Working from home, especially with young kids hanging out with you, can be quite the challenge. We feel obligated to balance every aspect of our home, work, kid, relationship needs of life.
I mean… handling keeping the house clean… kids entertained... dishes done… cooking commenced… kids alive and fed… work handled… and let’s not neglect self-care, any homeschooling activities, our social life needs, or our relationship needs… while managing it all at 100%… it’s just not realistic without help and support.
There are definitely no shortages of challenges when I comes to working from home. Just being home with kids is a full time job in and of itself. Add in complicating life more by working from home… and you have a recipe for feeling inadequate at accomplishing everything, and often being ready to lose your mind on the days where nothing goes smoothly.
But what no one talks about… is the rewards. How much love… how much fun… how much joy… and how complete being a mom can feel when finding her way through the muck of helping provide for her family (or totally providing) while being able to enjoy her children.
1) Laughter.
There is no shortage of laughter to help my business be more enjoyable. While I love what I do (helping moms feel amazing and take back their lives), sometimes conversations get serious. Sometimes life gets too serious. I can always 100% count on my boys for spontaneous laughing fits, dance parties, or the always “hilarious” fart jokes.
2) Diversity.
Each day is something totally new, exciting, unexpected, and renewing. Whether its having the kids create the artwork for homemade, handwritten cards being sent to customers… or hearing them yell from the bathroom, asking what color their poop is while you’re on a coaching call… or taking your craft out on walks with you, because strapping them into a stroller for a long walk is the only way to keep them quiet while you’re on a call.
There is no way to drown in monotony.
Many moms are choosing to work from home so they can maximize time with their families without worrying about daycare, frequent moves, or their spouse’s inconsistent work schedules.
Nicole Graber
3) Edifying
Nothing is more motivating than watching my 4 year old edify how I run my business, and hearing how proud he is of the way I help other families.
Moms can never hear enough appreciation, especially when feeling like a failure to maintain a pristine house, a business, kid needs, and spouse needs.
4) Snuggle breaks.
Between coaching my team leaders, following up with current members, and following up with potential new members… it’s nice to have sweet little hugs while putting together snacks, or just because we haven’t had a hug yet this hour.
5) Celebration Partners!
Always someone willing to celebrate with. Nothing is quite like having a Little to help celebrate your wins. Whether it’s indulging in some ice cream, or random dance parties in the living room… it’s incredible to have someone by your side to celebrate our latest wins.
6) Creative time.
As entrepreneurs and moms, we often forget to feed our minds and souls with some creativity time. This is crucial for keeping on your game, especially if you’re involved in marketing. Your brain needs creative time to operate efficiently… coloring, painting, playing with clay… kids give you that excuse to dive into some sort of creative activities.
7) Positive self-talk.
We teach the world how to treat us. Often our young kids show us a reflection of who we are. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard my words come out of my 4-year-old. It’s a constant reminder to be mindful. When we treat ourselves better, our kids treat themselves better. When we treat ourselves better, the universe treats us better.
8) Back-up memory.
Young kids don’t let us forget anything. My 4-year-old is really good at reminding me to eat, to exercise, to call people… just about anything I mention I need to do that day… at some point he will make sure I remember. He also helps me remember my self-care routine… and helps motivate me to strive to be more efficient with creating helpful habits, systems, and routines.
9) Encouragement.
Never underestimate the power of a hug and a “It’s ok, Mommy. You can do it, I know you can” comment from your Little when times get tough and you second guess everything.
10) Gratitude.
Being a work-at-home parent of small kids comes with reminders of so much to be thankful for. The opportunities you’re pursuing… the financial rewards of what you’re doing… the emotional rewards… all rolled into being the best version of you possible while you handle taking care of your family. It really is the best of both worlds, being a parent at home while also pursuing professional development.
Nicole is a military-trained research analyst, homeschooling mom, healthy lifestyle coach, flexible business consultant, and writer for MotherhoodTruth.com and GracefullyAbundant.com. After living through and overcoming a season of homelessness and chronic health, Nicole developed a passion for helping others develop healthier habits using functional nutrition, herbalism, and renewing faith.
