Something that a lot of you may not know about me is that I am a work from home mom. I started working seasonally with the 1800Flowers.com brands in April of 2013 for the Mother's Day holiday. I was lucky enough to be called back last September to work the Fall/Winter holiday season with one of the 18f sister brands The Popcorn Factory, where I have been working since. I love my job, I love the brand and I love working from home, BUT it can be a very slippery slope and it's definitely not for everyone! I wrote a post over on MisadventurousMommy.com a while back with some tips for work-at-home-moms that have really helped me make the working from home process a little easier. Since I've been working from home for almost a year now, I've learned lots more tricks and tips to make the process easier and the transition smoother for everyone in the family and I thought I'd share them with all of you!
Tips and Trick for Work At Home Parents
Make the Crock Pot (or Slow Cooker) Your Best Friend: Unless your husband (or wife) is used to cooking every meal, or a four-star chef, chances are you're usually the one in charge of cooking all of the meals and that can be impossible when working from home! While my husband is very helpful (now anyway, that was not the case when I first started working) in making sure all of the household chores get completed, but dinner is one of those areas that he just does not excel in, try as he might. I learned pretty early on that the only way I was going to get anything other than take-out and spaghetti (my husband makes a mean, mean spaghetti) on the table for my family while I was working, is if I used the Crock Pot. I have found a ton of Slow Cooker recipes via Pinterest, many of them can be assembled ahead of time and frozen (major score!). One of my all-time favorites (and it's SUPER EASY and Oh-So Yummy) is Crock Pot Chicken Tacos...it's literally chicken breasts (I usually use between 4 and 6 for my family of 7), one jar of Salsa, and a packet of taco seasoning. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, serve on tortillas with whatever toppings you'd like. My family LOVES it!
Be Prepared for Resistance: If you've been a SAHM for any length of time (prior to last year I had been a SAHM for over 14 years) then your family just gets used to the fact that you are always there. If that is the case, it can be incredibly difficult for them to get used to having to depend on someone else (a babysitter, the other parent, a sibling)....this is by far and away the hardest thing about working from home, the fact that you are there, but cannot stop what you are doing and help them is very, very hard! My kids, heck, even my husband, give me a hard time on the daily about working, but at the end of the day, my job provides us with the extra income necessary for all of us to enjoy the little extras...or you know, to put food on the table! My family begs, yes BEGS, me every single day to quite my job and while it is very hard to put their wants and wishes second, I know that it is the right choice for our family, even if they don't always realize it!
Take a Shift Bid That Doesn't Conflict with your Family's Schedule (If Possible): When I chose my shift bid (the time frame that I would be working), I did so with my family in mind. I choose the late shift (3pm-2 am... and I very rarely actually work that entire shift) so that I could see my kids when they come home from school and make dinner, my shift actually allows me to do that most nights. I also chose this shift becasue it meant that I wouldn't have to pay for child care as my husband is home when I go into work. Yes, there are days when I miss sporting events, choir concerts and just plain old fun family times, but again, it's a choice that I make because it is to the benefit of our family.
Be Prepared to Make Sacrifices: As I mentioned above, my family doesn't always like my job, truth be told, there are days when I get sick and tired of missing events or not being able to veg out on the couch with my family, BUT I knew that I would have to make some of those sacrifices when I took the job. Assuming that you can take a job (especially if it is a seasonal or full-time job) and that you'll still be able to spend as much time with your family as before and not have to miss anything is just plain foolish. So be aware that you will have to make sacrifices, but it will be worth it when the extra money comes rolling in!
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!: This one isn't a new one, I did mention it in my previous post, but it is SO important! I'm not the type of person who likes to let other people do the housework, dishes, laundry and cleaning are all things that I prefer to do myself, but when I'm working 40+ hours per week it kind of becomes impossible for me to do it all and delegating those things becomes necessary. It may be difficult at first to let other people take care of things that you would normally take care of, but I promise you that it makes things SO much easier for you to focus on your job.
I really hope that some of these tips help all of you current work-from-home-parents or if you're considering a work-from-home-job, then maybe these tips are some things that you haven't even considered, either way I hope that you find them helpful!
Until next time...
Tips and Trick for Work At Home Parents
Make the Crock Pot (or Slow Cooker) Your Best Friend: Unless your husband (or wife) is used to cooking every meal, or a four-star chef, chances are you're usually the one in charge of cooking all of the meals and that can be impossible when working from home! While my husband is very helpful (now anyway, that was not the case when I first started working) in making sure all of the household chores get completed, but dinner is one of those areas that he just does not excel in, try as he might. I learned pretty early on that the only way I was going to get anything other than take-out and spaghetti (my husband makes a mean, mean spaghetti) on the table for my family while I was working, is if I used the Crock Pot. I have found a ton of Slow Cooker recipes via Pinterest, many of them can be assembled ahead of time and frozen (major score!). One of my all-time favorites (and it's SUPER EASY and Oh-So Yummy) is Crock Pot Chicken Tacos...it's literally chicken breasts (I usually use between 4 and 6 for my family of 7), one jar of Salsa, and a packet of taco seasoning. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, serve on tortillas with whatever toppings you'd like. My family LOVES it!
Be Prepared for Resistance: If you've been a SAHM for any length of time (prior to last year I had been a SAHM for over 14 years) then your family just gets used to the fact that you are always there. If that is the case, it can be incredibly difficult for them to get used to having to depend on someone else (a babysitter, the other parent, a sibling)....this is by far and away the hardest thing about working from home, the fact that you are there, but cannot stop what you are doing and help them is very, very hard! My kids, heck, even my husband, give me a hard time on the daily about working, but at the end of the day, my job provides us with the extra income necessary for all of us to enjoy the little extras...or you know, to put food on the table! My family begs, yes BEGS, me every single day to quite my job and while it is very hard to put their wants and wishes second, I know that it is the right choice for our family, even if they don't always realize it!
Take a Shift Bid That Doesn't Conflict with your Family's Schedule (If Possible): When I chose my shift bid (the time frame that I would be working), I did so with my family in mind. I choose the late shift (3pm-2 am... and I very rarely actually work that entire shift) so that I could see my kids when they come home from school and make dinner, my shift actually allows me to do that most nights. I also chose this shift becasue it meant that I wouldn't have to pay for child care as my husband is home when I go into work. Yes, there are days when I miss sporting events, choir concerts and just plain old fun family times, but again, it's a choice that I make because it is to the benefit of our family.
Be Prepared to Make Sacrifices: As I mentioned above, my family doesn't always like my job, truth be told, there are days when I get sick and tired of missing events or not being able to veg out on the couch with my family, BUT I knew that I would have to make some of those sacrifices when I took the job. Assuming that you can take a job (especially if it is a seasonal or full-time job) and that you'll still be able to spend as much time with your family as before and not have to miss anything is just plain foolish. So be aware that you will have to make sacrifices, but it will be worth it when the extra money comes rolling in!
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!: This one isn't a new one, I did mention it in my previous post, but it is SO important! I'm not the type of person who likes to let other people do the housework, dishes, laundry and cleaning are all things that I prefer to do myself, but when I'm working 40+ hours per week it kind of becomes impossible for me to do it all and delegating those things becomes necessary. It may be difficult at first to let other people take care of things that you would normally take care of, but I promise you that it makes things SO much easier for you to focus on your job.
I really hope that some of these tips help all of you current work-from-home-parents or if you're considering a work-from-home-job, then maybe these tips are some things that you haven't even considered, either way I hope that you find them helpful!
Until next time...
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