Balancing Work & Home Life: Workin’ It Wednesdays Link up

I’m linking up today with Shay and Erika to share how I balance work and home life.  For me, these are both intertwined quite a bit.  I stay at home with my 2 boys full time and work at home when I can.  Balancing the two is one of the most difficult things I do.

For those of you who are new, I stay home with my 2 boys (5 and 2) full time.  They do go to preschool twice a week for 5 hours each time.  I have an Etsy shop that has really grown into a business for me.  I started it in 2013.  Most days I maintain the shop and all the orders, but continue to do things to grow it as well (there is so much that goes into it that is unseen).  I also write on this blog that has just started making a tiny bit of money from ads.  I know I could grow this and monetize it better too, but I just simply do not have the time to do so right now.

I wrote a post back in 2015 called “10 tips for working at home with kids” and much of the same advice I shared there, applies here.  The 10 tips I mentioned in that post are still relevant to me today.  Here are the 10 tips I shared, but you can click here to see them in detail.

1. Have a good planner/calendar.

2. Find a good time to work.

3. Get some sleep…or don’t.

4. Have your own space.

5. Set yourself up for success.

6. Take a break.

7. Prep dinner wisely.

8. Pay for part time child care.

9. Ask for help at home.

10. Realize you can’t do it all.

As the boys get older, I’m not really finding it too much easier to get things done because they require so much more activity.  In a nutshell, I take care of them all day until evening when they go to bed, then I have time to work on things.  I can squeeze in an hour here and there on some days, but overall, it’s really difficult.

Since writing that last post, I’ve also realized a couple of things about balancing the two.

{One}: ROUTINES

When I stick to my routines, life is so much easier.  It’s the little things each day that make a difference.  My evening routine is really important (clean kitchen, pick up living room, clean boys rooms, look ahead at next day, start dishwasher, fold a load of clothes) in starting my days.  I have a morning routine as everyone does (even if it’s a poor one), but I find that this needs to be cleaned up quite a bit.  I’m not a morning person, so this truly is important for me.

I have found that those who have routines in place actually get more things done and have more time to enjoy life.  Our house is in disarray (in my book)  because we are getting ready to do some major reflooring in our kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and the boys’ rooms…and it’s driving me nuts!  I feel paralyzed because things are not normal and look messy.

Basically, routines create mindless tasks that free you up to do other things, whether it be work more, play with your kids more, or whatever.

{Two}: WRITE IT ALL DOWN

I find that the more I write my to-do’s down, the more gets done.  This kind of goes with getting a good planner/calendar mentioned above, but lately I haven’t been writing it down and I have forgotten so much.

{Three}: ENJOY THIS SEASON

My first born is 5 and about to enter Kindergarten this year.  I’ve now realized how fast time is flying and I KNOW I’m going to look back on this time and think it was so much simpler.  I don’t know how that is possible, but life is too short to worry so much about work.  I can always work later.  I’ll never get this time back when they’re little.

This one is hard for me because I’m more of an “in the moment” person, but even going back on blog posts from a couple of years ago makes me miss that time.  God has given me these children for “such a time as this” and there is a lot of work to be done with them 🙂

Do any of you have any good routines, big or small?  Or any tips that help balance work life with home life?  I’m always looking for tips from other moms that help make life with kids a bit easier.