How She Does It

Summertime is in full swing. Our children may be on official vacation for several weeks however work-from-home moms are not so lucky. Keep your cool during the summer with this tips!

Working from home has its challenges year round. Maintaining a workspace within the home, being accessible (or inaccessible rather) to our family, and drawing a line between “mom is home” and “mom is at work” are some of the challenges that we face. These challenges are especially difficult during the Summer months because everyone is home during our work hours.

I am a full time Certified Professional Coder (CPC) with Kaiser Permanente of Northern California. I’ve earned the privilage to work from home in 2013. Since then I’ve learned to overcome these challenges. Here are three ways I do it –

1. Have a schedule for the family. This will make sure they’re busy while you’re working. Make a daily schedule for Summer homework, reading, community activities, etc. These are things that keep my house quiet enough for me to work without interruptions.
2. Teach kids (and your partner) to be self-sufficient. For example, I don’t make their lunches or pour their juices. My children are of various ages, teenagers through toddler, and can certainly do things on their own or help each other. Oh, but they will ask! And the answer is – “Mom is at work”.
3. Wear headphones – big ones! In other words, look busy! With big headphones, the family will spot them from across the room. This is my favorite tip because it does three things. First, the family can see you’re listening to something, maybe a meeting, maybe an informational radio broadcast, whatever it is, it shows that you’re not listening to the family at that moment. Secondly, they’ll be quieter because they think you are listening to something important. Lastly, it keeps you from getting distracted with what’s going on around you.

I truly enjoy working from home despite its challenges. I know these tips will help those who work from home any time of the year! Let me know if you have your own tips to ease your work day.