How To Properly Combine Work And Childcare

First: It’s important to remember that working home is NOT a replacement to childcare
Caring for children is a full-time job in itself so if you already have another full-time job, you should not expect to do each one. While working from home does mean less time spent commuting, working while your children are asleep or napping really isn't effective. To combat this you should find a suitable in- home or nearby daycare that works for you. This will allow you to focus on work when you need to and give your kids your undivided attention the rest of the time.

Second: Mark out a place in your home as a designated ‘office’. If you're working from home full or part-time, it is best to have a dedicated work space. You don’t need to spend a lot of money extending your home to fit your office, but you should have at least some sort of desk space. This space should be in a place where you can focus, whether for work or phone calls. However, you should see this as an opportunity to make an office you could actually do work in. You can do it quite affrodably by combining sites like eBay and Craigslist with online transportation marketplaces, like uShip, who always have reliable transporters looking for courier jobs.


Third: Specify the times you are at ‘work’ and when you are free. The major advantage of working from home is that you can be flexible. However, it is best practice to set a schedule, just like you would do if you were in the office. One of the greatest difficulties of working from home is telling yourself when to stop. In this case, it is best to define when the work day starts and finishes. This will give you, your office colleagues and your family structure to your day and ensure that you have enough time to dedicate to both work and home life.  


Total division of work and life is very difficult to achieve. Working from home can be a useful way of enabling you to both spend more time with your family and "at work." In order to successfully manage personal and professional commitments however, you do need to be proactive in your approach.