It’s only 2 weeks in to summer break here in NYC but it already feels like we’re knee deep! If you’re trying to start or run a business during the summer when your kids are home it may seem almost impossible. You may be feeling scattered, overwhelmed and unable to focus. You may also feel torn between wanting to keep working on your business, wanting to spend time with the kids and also wanting to slow down a bit.
Every morning my younger daughter wakes up and asks “what are we doing today?” In my mind I’m thinking about coaching clients, blog posts I want to write, photos that need editing and the list goes on. She’s thinking when are we going to the zoo?!?
It’s time to come up with a schedule that works for everyone. Here are some tips that I’ve implemented and hopefully they can help you stay a little sane as well.
1 – Mark Your Calendar
Hello summer camp!
In the past my girls went to a 6 week theater day camp so our schedule was similar to school. Starting last year however, they decided they wanted to try something different so we have a few weeks here and there that are booked for various camps along with a week long beach getaway that my husband takes them on at the end of August – so all in all about 4 weeks. I block these weeks on my calendar so I know I can be the most productive during those times. That leaves about 5 extra weeks to figure out. Yikes!!
2 – Morning or Night?
Pay attention to their sleep habits. For me, my girls like to stay up late which means they’ll sleep in pretty late in the morning. If I get up by 7 and they get up around 10:30 that gives me over 3 hours pretty much guaranteed to work on my business.
3 – Prioritize and Focus
During those prime hours you have to hyper focus and tackle your most important business tasks first. This is NOT the time to be checking Facebook, folding laundry or doing dishes. No way!
4 – Be Present
If today’s the day you’re going to the zoo, an amusement park or whatever else the activity is, be present. If you try to check emails or facebook at the same time your kid is telling you to look at the giraffes, it’s only going to stress you out and piss them off. BE where you are.
5 – Know Your Non Negotiables
Tuesday afternoons I have a group coaching call with my own coach and Wednesday mornings I have a check in with my accountability partner. These 2 things are non negotiable so I won’t schedule anything during those times.
6 – Your Turn, My Turn
Get your spouse or partner into the mix and let them know you need some time to work on your business and see how they can adjust their schedule to spend some time with the kids.
7 – Keep Moving Forward
Even if you have to scale back during the summer, do something each day for your business no matter how small. You will be so much more ahead of the game than those that go M.I.A. It’s like working out (I hear 🙂 ). You can’t stop exercising all summer and still expect to be in shape in the Fall, right?
What strategies do you implement in the summer to balance kids and business?
Very helpful tips Stacey! My daughter is only two so we are not quite here yet but with school holidays happening I have often wondered how people balance this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
At 2 you probably can get in more nap times 🙂