Maternity leave can be a beautiful time. Not only do you get to raise the infancy of your child, but you can truly be there for them, helping them develop and grow with time. This is likely what you’ve been looking forward to during your entire pregnancy, so it’s wonderful to think that this is now something you can enjoy. However, for some people, the idea of working is also quite engaging. For this reason, finding a job working from home, even part-time, can be a great way to supplement your income and truly live the life you hope to.
But with a baby, this can be a little more difficult than we intended. After all, our primary role is of a mother, meaning that those duties will always take precedence. There are some ways to help you through this though. The following tips will allow you to manage both of these duties in equal measure, whether you’re working freelance, or consulting for your firm remotely.
Here are a few tips:
Schedule Your Time, But Be Flexible
It can be worthwhile to schedule your time here. Remember that while your baby can often be placed in front of their baby mobile, or relaxed in front of childlike television, this shouldn’t be considered an absolute substitute for your presence and love. Working at your computer means scheduling your time correctly.
This helps, because regularity often works wonders for a new baby. For example, adhering to your baby’s 6 month old napping schedule will often allow you to schedule bitesize working responsibilities while they attain their rest. This will only be achievable if you:
Take On Manageable Amounts
Be realistic about how much work you can actually complete. If you’re struggling to get thirty hours of work done during the seven day period, you should probably reduce it. Consider taking on part-time work. If you have the right maternity leave and the right eligible government support, you may only need to take a small amount of responsibility on each day.
This might mean that you write freelance for three hours a day. It might mean labelling yourself as available for consulting for a fraction of your morning. Do whatever is right for you, and make sure you never overstretch yourself. The job of being a mother is one that will likely drain you, especially due to the lack of sleep. Take time for your child, your physical and mental health, and then your interest in work with that order of priority.
Budget Your Income
You’ll find it much easier to pad your income with this small gig if you know what you hope to earn and what to use that for. If your grocery bill is slightly higher, or you have a medication that needs to be purchased, then heightening your working output to only match that goal might be a realistic way of progressing. Working for the sake of working or to simply buy items of luxury is absolutely your choice, but consider if the time might be better used elsewhere learning a hobby, relaxing, and generally enjoying your time to be a mother. There will be years of work waiting for you after you come out of maternity leave, so sometimes enjoying a break is best.
With all this in mind, you can be sure to manage home work while looking after your baby to an extreme degree.
