Staying Productive During the Summer: Work-From-Home Mom Tips

Being a work-from-home mama with kids definitely isn't easy ... especially during summer break. Meeting deadlines + keeping the kids entertained can equal a crazy amount of stress; so, here are some productivity tips to help you get the most done while making sure your kids aren't destroying your house or watching TV for 12 hours a day. 

Wake Up Early

Ugh, I know... sorry, mama. But sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do to get stuff done. For me, that means waking up hours before my 3-year-old so that I can have some focused work/me time. I mean, just google "quotes about getting up early" and you'll see that a bunch of insanely successful people swear that waking up before the world is the key to their success. Ok, but how can you wake up earlier?

• If you use your phone as an alarm, set it far away from your bed. Make yourself get up to turn off your alarm. I mean, once you're up, you're up, right?
• Don't hit snooze! Seriously, just don't. 
• Don't check your emails or social media notifications right away. It'll suck you in and then, while you've gotten up early, you have not spent your time doing anything productive.
• Brush your teeth first thing. There's something about that minty freshness that will energize you. Plus, I like to repeat to myself, while I'm brushing my teeth, "I am awake. I am awake. I am awake." If I say it enough times, I'll believe it, right?
• Treat yo'self! I will set my coffee maker to turn on as I am waking up, that way by the time I make it to the kitchen, I've got a hot, fresh cup of coffee waiting for me.  
• Get moving first thing. If you're the kind of person who likes to workout, try getting it done first thing in the morning. It'll wake you up, make you more productive, and you'll carry that energy through the day! 

And hey, at least during the summer, the sun comes up early so you don't feel like you're awake at some ungodly hour. 

Create A Schedule

I swear by Google Calendar. It lets me plan out my days to the minute and time-blocking has been a life-saver for our home with 3 kids (and 3 very different schedules). 

Plus, as a teacher, I know that kids thrive on routine. Having systems and set structure in place within our day helps them (especially the 3 year old) know what to expect and what's coming next. 

Read more about time-blocking here!

​Get Out of the House

Getting out of the house always increases my productivity. Something about being in close proximity to a room with a bed makes me far more likely to take a nap. For me, this looks like a few different things.

1. Leaving the kids with daddy in the evening and heading to Starbucks for a couple hours of uninterrupted work.
2. Taking the kids to Grandma's during the day and heading to Starbucks for a couple hours of uninterrupted work.
   
3. Taking the kids to a play-place with free wi-fi. My 3-year-old is finally able to play without me feeling like I need to watch her like a hawk. The place near our house stamps hands and you can't leave with a child unless they check you have matching stamped numbers, which makes me feel safer about letting her go and play while I work (like I'm doing right now as I write this). 
   

Be Ok With "Imperfection"

Look, I'm never going to be that mom whose kid never watches TV. My daughter has known how to use YouTube for most of her life. So, sometimes, when I need to get something important done, I turn on an episode of PJ Masks on Netflix, set my timer, and focus on whatever the task is, while she enjoys some time with her favourite 6-year-old superheroes. 

I don't need to be the screentime-free mom. I'm probably never going to feed them home-cooked 100% organic meals every single day. Sometimes... ok, more often than not, our living room is a huge mess by the end of the day.

But our kids are happy and healthy. They see a mom who works hard and who can also unplug and play once that timer goes off and that TV episode is over. I'll choose balance over perfection every single time.