How to Schedule Freelance Work Around a Kid's Schedule

Mother and daughter

Working from home as a parent is fantastic. You get to be there when your kids leave for school and when they come home. You are there for them to help with their homework, should they have a day off, or if they get sick and need to stay home. Working from home allows you this flexibility in your schedule to be able to work around the needs of your children. However, it can be a little frustrating if your freelance work piles up or you miss deadlines due to unexpected days off.

Things You'll Need

• Daily planner

Instructions

1. Create your schedule. A good example of a freelance work schedule is Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The kids probably get on the bus at about 8 a.m. An hour gives you some time to drink coffee, watch the news, take a shower and get everything ready to start working. Take breaks during the day as you need to. You may want to schedule your breaks if that works better for you. Your kids probably get home around 3:30 p.m. so stop work around three to prepare for their return.

2. Use a daily planner to create your schedule for each individual day. Some kids have a half day once a month. There are also appointments and errands to run. Account for this time spent going to appointments and running errands rather than working. Check your calendar for appointments and errands that need to be done during your work time. Account for this time on your daily planner.

3. Plan ahead for missed work time. You will need to account for unexpected (or expected) time away from your freelance work in your daily planner. How will you make up this missed time? You could work early in the morning or late at night when your kids are in bed. This makes it possible to meet deadlines and stay caught up on your work even when there are interruptions.

Tips & Warnings

• Work during your scheduled hours, not when your kids are home. The schedule is there for a reason--use it! Schedule appointments for after school so it does not interfere with your freelance work schedule. Go grocery shopping with your kids so you do not have to do it when you should be working. Plan for the unexpected. Get work done before deadlines so you are never late.