For 8 months, I juggled my job (part-time) and my baby at home every day. It was a choice I made, as I was unable to separate myself from my baby angel. My mission is coming to an end, and since we’ve moved house, we’ve decided that it’s time for him to blossom alongside other children, and we’ve found him a babysitter.

My day-to-day life is going to take a completely different turn soon, so I wanted to leave a trace of my slightly crazy organization of these hectic months I’ve spent as a stay-at-home mom who works… at home.

1 – PREPARATION
Working from home while looking after your baby at the same time requires preparation. Because once your little angel is in bed, it’s time to get down to business. There’s no time to dawdle, no time to look for things to do. Ideally, the day’s to-do list should be drawn up the evening before (having filled in a roadmap, for example!). If you didn’t have time (or were too tired, which often happened to me) to do it the night before, it’s the first thing to do as soon as baby goes to bed.

2 – START WITH THE HARDEST TASK
Basically: start with the hardest task unless your little one’s morning nap is short and you know you won’t have time to finish (personally, I find it very hard to stop in the middle of something). In such cases, you can start with a quick task or one that can be broken down into “stages” so that you can be interrupted without too much trouble.

3 – ANTICIPATE THE RESUMPTION
If I’m interrupted anyway, I make a note in a notebook of where I’m at and what I need to start again once I’ve got a new work slot. That way, I won’t lose time when it’s time for my next nap!

4 – STOP PROCRASTINATION
Not always easy, but essential! A child’s rhythm is variable, naps don’t always go as planned and you have to avoid “counting” on the next few times by taking it for granted. So make the most of the work window to get as much done as possible.

5 – TIDY UP A BIT (BUT NOT TOO MUCH)
Personally, I needed to tidy up anything left by the hours of play that preceded the nap before getting back to it. I’ve got some little baskets where I put the toys, so I can tidy up quickly. If you don’t feel like sticking to it before getting back to work, a little tidying up of the desk also helps with concentration! But be careful not to end up tidying your whole house! just the room where you work. No, because if you do, you’ll be spending your little one’s nap there, and that’ll ruin it for work. I know, I’ve done it before.

6 – TAKE A DEEP BREATH
I have to admit that I’ve sometimes felt like I was in apnea, juggling baby and work for too long without being able to take a break. But it’s really important to be able to take a break (in addition to eating!). I didn’t do it very often (but maybe I should have!), but a 20-minute nap before going back to work in the afternoon can be extremely effective! If you’re really afraid of being broken afterwards (or too stressed to sleep), 10 minutes of reading, for example, and you’re back on top of your mental energy.

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed these tips 🙂