Whether you’ve been a WAHM for one day or many years, one thing you know for sure is that running a home based business requires your attention. If your children are at home during your business hours, they require much of your attention too (or at least they demand it). What’s a WAHM to do? These 3 tips will help you keep the kids busy – and happy – while you tend to your business.

Learning Centers

Creating a learning center (close by your work area for younger children) is a great way to keep kids busy while you work. You can create a center for your child in a corner of your home office if necessary; it need not take up much space. What should the learning center consist of? Here are a few tips that should buy you some time:

• Age appropriate books
• Blocks or Legos sets
• Magnetic play sets (my kids personal favorite, they love the “modern day paper dolls”)
• Crayons and coloring or activity books
• Puzzles
• A stereo and audio books
• A small table or desk
• A computer for educational game play.

Television

Many parents have an issue with allowing the television set turn into the built in babysitter, and I agree. Children’s television time should be limited, but turning it on and sitting them down in front of it to gain yourself a couple of possibly undisturbed work hours can be a real life – and career- saver. Whether you let them tune into some kid-friendly cable network shows or pop in their own DVDs is up to you (educational DVDs definitely don’t hurt), but I’ve found that my kiddos sit still the longest for their personal favorites from our home collection – sometimes they even want to watch the same thing on repeat; it sounds awful I know, but it gives me time to get some work done and possibly accomplish some household work as well!

Imagination

Too often we parents end up spending big bucks on products meant to entertain our children, when truthfully we could do ourselves and them a favor – and save a few pretty pennies in the process – by giving them the opportunity to explore and play with their precious imaginations.

If your kiddos need some inspiration to get re-acquainted with theirs, cardboard playhouses might do the trick. This one from Box Creations looks fantastic!

 

You can read my review of the Crafty Kids Playhouses here. Their unique line of eco-friendly cardboard playhouses will spark your child’s imagination and inspire creativity, keeping them busy so you can enjoy a productive business day!

How do you keep your kids busy while working from home?

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