Working from home provides
entrepreneurial moms with the freedom to make their own schedules and spend
more time with their children. In fact, that's often the prime reason many
women decide to start up a home based business.
It's often necessary to create new and
interesting ways to keep children occupied while attempting to get work
accomplished. Since the main reason most moms work from home is to be there for
babies, toddlers and preschoolers, finding a happy medium becomes the key to
success.
Children's ages will certainly
dictate the activity requirements and solutions. Whether work at home moms have
babies, toddlers or preschoolers at home, there are several tricks, tips and
activities to keep them entertained.
Baby
Activities
This can sometimes be a tricky age
group because babies don't always stay on a regular schedule. As any mom of an
infant knows, the answer is to work when baby is napping. Unfortunately, babies
don't always nap at the most convenient times, so getting creative becomes
necessary.
Invest in a baby swing, bounce chair
or jump up. Babies love movement and these baby accessories have the ability to
keep baby happy and entertained for quite awhile. Bounce chairs and jump ups
have the added benefit of giving baby some exercise and working those little
leg muscles.
Spread a soft blanket or quilt on
the floor of your workspace. Arrange soft toys, stuffed animals and other
baby-safe toys for baby to enjoy and explore. Play soft background music. There
are many music CDs geared towards babies available for purchase online and in
retail stores.
Even when a business is
Website-based, there will still be times when it's necessary to speak with
clients. Schedule conference, sales and Skype calls when baby will be most
likely napping or in bed for the night. It's almost impossible to conduct a
professional business call with active babies nearby.
Toddlers
and Preschoolers
As any mom knows, this is an
extremely active group. A toddler's natural curiosity seems to get them in to
just about everything. Moms can use this natural curiosity to their advantage
with small motor skill activities.
Large snap-together blocks (like
Legos) are excellent for toddlers and preschoolers. They help small children
build hand dexterity, while learning problem-solving skills. Look for sets at
resale shops, dollar stores and garage sales to save money. Just be sure to
sanitize any used toys first.
Small children love mimicking Mommy.
Give toddlers and preschoolers their own paper and crayons so they can work
too. Old phones make great office-style props for children.
Play dough is a favorite among both
moms and small children. It's also very easy to make and customize at home. To
save money and add special scents, use the recipe below for homemade play
dough. Adding a couple of drops of peppermint oil or other scents to the
finished product is an option:
No
Cook Play Dough Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup of boiling water
- 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup of salt
- 1 tablespoon of oil
Directions:
- Simply mix all the ingredients together!
- Be careful, as it can be quite hot.
With a little bit of ingenuity,
patience and mommy skill, it's possible to operate a successful home business
while bringing up baby. There are hundreds of online message boards site and
other resources for moms working from home. Brainstorming and networking with
other work at home moms can be an invaluable resource.
