How do we fit it all in moms? The answer is that we don’t because it’s impossible!
How to Mom and Work From Home
Balancing working from home, having a baby and toddler home from preschool this year due to the pandemic, and having a husband working from home keeps our house just a little busy and well-lived in. Let’s not forget about our Goldendoodle, who has as much energy as a toddler. I’m all for activities, mom hacks, routines, meals, anything to keep our days easier with the least amount of tears as possible.
It can be hard to wake up early enough to get it all done and then stay up late to tackle the rest. I’m sharing a few ideas that have helped me along the way!
- Carve some time for some things a few days, and other days be a little more relaxed about not getting it all done. Set some days up with a few more things to do and other days let things happen as they naturally do.
- Set work hours on your calendar phone. I suggest linking your work calendar with your personal one, so you don’t miss something. My calendar events ding when I have another work block for the day, typically early morning, nap time, and night time.
- Wake up two mornings a week and do something for yourself, whether that is a workout, organizing a space that makes you feel better, going for a walk, having coffee in peace, anything that isn’t work-related.
- During your work hours, do just that. During the hours you are with your kids, do just that. Combining the two never ends well. I’ve tried it, and this new method of setting hours has worked much better!
- Plan ahead on Sundays. Check your week out, see what is going on, and have a plan in the back of your mind, so you don’t have too many unplanned surprises along the way.
How I’m Keeping my Family Healthy Amidst Everything
We have a lot going on at home, but our health is a big priority because if we aren’t healthy, we won’t be as happy, functional, or energetic to keep ourselves and kids on our toes. We aren’t the healthiest house in our neighborhood but feeding ourselves with whole foods and daily exercise is very important. We get a lot of outside time, including walking, biking, making chalk stories in our driveway, playing with our neighbors, and so on. Keep in mind; these are during non-working hours!
We typically have a fruit and veggie with lunch and an afternoon smoothie between the endless toddler snacking that happens. Don’t let me fool you. These little boys of ours eat all day long, but we try to keep them healthier for meals if we can. I’m a big advocate for gut health, and I’ve learned again and again how little wins are the biggest ones to celebrate, like cucumbers with lunch and including oat flour in a baked chicken recipe for dinner, to name a couple.
Since we are working from home, sleep is a big factor in keeping these smiling faces, so they are tired by night time since we are all over the place all day.
Some Healthy Kid Habits We Follow
- Add a daily prebiotic to their diet that feeds the good bacteria already there.
- Find a fun water bottle for them, so they drink more water throughout the day.
- Offer fruit or veggies with their snack for added fiber to keep things moving.
- Avoid lots of foods in bags and prepackaged when possible.
- Switch to whole grains for bread, pasta, and crackers.
- Play outside as much as possible and get a good dose of sun.️
Kate Burton is the Head of Community and Education at Begin Health, a kids’ nutrition health company focused on the gut microbiome, and the maker of Begin Growing up Prebiotics, a prebiotic that uniquely incorporates a prebiotic found in breast milk for digestive and immune health. Kate is a boy mom to a toddler and baby and holds a master’s degree in Inclusive Early Childhood from James Madison University.
