Working At Home With Toddlers

1. Work Schedule
The most important thing I have found is setting a schedule and sticking to it. Your toddler will learn your schedule, grow to appreciate it and keep you to it! I always get up at least 2 hours before my son to work in quiet. I devote 1 hour to my son when he wakes up for bathroom duties, breakfast and quality time and 1 full hour for lunch and quality time which he needs and appreciates. Working while he naps in the afternoon is more great quiet time. Set a quitting time and stick to it. My son is so used to the schedule, if I am running a little late, he lets me know. No he can’t tell time, it’s the old biological clock kicking in.

2. Organizing Your Work Load
Buy an eraser board and list all the things that have to be done in your business in categories starting with daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually duties. Add on new one time projects you want to get involved in as you discover them. First thing every morning write out the days “To Do List“. Draw from the eraser board and prioritize keeping in mind how much time different tasks take. Follow the list and cross off things as they are accomplished. Following the list keeps you focused and saves you time because every time you complete one task, you don’t have to re-access all tasks to figurine out what should be done next.

3. Talking To Your Toddler About Work
Your toddler does not want you to work. He wants you to play and give him 100% of your attention all day, every day. Unfortunately that is not possible when you are running a business. I find talking to your toddler like he is an adult works best. I’m not saying you should try to teach your toddler algebra. What I mean is speak calmly, clearly, firmly, to the point and with respect to your child. The same way you would speak to any adult or expect to be spoken to. Children understand approximately 1500 words more than they verbalize and they will listen and learn more if you don’t sound irritated or speak “baby talk” to them. For example: When lunch hour is up and my son doesn’t want me to go back to work, I explain, “If Mommy doesn’t work at home we wouldn’t get to spend lunch hour together at all because Mommy would have to go to an office building everyday and you would have to go to a babysitter‘s everyday. Please allow Mommy to go back to work now so I can continue to have lunch hour with you every day. Thank you for being such a good boy for Mommy.” I’ll never forget when my son was 2 /12 years old and we were in the check-out line at the grocery store. My son and I were talking and during our conversation he said please and thank you. The woman in line behind us said, “I can’t believe your son says please and thank you on his own at his age!” I said, “Why wouldn’t he? I always say please and thank you to him.” Children learn from example and repeat what they see and hear!

4. Teach Your Toddler To Respect Your Work Area
You must have a designated work area that is mostly but not completely off limits to your child. You must have a designated play area that is child safe, within hearing and if possible seeing distance of one another. Through out the day, one ear and if possible one eye must be on your child while you work. Communicate with your child while you work and instill the off limit rules at the same time. For example: When my child sings a song, I sign along with him. If he comes over to my work area he can stand close but not touch my papers or computer. If he does touch, I calmly and firmly say, “I love singing with you but please do not touch Mommy’s work papers.” When he removes his hand say thank you!

5. Entertaining Your Toddler While You Work
Your toddler’s designated play area must have plenty of age appropriate books and toys. However, I have learned not to allow him access to all of them at once. Your child will become bored of all of them quickly and come to you for entertainment. Rotate the toys and books from a place he can not access to his designated play area every month. Have a selection of inexpensive children’s DVDs or Video tapes and teach your toddler how to work the machine. It only took 2 1/2 days for my 3 year old to learn how to put in, play and change a DVD by himself. I didn’t teach him how to work the TV controls so he couldn’t watch shows that are not suitable. If you are interacting with your child while he watches his shows, don‘t worry, the TV is not being a babysitter!

6. Playing Work With Mommy
Sometimes your toddler will just have to be involved with Mommy and her work. Create a toddler work area that is very similar to yours. I bought an inexpensive child table and chairs, gave him an old telephone and calculator I no longer use and bought a very inexpensive children’s learning PC. I give him the unused back side of discarded work papers and color pens and pencils. When he just will not play on his own, I give him tasks to complete. For example I say, “Call Grandma on the phone and tell her how many orders we had this morning.” The phone isn’t really hooked up but he has to use his imagination to keep the conversation going and he is entertained for a while.

7.When Your Toddler is a Little Sick or Cranky
Every child wants extra time and attention when they feel a little sick or cranky. Unfortunately, most work at home Mom’s just can‘t take the day off it is not an emergency. I found a little trick that works the best for me and my son. I comfort him on my lap while I work. Sounds impossible to do but it’s not. Yes, the work goes a little slower but my son gets the extra love and attention he needs and the best part is gets bored within 20 minutes and goes off on his own to find something more interesting to do while I finish the work that has to be done!

8. Other Interruptions
What do you do about snack time, the telephone and the door bell. Set a 10 minute time limit and stick to it. Your toddler will get used to this limit just like all the other schedule limits. If you receive a phone call or the door bell rings with an unexpected visitor and your 10 minutes is up, you have to calmly, firmly and politely explain that you work from home and have work that needs to get done today. Say thank you for calling or visiting and say it was wonderful talking to them and end the call or show the visitor to the door. Invite them to call or visit after work hours.

8. End The Work Day Right!
Select something that your toddler can do that symbolizes the end of your work day and the start of your evening with him! I allow my son to turn off the computer monitor. This is the only time he is allowed to touch my computer. It is special task that makes him feel grown up, important and in charge for a few seconds. It has become a fun and meaningful ritual for both of us!

9. What About The House Work?
Throw a load of laundry in the washer at breakfast time and throw it in the dryer at lunch time. Only 2 minutes each time and a chore is done! Major household chores will have to be done after your business work is done. If you make cleaning house a fun game that your child participates in, he won’t even realize that 100% of your attention is not on him and won’t resent the time it takes you to do it My son sings the “Clean-up, Clean-up” song and turned one of his push toys with the long handle and pop balls into his vacuum cleaner. Use dinner cooking time to teach him the names of all the appliances, what they do, hot from cold, etc.

10. When Do You Rest?
I have only found one answer to that question that works. Learn to go to bed as early as your toddler does. If you are really exhausted, take a short nap in the afternoon when your toddler does.

As you can see working from home with a toddler is challenging but if you prepare yourself properly and keep a positive outlook it will also be a lot of fun!

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Elaine Stephen is a work at home Christian Mom and the Sole Proprietor of the Inspirational Gift Gallery storesonline.com/site/inspirationalgift and InspirationalSympathyGifts.com. Both sell affordable gifts that express God’s word, Christ's sacrifice and inspire Christian love, comfort and joy. Elaine also enjoys writing for her Inspirational Christian Stories, Poems, Gifts blog. Come be inspired or submit your own inspirational writings at inspirationalgifts.blogspot.com

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