Are you a work at home parent? Some tips for the summer months

Are you a parent who works from home? Do you dread the summer months and having the kids at home? Do you pay through the nose to send them to summer camp just so you can get your work done - and find you're losing money on the deal?

These words of advice come from Christina Katz, the author of Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids. While her tips are specifically for moms who stay-at-home and do freelance writing, much of this can be used by any small business person who works out of a home office and has kids around during winter, spring and summer breaks.

Christina answers, "How the heck am I going to get my work done with the kids off from school?"

1. Make sure you know what you need and don't need to accomplish. If you are like me, you need a break as much as you need to get more done. So be sure to prioritize vacation and down time. Then prioritize what you will write this summer in a numbered list. You may not get it all done, but aim to get your top priorities done, at the very least.
2. Communicate how things will be to the tribe. No doubt the kids are curious about what's happening this summer. Resist the urge to just highlight the fun stuff. Instead tell them about the fun stuff AND THEN paint them a clear picture of how they can help you accomplish your goals. If they don't know what you have in mind, they can't help you (in an age-appropriate manner, of course).
3. Build in a system of rewards. For example, if the kids go out to play in the backyard in the morning, you can write on the back porch (or whatever works). Then they can watch a movie or you'll take them to a movie in the afternoon (or whatever reward they'd appreciate). That's win-win-win.
4. When you get an assignmnet due to their cooperation, celebrate! Cupcakes after dinner or some such achknowledgement of your hard work and their cooperation really just means more excuses for parties. And it's summer, so there's nothing wrong with that!
5. A deal is a deal. Speaking of deal-making...get your partner to double-dog dare you to make a certain amount of money this summer from writing to help keep you focused on the bottom line when a day at the beach sounds more fun than a query letter. But after you send it, go and enjoy the beach!

To learn more about being a writing parent, check out the Writer Mama website and blog. And if it still seems overwhelming to have your kids around while you work, check out Freelance Switch's Use High-Powered Tasks to Transform Your Productivity and learn how to work better, not harder.