Work at Home Productivity Tips –

Here is a great article that Lisa wrote for us. She has the challenge of working at home (she is my VA extraordinaire as well as running her own very active tupperware business in Toronto, ON with two small boys (and one more since she wrote the article!). She knows what she's talking about!)CREATIVE CHILDCARE SOLUTIONS FOR WAHM'S

WAHMs in direct sales are very often faced with childcare predicaments. A main portion of their business is conducting sales presentations, usually held at someone else's home.

If you are a party planning WAHM, the most obvious choice would be to schedule these presentations when your partner or another family member can watch the children, but what if your partner has an odd work schedule, you are a single parent, or everyone is busy?

• You can hire a local high school student to come to the party and be the party nanny. Check with the hostess first, but if she is a mom too she will probably love the idea! So will the other guests since they can bring their children with them to the party. That means more guests for your hosts and more profit for you!

• Make a child care network with your friends, neighbors and fellow WAHMs. Each woman can designate a time frame on a certain day of the week or month to watch kids. Anyone who needs a sitter that day can drop their kids of at that mom's house. The children will get to play and interact with one another and each Mom can get free childcare on an as needed basis.

• Use the resources around your community. Check with your place of worship as they may offer a Mom's Day Out type of program where you can drop your children off for a few hours per day, a couple times per week. This may be a free or low-cost service. Check your local library as they may have children’s programs where you drop your children off for story time followed by a craft, game or activity. Don't forget to take advantage of recreation programs like swimming lessons and sports teams.

• You can hire a neighborhood teenager to come over and play with the kids while you work in your office. You will have some uninterrupted work time, but will be available in case something comes up.

• Plan a weekly or monthly playgroup time for your kids with another WAHM. One WAHM makes phone calls interruption free for whatever span of time decided while the other supervises the kids. Then you switch.

• Remember to check with friends and family to see if they can help out by watching the kids occassionally. Offer your product or service in exchange for their time. They may jump on the offer!

• Don't feel guilty if you decide to put your children in daycare part-time. Yes, you may have had every intention of working at home in order to spend time with your children, but, there may be times when your business will need your total focus. Your child will enjoy a change of pace and access to new friends, toys, and adventures that you can't necessarily provide from home!

By using some creativity, local resources, and finding some solutions for childcare so you can take time and complete your business tasks, you will be able to focus 100% on your children during family time.

Feel free to reprint this article including this information box.

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