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July 7, 2025

6 Tips to Stay Productive While Juggling Your Kid’s Activities

The benefit of being an entrepreneur is that you get to set your own hours. Of course, there is the old joke that a business owner is the only person who does not want to work forty hours for someone else…so they end up working eighty hours for themselves instead!

This is further complicated if you have kids. Many business owners venture out on their own so that they are able to work around their children’s schedules and spend more time with them — I know, because that is exactly what I did! Over twenty years ago, I started my very own company so that I could work from home with my kids.

Back then, technology was not as sophisticated as it is now. I often found it difficult to juggle my kid’s activities with work; we are a big volleyball family, and looking back, I know if I had the tech we do today, I would have been far more productive with my business. Of course, I still did what I could by bringing along pen and paper to practices so I could jot down ideas or sketch out workflows in the carpool line.

However, there are many more options available to entrepreneurs nowadays. Working as part of a completely remote company, I have a few tips I can pass along on how to manage work and get your kids to all their favorite activities:

1.    Use This Time To Answer Emails

Stuck waiting for kids at camp or doctor’s office? This is the perfect time to answer emails. Schedule your day so that you have a designated time to respond to messages. People will get used to you responding on a certain schedule, and this is something you can easily do from your phone. This also ensures that emails with smaller questions do not distract you from larger tasks while you are at your desk.

2.    Set Up Automations

Remember, work smarter, not harder! If there is something you can set up to do automatically, schedule it to run while you are out of the office. This might look like transferring new form entries from a website to a Google Sheet or importing data into a CRM. If you’re on the design side of things, then this can be a great time to allow images and videos to render or upload while you’re away from your computer.

3.    Download An App And Create Your Schedule

While your kiddo runs around at practice or at camp, you can focus on creating your schedule for the next few days. Get an app that can host your to-do list, and you can work on updating it, or you can even assign tasks to your team. There are some really great systems out there like Todoist or even Asana. If you have a project manager, this is also a great time to look through the schedules they have created for projects to ensure they are on track.

4.    Learn More While On The Road

Use your commute to and from activities to learn more. Listen to a business podcast or download audiobooks from experts. This can help you maximize your time while still making it to your destination. As an entrepreneur, every second counts!

5.    Outsource Tasks Off Your Plate

Remember, you are not in this alone! Even though you want to maximize your time, it is also important to focus on your kiddos. While you might be able to work while your child practices for their sport, you don’t want to miss their actual game or performance. Don’t be afraid to outsource tasks to others whether that is a task for home or for work. 

6.    Take Care Of Yourself Too

Above all else, remember that there is just one you, and your kiddos depend on you. That means it is imperative that you take breaks. Schedule your day around some self-care time, and don’t be afraid to take those much-needed breaks.

With that in mind, I would like to end with a disclaimer. As business owners, we often feel guilty if every second of every day does not seem as productive as it should be. I know that I am often guilty of this. I take a break for a few minutes, and then find myself upset later on that I could have used that time for work.

I know this applies to all that goes into caring for our kids as well. Sitting in the pick-up line at camp or activities can feel frustrating. The whole time, you might be thinking to yourself “I could have finished this project by now” or “I might have gotten ahead of my to-do list if I wasn’t sitting here”. Those thoughts are normal. However, we don’t need to punish ourselves. We are humans too, on top of parents and entrepreneurs.

I want to remind you to take whatever time you need for yourself. You don’t always have to be working. In fact, you don’t even have to be productive with work all the time. If you want to sit in the car and zone out, that’s fine too. That in and of itself is productive because your body and your brain need breaks. With work and kids, being productive does not always look like being busy. Sometimes it looks like having a quiet moment to yourself in your car or just enjoying watching your kiddo practice their favorite activity. Do what works best for you, your schedule, and your family.

If you need help outsourcing some of your work, consider posting the project or role on HireMyMom. You may just find the perfect solution to working smarter, not harder! And if you are looking for activities for your kids, check out our free “50 Easy Kid’s Activities for Busy Moms” download.

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Written by
September 28, 2020

This is How You Work from Home With Kids

When you work at home, carving out quiet time to do professional work is always challenging, especially when your kids are off school for a break or too young to attend school. This issue is now more acute than ever as many school-age children learn from home or attend school on partial schedules due to COVID-19.

Here are some ideas for keeping the kids busy so you can get work done each day.

Consider Child Care

I realize this is easier said than done. There’s often an expense associated with child care. What’s more, bringing new people into your bubble can open up health concerns. But, child care doesn’t have to be a full-time daycare or nanny situation. Several creative options are available for child care, which can be right for you and your kids.

 

Non-Traditional Sources of Child Care

Here are some out-of-the-box ways to find help:

  • Form a pod with another family and take turns on kid duty a few hours each day or every other day, giving each set of adults a chance to work kid-free.
  • Look for a local student who is home from college and could provide a few hours of support each week. Perhaps you can even find an education major who can tutor older children for college credit.
  • Ask a neighbor to consider swapping tasks with you–trading a few hours of child care for a service you’d be happy to provide like shopping, cooking, or organizing.

 

Nanny Sharing 

Consider sharing a nanny if you’d like a more traditional route but don’t need full-time care. Nannies can be very expensive, but sharing one with another family makes it more affordable. Partner with another family (or two) to share one nanny with each of you taking different days/hours. Or, have the nanny take all the kids to alternating houses throughout the week. This type of set up makes it easier to find a professional, full-time nanny without having to shoulder the expense on your own.

If you embark upon this path, here are some tips for success:

  • Agree on a general framework for hours and days at the outset. This type of arrangement works better when everyone is on the same page in terms of schedules. 
  • Be prepared to be flexible. Even the best-laid plans are bound to go awry occasionally, so enter into the arrangement knowing that you may need to make sacrifices based on the other family’s schedule and feel comfortable that they will do the same for you when the need arises.
  • Establish protocols for kid behavior and expectations. For example, will kids do school work with the nanny? What about watching television? Do you expect the nanny to supervise while the kids play or actively engage them in activities? Discussing these topics in advance can ensure a smoother partnership.
  • Make plans to address what you’ll all do if one of you is sick or exposed to COVID-19 and needs to quarantine. It’s best to partner with a family and a nanny who shares your perspective on the associated risk and right mitigation actions until the threat passes.

 

Encourage Your Kids to Play Independently

If child care isn’t in the cards for you, encourage your kids to play independently or with siblings. Many children can play quietly with a bit of guidance. Don’t feel bad about asking your kids to play alone. It’s a chance for them to develop essential skills and learn to be independent. But, be realistic about how long you expect them to play on their own. Here are some ideas:

  • Older babies can play happily in a pack-and-play or a stand-up activity center. 
  • If your kids are young, set up an area where they can quickly reach a few essential toys and play independently while you supervise from a distance.
  • If your kids are older, encourage them to use quiet toys, like puzzles or coloring books, while you work. Ask them to select ones that interest them and set a timer to help them manage the time on their own.
  • Books are a great pastime for kids, those who know how to read, and those just learning to read. Encourage 30 minutes of reading while you power through some emails or return calls.
  • Let older kids play outside in your yard — they will have a ball and come in tired.
  • Consider showing a kid-friendly matinee movie each afternoon, so you have a concrete block of time each day.

Need more ideas for independent playtime, check out this blog that contains 105 activities to keep kids entertained while you work. 

 

Consider Online Resources

Several online resources are available to help keep kids engaged and learning. A quick Google search for online learning will reveal a universe of online options to help your kids learn and grow. For example: 

  • Khan Academy is free and aimed at assisting K-12 students in learning specific subject matter. 
  • ABC Mouse is designed for younger kids and helps build fundamentals.
  • Outschool includes specialty classes that capture kids’ interests with a fun focus. Recent offerings include sharks, Godzilla, and Writers Workshops.

Although many moms feel a twinge of guilt by relying on screens, sometimes it’s the best option for finding the balance in work-at-home life. You can always enlist time monitoring apps like Kidslox and Bark to ensure that a little screen time doesn’t turn into a full-day affair. 

 

Know You Aren’t Alone

The combination of working from home and caring for children can feel like a lonely uphill slog. You aren’t alone, though. Millions of other moms are in the same boat and experiencing the same frustrations and challenges you are. Remember, it is challenging to work at home and keep kids occupied. Struggling is a normal part of the process. But, with some creativity and planning, it’s possible to survive and even thrive through this stage. 

It always helps to hear the stories of others. Join our Community of moms working from home and share your struggles, ideas or best tips for keeping kids busy while you take care of business.

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