WAHM's - Help! I need tips!

luvmykids wrote: I'm having trouble (or should I say WE are having trouble) adjusting ...

The thing I'm having the most trouble with is when I need to be on the phone, they constantly whine, fight, cry, etc and when I tell them I need them to wait quietly it only gets worse.

Secondly, they're used to me just messing around on the computer and being able to stop and attend to them. But now that I'm actually doing work they don't seem to get it, and I'm not getting anything done during the day.

How do you establish your WAHM routines for them?

mckayleesmom replied: Maybe you can arrange for them to do some crafts while you are working.....Cut out the patterns give them some glue sticks and have at it.......That is what I do with Mckaylee sometimes.....I cute out all the pieces she will need....give her a paper bag and some glue and she makes a puppet while I get some much needed alone time.......Russell is always good....so he is not usually a problem....

ALso....try to schedule that part of the day......with tons of crafts to keep them busy. Playdough, clay, etc.

kit_kats_mom replied: I probably won't have much time to respond but I will come back later if I get interrupted.

What are you doing at home? What are the requirements? Are the calls coming in or can they be returned during a quiet time?

Here is what I do on a day when both girls are home. I am working on finding someone to take Lauren two days a week so I'll have Tuesdays and Thursdays child free for work. I basically just get bits and pieces done during the day (I upload a file while nursing the baby, or return an email or two). Most of my clients know that I'm a WAHM and they know that if they leave me a message, I will call them back before the day is out. The key is to ALWAYS follow through. For emergency phone time, I have a movie and some toys (markers) that they can only play with when I'm on the phone. They get HEAPS of praise if I'm able to make it through an entire call without being interrupted.

Luckily for me, my job is one that I rarely have to respond asap and I can do almost all of it after hours...which is exactly what I do. I will get an hour or two of work in during naptime on those rare days that both girls sleep during the same time. But I typically just pull the SAHM thing during the days that I have both of them home...I try to keep in mind that that's why I wanted to WAH in the first place, to see my babies grow up and be a part of their life. Usually my DH takes the girls from 6pm on (bath duty, small grocery runs, stories and bedtime) and I work until I fall asleep around 11. Sometimes I'll take an hour to watch a show with my DH but typically, I whip out a ton of work. I usually make up any hours on the weekend while DH has the girls.

luvmykids replied: I'm trying to run our construction company from home because DH fired the office manager, thankfully I don't necessarily have a lot of restrictions or deadlines, it's just super busy. Phone calls are constant and some I can return and some I have to deal with right then, a lot of it is trying to walk the girls in our other office through something or authorizing stuff over the phone since I'm three hours away and can't sign a purchase order or something.

The actual computer work can wait until evenings, which is what I've been doing because it's mostly accounting and I have a hard time picking up where I left off when I get interrupted but it's keeping me up waaaay too late to even semi-function in the mornings.

I'm hoping it will improve with the twins in school MWF from 9-1 but the times they're here are just pure chaos. I guess I need to stock up on stuff that I can "supervise" but not have to be hands on involved and try to get these other girls trained to take over some of this stuff, TBH our office mgr was probably happy when she got fired, it's A LOT of work she was doing, I don't think I could do it all in an office either much less here at home, I think the bottom line is it's just too much for one person period.

kit_kats_mom replied: If it's at all possible, I'd make screen shots of what you do (the basic stuff that the girls in the office could do) and put them into word docs. That way, at least those calls would lessen. KWIM?

luvmykids replied: How do I do that?

kit_kats_mom replied: Just type up your document with step by step instructions and when you hit a screen you'd like to copy into the document, press the "print screen" key, then paste it (control v) into the doc.

luvmykids replied: That will DEFINITELY help, thank you, thank you, thank you!

kit_kats_mom replied: Sure, no problem. It may take some time on the front end but it will pay back later.

mom21kid2dogs replied: Because what I do from home requires me to read uninterrupted and think uniterrupted I contracted with a sitter this summer. We did two days a week so I cound work from home. It was the ONLY solution for me.

MyLuvBugs replied: The TV can be your best friend when you need a good hour to work. Put on their favorite movie or cartoons, and that can help distract them for a little bit. Also, coloring books can be great, BUT you'll have to have them at a table near you or you'll end up with crayon on the couches, walls, tables, etc.

I also get a lot of work done during nap time. (at least I used to ) You just have to be VERY organized and efficient when nap time rolls around so that you get the maximum of work done in a short amount of time. KWIM?

Good luck!! I hope you start to get it all figured out soon.

MichaelsMommy replied: There is NO WAY I could work with Michael here.. he's just too hands on now and has hit the terrible twos. He has to go to a sitter from 9am to 4:30pm.

Nathansmom replied: I am managing to work mostly when Nathan is napping, but for the times I work while he's up I can limit it to half an hour at a time, with Mommy time in between, and if I must make a phone call, I turn on a movie for him for distraction.

So far so good, but then phone calls are not ususally coming in for me, just me making calls.