I have often mentioned the need for balance between your family life and your business. This is a little bit trickier of a proposition for work at home parents, particularly those who have little ones pattering about. But there is some benefit to working around and along with the little ones. The first of these major benefits is the fact that they force you to take breaks whether you think you want one or not.

For most of us, it is difficult to get into our work first thing in the morning and if we don't have an outstanding amount of self-discipline we often find ourselves hurrying later to catch up on things that we got behind on during the early morning hours. In these situations, taking a break to put Polly Pocket's dress on for the thousandth time or fixing yet another glass of juice might seem like a profound interruption to your work flow. However, if you take a moment to think about why you wanted to work from home, wasn't there something about this in that thought? More importantly however, taking short breaks throughout the day provides a renewal of energy and purpose and gives your child special memories that other children aren't quite so fortunate to have.

Second, the little ones (believe it or not) will help drive your schedule. If you are planning around lunchtime, snack time, nap time, etc. and have set times for these each day, you are mentally preparing for those times and working according to what needs to be done before that time. It's like a mental turbo boost for your productivity. I don't know about your children, but my children are very quick to let me know it's lunch time, snack time, and goodness knows it's obvious if I'm late for nap time.

Third, having little ones at home with you while you work can be the most motivation possible to succeed. Knowing that while you are busy for a large chunk of the day you are still the one that is there to change the diapers, kiss the boo boos, and soothe the heartaches of your little one and not some day care provider is one of the most priceless things you can imagine. I didn't know how much it was going to effect me or how much I was going to love it until I was actually able to do it for myself. And to be completely honest I wouldn't change it for the world.

The fourth and final reason that it is good to have little ones afoot during your workday is this: exercise. If you are getting up and down on occasion and chasing the crayon wielding, lipstick wearing, cookie bandit around the house, you are getting out of your seat and getting a quickie cardio kick-start. These little moments of activity really are good for you. We work at home parents tend to not get nearly enough of those moments since we aren't walking to our cars and offices or climbing stairs to get into and out of the parking garage. We are missing out on exercise that others don't even realize they are getting. So it's a fair trade and worth every single calorie burned while we are chasing the little ones around the office silently praying that they don't have the document we hope they don't in their grubby little paws.

Yes your little ones can be distracting and down right destructive if you aren't carefully supervising, well even if you are for that matter, they can also be terribly sweet and loving and perfectly delightful to watch and enjoy as they grow and learn so much each and every day. I feel as though if I were to blink long and hard I'd open my eyes and they would suddenly be grown and gone. Imagine how much I would miss if I were to leave them with others and go to an office each and every day?


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(Guest article provided by Andrea Bullock)