Day in the life of a WFH Mom

It’s really hard to say what a day in the life of a work-from-home mom looks like because there really is no concrete definition that works for every mom out there. Even when working the same role, the days can look different. 

Part of that is because every single child is unpredictable so even two moms with the same number of children, working from home in the same type of role…will have two different workdays.

Another part of that is that we are all different. We operate differently, even when we are similar. So when given the freedom to work how and where we want, it will look different.

And that’s really the beauty of working from home, especially as a freelancer.

If you are working in an office, you are most likely expected to work the same way everyone else in the office works. Company culture and all of that, right? This can be great for people who thrive in the company culture they are in. Maybe they even helped create it. 

But for people who don’t feel at home in their company’s culture (intentionally created or not), this can be really uncomfortable. It can even take the joy out of a job you may enjoy. It can cause stress and create a feeling of being stuck in an environment you can’t leave but also can’t change. The matter of the fact is though…not everyone is built to work the same way. 

This is one reason we’ve heard so many good things about the WFH era that was forced onto our society the last few years. Most companies hated it while most employees loved it, and reported they felt more productive. This is because they are able to work the way they want.

So the first thing to consider when trying to imagine what your day should look like as a WFH mom is… that you can’t compare your day to anyone else’s because they are meant to look different.

For example, Tianna and I do very similar things but our workdays look totally different. 

She will wake up early and get right to work while I will stay up late and work.

She will try to knock out as many calls and meetings as she can in one sitting while I need a day to recover from a handful of meetings.

She will co-work easily while I can’t focus as well when working around other people.

But then we are super similar in other ways! 

We both like to work on the phone together from time to time. 

We both have bursts of energy when it comes to working on projects. 

We both need focus time away from our kids to feel creative in our work.

And then you throw kids into all of that and there is never a normal.

Here is a way we find a way to prioritize the important things each day so we can roll with the punches and still get stuff done.

1- What are my and my kid’s needs today?

You literally never know when someone in your house could wake up not feeling well. So first things first, evaluate everyone’s mood, health, etc so you can anticipate the type of day you’ll have.

No matter the answer to that, find time to yourself to prep for the day. Even if that’s 10min of getting yourself ready in your locked bathroom.

2- What are my work needs today?

Do your to-do’s. Check your emails. Prioritize by urgency and clients. Figure out what absolutely has to get done today and knock out the most time-sensitive items first. If you are a procrastinator (like me), start knocking out the bigger stuff next, the little stuff will feel like cake after that.

Be prepared to be interrupted. Work the bigger stuff into naptime or something where you should get at least an hour of uninterrupted work time. Anything else that’s bigger, less time-sensitive but still needs to get done, take some time to knock out after dinner or bedtime (or early the next morning). These pockets of “bonus” work time are great for things you can do to get ahead. Keep in mind, you may be “working late” but it’s not because you are working more hours than you should, it’s because you choose to work around your kids’ lives during the day. 

Now if you find yourself constantly behind or frustrated at your kids because you can’t get any focused work time in, you might consider finding help keeping your kids entertained for half the day or even preschool a few days a week. 

Just because you work from home, doesn’t mean you have to have your kids with you.

This is important to remember because that belief can land you in some serious burnout. Even though your roles consist of helping everyone else, that doesn’t mean you can’t keep a pulse on your own needs. 

The bottom line, be open to working differently when working from home. Whether that is happening with your kids or not! And if it’s with your kids, be prepared to sprinkle your work throughout your day and plan focused work time in when you can!

Most importantly, follow other moms working from home…not to mimic their routines but gain inspiration from them that you can work into your own routine!

Need help figuring out what your routine would look like?