A Day in the Life of a Work at Home Mom

Brought to you by Interac Association and TheCo

Since becoming a full-time blogger, people often ask me how I work at home with 3 young kids. I'm the first to admit that I'm no Supermom, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that help me make my hectic WAHM (work-at-home-mom) day a little easier. It's definitely a challenge, but a bit of multitasking and flexibility goes a long way! With the help of Interac Flash® who's sponsoring this post today, let me share with you a glimpse into what a day looks like for me and how I juggle mom life and work life.

First off, I must preface this sample daily schedule by telling you that I do have all my kids in childcare or school 2 days each week. This has really helped me feel less stressed and it enables me to attend meetings and do bigger DIY projects child-free. I think it's really important to surround yourself with a tribe of people that can help you if you are a mom who also works. We can't do it all alone! I've also recently hired a blog assistant, and she's been a life saver!

With that said, here's a peek at what a working day with the kids at home looks like for me.

7:00 AM Wake-Up, Breakfast, & School Prep

I'm NOT a morning person, but when school's in and since we live in the country, we're forced to get out of bed by at least 7AM so that the girls can catch the bus on time. I try to prep as much as I can the night before (like school lunches and outfits) so that my foggy morning brain doesn't forget things in the AM. For breakfast on weekdays, we keep it simple with oatmeal, toast, or cereal.

8:00 AM Email & Social Media Replies

If and when the older kids are out the door and the younger one(s) are happily playing, I have a little time to answer work emails and check my social accounts to reply to questions and comments. If the kids aren't happily playing, I'll cuddle them while doing my computer/phone work, but I do find that they're less owly in the morning.

9:00 AM Errands in Town

Here's where multi-tasking and using Interac Flash comes in handy - I try really hard to get any errands in town done between 9 and noon. With anywhere from one to three kids along for the ride, we need to get in and out of the vehicle as quick as possible, and stops at stores need to be pain-free. I've discovered that using Interac Flash is a fabulous way to get errands done with less hassle! To pay for your purchases with Interac Flash, you simply hover and hold your Interac Flash enabled Debit card above a payment terminal... and voila! Your transaction is complete. You don't have to juggle kids on one hip and your bag on the other while you enter your info on a keypad. I also find bringing along drinks and snacks really helps, and the girls usually love coming on errands with me so they're normally not too fussy. Weekday errands include everything from grocery shopping to craft supply hauls to home decor shopping to a quick coffee for mama!

12:30 PM Lunch

We usually have lunch at home, but if I'm extra busy or tired I have no shame in opting for a quick lunch out before we come back home. I'm all about the shortcuts when my stress level is at steak!

1:30 PM Quiet Time

Even though all of my kids have outgrown their afternoon nap time, we still enforce a quiet time for at least an hour after lunch. Not only does this help my girls rest and wind down a little, but it allows me another hour to get some work in during the day. I let them play video games, read or watch a TV show while I work on the computer or on a DIY project.

3:00 PM Snack & Project Time

The kids come home from daycare or school at around 3, so this is often when we have a snack together and do and play or do a project together. One trick that works really well for me is trying to involve my girls in as many DIY and home decor projects for the blog that I can. It makes them feel important, and it also keeps them occupied. If I'm doing a project that's beyond their skill level, I try to setup something that they can do alongside me like colouring, painting or another craft.

5:30 PM Supper Time & Chores

We almost always have family dinner together. We all sit down, there are no electronics allowed (Mom & Dad included!), and we eat and chat. After supper, the girls have simple chores to do like unloading the dishwasher and tidying the main floor of our house.

7:00 PM Kid Bed Time

By the time supper and chores are done, it's time for the girls to get ready for bed. We've always had a relatively early bedtime for them, and I feel like this has really worked for us so far. They need their sleep, and then my hubby and I can work and be alone together afterwards.

8:00 PM Work Time

I usually sit at the computer or work on a DIY project from after the kids go to bed until around 10. I love this quiet time where I can really concentrate!

10:00 PM Hubby Time

My husband also owns his own company, so after we're both done a little work for the evening, we meet up and watch a TV show or chat. I love this time of day too!

11:00 PM Bed Time

I generally try to get to bed at 11, but if I have a lot of deadlines (or we're watching a particularly gripping Netflix series!), I'll stay up even later.

That's my WAHM schedule in a nutshell, and it's definitely a full day! While working with kids at home can be a huge challenge (and some days are more challenging than others, let me tell you!), I wouldn't trade it for the world. I get to do two things I love - mothering and blogging - and I'm SO grateful! If you're in the same boat, don't forget to (a) surround yourself with people that can help you, and (b) find simple ways to make your everyday tasks more efficient like using Interac Flash. Those two things will help so much! Want to give Interac Flash a try? Click here to learn more about it. 

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Interac Association/Acxsys Corporation. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.

Interac Flash is a registered trade-mark of Interac Inc. Used under license