I wrote this post with both single and married mothers in mind. Work at home moms face an interesting dilemma. Many work at home parents choose to work from home so that they can avoid putting their children in daycare. Many moms turn to work from home opportunities when their children are born because they want to be the ones raising their children. However, working from home with babies and preschoolers running around is not easy. Here are some tips to use to help you balance parenting and working.

First, have a place that is reserved for work. Even if it is a small corner of your home, have a “home office.” If they are old enough to understand, teach your children that you are “off limits” when you are in the office. If your children are babies, teach your husband that you are not available to deal with the baby when you are in the office.

Next, learn to work when your children are sleeping. Work hard to keep your children napping in the afternoon, even if it requires you to put them to bed later in the evening. That afternoon naptime is the perfect time to get some work done in a quiet environment. You can also work when your children are asleep in the evening, but be sure that you save time to spend with your spouse, as he will begin to resent your business if you do not have time to spend with him.

If you have friends with children of the same age as yours, consider swapping babysitting times. You can offer to take your friend’s children for a day in return for a child free day of your own. Then, when it is your day to send your kids to their friends’ house, use that time to get some serious work done.

If you have no babysitting options, do not be afraid to let your children watch some television. You will hear that children never need to watch television, but the fact remains that you have to work. Have a scheduled time during the day when the children can watch a movie while you work. Just make sure that they do not spend the whole day watching the tube.

Balancing work and parenting duties is difficult for the work from home mom. With a little creativity and a lot of patience, you can make the work from home world work. Just remember to take it a day at a time, learn from your mistakes, and be flexible!