I’ve been a work-at-home-mum  for about eighteen months. It’s been an incredible journey of discovery but things are beginning to slot into place. Here are some of the things I’ve learned!

1. 100%

The overarching theme seems to be that, whatever you’re doing, give it 100%. In other words, if you’re working, you’re 100% working – and if you’re not, you’re 100% not. Don’t check your emails while you’re playing with your children. Don’t wash up while you’re on speaker-phone to a client. If you do, you’ll feel like you’re working all the time and everything will seem like an interruption. That way domestic discord lies....

2. Time management

Work out what hours you can work each day and stick to them. I only work when all my children are out at school and nursery, which is the morning. This is great from a work point of view as I’m at my best in the morning; it’s also a lot easier to tell clients my working hours as they’re the same every day. It also means my afternoons are free for me and my children and my evenings are free for me and my partner. Now we are a much happier family and I am more productive too!

3. Space

In theory, you can work from your dining table, yes. But in practice, it’s really helpful to be in a dedicated space. When you sit down in your study (inverted commas optional!), you’re physically entering your work zone and you’ll probably find you’re entering it mentally too. A huge advantage of having your own space is that you have somewhere to keep everything you need for work; you’re also under no pressure to put away something you’re in the middle of just so the children can have their tea! From a parenting point of view, it can be much simpler to ask your children not to touch things on your desk. If you shout at them for drawing on a letter you left on the sofa, it’ll be much harder for them to understand what they’ve done wrong.

4. Keep reviewing the way you’re working.

Maybe working in the evening was ideal at first but it’s not so good now bedtimes have changed; maybe you could increase what you do as your children become more independent.

5. Never forget...

 ...you can be great at your job and a great mum too!