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Set House Rules To Avoid WAHM Distractions
Now that I am spending more time with my two
and five year old granddaughters, I am reminded
of how important it is to set rules when working
at home with children. I have worked my business
since my children were small, so I agree with
many of the ideas here and wanted to share
it with you too! (Nancy)
(the below is an article by
Six Figure Work at Home Mom, Debbie LaChusa.)
Read this story…might sound familiar. But even if your situation is different, I’ll bet you’ve had to deal with distractions in your WAHM (work at home mom) business.
So I wanted to share it..
My children are grown now and live away from home. I wish I could have been a stay-at-home mom and enjoyed their growing years.
Recently I decided I’d had enough of my job and decided the stress had taken it’s toll on me physically, mentally and emotionally.
Although I enjoyed the income (small as it was), I also knew that I couldn’t continue going to work each day and then come home to care for a disabled husband (disability was not in the marriage/life plan).
I am wondering now what is the best plan to help family members realize that I am working and the home office is off-limits?
When my daughter-in-law visits with the grandchildren she thinks it’s just fine to set up the babies sleeping in my office which means I have to clean and put items away. It also means that my business comes to a complete stop.
I am very glad to find your internet site as just today I was thinking about throwing the towel in and returning to a regular paying job.
My first response is “NO! Don’t go get a job!” While that will certainly solve the problem with family members not respecting your workspace, it’s not the long-term answer if you want the freedom, flexibility and creative control running your own business can provide.
So what’s a hard working WAHM to do? How do we deal with family members and friends who either don’t understand that we are WORKING, or refuse to respect our workspace?
We Set House Rules!!
One of the first things I had to do when I started my WAHM business was establish a clear set of house rules for my family. Yes, it was a bit of a challenge because my children were elementary-school age at the time, but it was an important step to take nonetheless.
I also created house rules for my husband, and for myself so I would know how to deal with neighbors stopping by, family members phoning and wanting to chat during the day, looming piles of laundry, dirty dishes and the myriad chores that seemed to always call my name while I was working!
Here’s a list of 5 house rules that I started with. You may want to consider implementing them in your house to help curb your distractions so you can get down to business!
5 House Rules to Save You From WAHM Distraction
(1) Work hours are work hours and mom is not to be disturbed
Schedule working hours that work with your family and other obligations, and stick to them. Even if you are only able to block out short chunks of time to focus on work, stick to your schedule and allow NOTHING to disturb you during these times. Your family and friends will learn to respect your work hours when you respect them yourself. When you abuse them, you send a message that your work hours are not sacred.
(2) Do not answer the front door during work hours
Neighbors, friends, family members and anyone else who may be knocking on your door during the day would be greeted by a “no answer” if you were working in a job away from home. Just because you happen to office out of your house does not obligate you to answer the door. They’ll leave a note or come back later. And over time they’ll come to respect your workspace and learn that you are not available during certain times.
(3) Do not answer the home phone during work hours
God invented answering machines so you never have to miss a call if you can’t pick-up the phone. Okay so maybe God didn’t invent them but someone did … so use yours! I even urge you to NOT answer your business line during your solid blocks of work time. You’ll be more productive and you can schedule a time that is convenient for you to return all of your calls.
(4) Do not do chores during work hours
Just as you schedule work hours, schedule chore hours. That way everything has a time and place to get done. Additionally, as a WAHM, there will always be more to do than there are hours in the day, so learn to let some things slide. A happy mom and family are more important than a spotless house. Or do as I have done, and hire a housekeeper and enlist family members to help with the chores. Remember, a WAHM business is a team business – don’t be afraid to ask for help!
(5) Don’t schedule leisure or family visits and appointments during work hours
If you were working in a job, you would have to contain your leisure activities to before work, during your lunch break, or after work. While one of the benefits of working for yourself is you can create a more flexible work-life balance, it’s important to create a schedule that designates when you will be working and when you will be playing, and stick to it. If you have to schedule appointments during your normal work hours, compensate by rescheduling those work hours to another time.
On occasion I work late at night when everyone is asleep. It’s not a solution for everyday, but it allows me to take time off during the day to spend with my son, and get my work done when there are NO distractions.
As a WAHM, you learn to find a schedule that works for you. It may be unconventional, but if it allows you to get it all done, that’s fine. It’s your business and it’s about what works for YOU!
© 2008 Debbie LaChusa, 6FigureWAHMM
Debbie LaChusa feels blessed to be a work-at-home mom who gets to spend time with her family, do work she loves and earn a great living. She founded 10stepmarketing and 6FigureWorkAtHomeMom to help other moms do the same. Check out her most current resource for Moms who want to earn a 6 Figure Income at Home here. You can even request a free preview chapter!
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