseball in the yard to sledding during the winter to movies, games, or Wii family nights.
Find what works for you and do it.
Bedtime
I’m a firm believer in bedtime rituals.
It drives my hubby nuts! 🤣 😂 Because they can grow and metamorphose sometimes, resulting in a long bedtime routine. But I love it.
Spend some time figuring out a nice bedtime routine, and then stick to it. It might involve reading stories, taking a bath, saying prayers, singing some songs, or even telling each other silly, made-up stories. It can literally be anything you want.
And then after bedtime, the night is all yours!
You can use this time to get more work done if you need to, or you can use it to collapse into a chair and binge-watch Netflix. 🤣 😂
If I have work I absolutely need to get done, I work until I go to bed. Or, if I’m incredibly ambitious. But if not, then my husband and I snuggle up and watch a show. It’s our time together.
And that’s it! How to create your daily routine, in a nutshell! Not so bad, is it? Just take your meals and snack times and use them to chunk down your days. You can use bedtime and nap time as a natural transition in-between chunks as well.
Incorporating a daily routine into your work-from-home mom schedule will help to manage naughty behaviors
Once you have your routine set, it will help you to manage some of the difficult behaviors your children may exhibit. These behaviors might crop up because of the isolation – it’s hard on kids to be trapped within their own houses, with only their siblings to play with.
So, you will want to find ways to keep them connected to their friends and family.
Bonus: Keeping your children connected during social isolation
Socializing during social distancing is not easy! It’s easier for us adults, because we use social media and online video chatting for meetings and such. But, how do you keep your kids connected?
The same way!
Embrace technology and use it to keep your kids connected in the same way that you stay connected. Below is a list of ideas to get you started. 😉
1. Have a virtual dinner date
Give a friend a call and agree to eat at a certain time together. Then, set up your computer or phone on the table and put your kids around it. Use Facetime, Zoom or Messenger to video chat with your friend. Only, back off and let the kids do the chatting while they eat!
2. Have a virtual play date
You can do the same thing with a virtual play date as you do with a virtual dinner date. Set the computer up on Facetime, Messenger or Zoom, or any app that allows group video chat, and just let your kids talk or play with their friends.
They can play side by side through the use of the computer.
3. Play online games
Depending on the age of your children, they may be able to play with friends through gaming consols.
My boys love to play XBOX. The older boys have friends they play with online. This keeps them connected, of course.
My younger boys are too little, but if your kids are at the right age, consider getting them set up.
4. Host a watch party
Apps like Airtime and Discord make watching a movie with friends easy!
5. Host a virtual craft time
Use an app, set up a Facebook group, utilize Facetime or Zoom, and create a virtual craft time! Send out the list of supplies and instructions ahead of time, set a date, and go live! Moms and kiddos alike can get crafting – together.
You can use the same idea for educational content, storytime, cooking classes, music lessons, etc.
It’s hard, to keep your kids busy, entertained, and connected during a time like this. We have to get creative!
Practicing self-care is important for your work-at-home mom schedule
Being home all.day.long. with your kids might just drive you batty. Normally when this happens, you can call in reinforcements. But, during quarantine, babysitters and grandma are not an option!
So, what do we do?
Make self-care a priority.
There are some very basic things you can do to take care of yourself, such as eating right and getting enough sleep.
Exercise is a great stress reliever, so be sure to fit that into your day as well. It’ll release endorphins, those nice little feel-good hormones.
But you also need to get into the right mindset. And this is easier said than done.
Our days at home are going to be long and exhausting. We might feel trapped inside our own homes or trapped with the people we love the most! 🤣 😂
That’s perfectly normal and does not make us a bad mom at all.
I think the best thing we can do to combat mental exhaustion is to be aware of our own thoughts. How we think about our reality actually shapes our reality. So, take care to always have good, positive thoughts.
Here are a few other things you can practice, for self-care:
1. Wallow in your pity and then move on
😂 🤣 Sometimes things JUST SUCK!! And you need to feel those emotions. So, what I like to do is give myself a few minutes to truly feel it. And when those minutes are done, I’m done. I move on.
Set a timer, if need be. Say, five minutes you get to feel frustrated and angry. After the timer beeps, you’re done. Set those feelings aside and move on to problem-solving or distraction.
2. Practice gratitude
When things get really tough, I like to focus on what is good. What are my blessings?
So, yes, I’m stuck at home with a house full of children and we can’t go anywhere and they are screaming at each other and driving me nuts and I can’t concentrate and I’m so sick and tired of making supper and really??? Is it bath night AGAIN??
But let’s really think about that. What’s good in the situation?
Well, I still have a home. And a job, even if I have to work it from home. And there’s food on the table. And running water, electricity and heat.
And my kids are all healthy.
Works like a charm. I can already feel the tension leaving! Because no matter how bad we have it, someone else ALWAYS has it worse. So be thankful for what you do have and focus on the good.
3. Journal
Or start a blog! Seriously. We are in some weird times right now, Momma. And you’re gonna want to remember it. So, grab a pen and a notebook and write it all down!
Or blog it!
4. Be deliberately patient
Working from home and homeschooling our children is new for so many of us. Veteran WAHMs who homeschool know how trying it can be at times. So, load up on patience!
Heather Aaron, a work-at-home homeschooling momma, virtual assistant, and Pinterest manager, says, “Concentrate on having patience. This is all a lot to deal with all at once if you’re not used to it.”
Try counting to ten while taking deep breaths – seriously. It works! Or adopt a mantra. Mine is “I love my babies I love my babies.” My older boys know that if I’m repeating that over and over….my patience is being tested. 🤣 😂
Another thing that works well for me is to wait before acting. If there’s a fight, screaming, or anything that requires a momma intervention, I don’t act right away.
I wait a few minutes.
Because my initial reaction is anger. I’m angry about being interrupted while working. And that’s not fair to my kids.
So, I wait a few minutes until that initial resentment subsides and then I intervene. I’m a much calmer momma that way. 😉
5. Stay connected
It’s just as important for you to stay connected as it is for your kids. Call your mom, join a Facebook group or start your own!
Have a virtual beer thirty or chat with a friend via Messenger. Join some online book clubs or enroll in a course.
Find a way to stay connected with your friends and family during this time, and don’t be afraid to use technology to do it.
6. Indulge yourself
These are trying times!! It’s not a time to try to be perfect. It’s a time to just make do and get by. So, go ahead! Indulge yourself!
Have a glass of wine or a good cup of coffee. Read that book. Eat that chocolate. Take that bath. Go for a run, do some scrapbooking, or crank up the tunes. Whatever it is that you LOVE, do it!
It’ll fill you up and make you happy.
And a happy momma is a good momma.
Remember, you can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t first take care of yourself.
At the end of the day…
No, it’s not going to be easy, managing your work-at-home mom schedule. But it is doable. And it’s not forever (unless you fall in love with staying home!).
But there are tons of moms who’ve been living the WAHM lifestyle for some time now, and they totally ROCK it!! And you can too!
You got this Momma!!
“Do NOT feel guilty about the days where you lose your cool or resort to screen time. You are BRAND new to this ‘lifestyle.’ You’re not a failure. You’re not a bad mom. You’re a mom who’s learning and coping. Tell your kids you love them. Tell yourself your (amazing) self that you are enough. Just try again tomorrow.”
~ Meghan Faherty, @byebyemomguilt
More on Sahm Schedules
How to Make the Best Stay-at-Home Moms Schedule With an Infant
How to Create a Daily Schedule for Stay-at-Home Moms of Toddlers
How to Create The Best Morning Routine for Your Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule
