5 tips for working at home

Before you know it, your maternity leave will whiz by and you’ll be faced with returning to work. Some employers now offer the option of working at home. If yours does, you may want to take advantage of the opportunity.

Doing a job from home can allow you to spend more time with Baby, but for the arrangement to succeed, you may consider setting a few ground rules:

1. Set up a room or part of a room as an office or work area.

Organization is key to working at home. You don’t want to be looking for paperwork between diaper coupons and baby magazines. To solve the problem, devote a room or part of a room to your work. Separating work from everything else will help you function more efficiently.

2. Plan a specific time to work and stick to it.

Scheduling your work hours will help make non-work hours enjoyable and guilt-free. Just make sure you have a balance between work and family—and don’t forget time for yourself.

3. Try to work while the baby naps or after bedtime.

A good time to focus on work is when your baby’s sleeping and the house is quiet. You’ll be surprised how much more work you’ll get done when distractions are at a minimum.

4. Rely on a babysitter when necessary.

There may be projects that you’ll need a large block of time to complete. This is the ideal time to use a babysitter. Depending on your situation and in-home work area, this could be at your home or the sitter’s—whatever works best.

5. Get help with household chores so you still have time for your baby.

Cooking, cleaning, shopping, bill-paying, work, caring for your family—sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day. No need to despair. Set your priorities and if possible, hire someone else to clean or do the shopping.