Jozi WAHM's Guide to Beating the Morning Rush

Life in Jozi is a rat race and everyone in has somewhere to be in the a.m. Whether you need to get to work, want to get to the gym bright and earlyor just to get the kids to school on time, the morning rush has to be tackled and conquered.

If you are the mom of the house, chances are that you are responsible for not just getting yourself done, but the rest of the family as well- a task easier said than done. Here are some tips for getting your family ready on time in the mornings calmly and without leaving you frazzled.

1. Get a good night's sleep (if you can).

I must admit that I am guilty of neglecting this one. My kids are poor sleepers and this means I do not get much sleep, but if you can get your eight hours in then you are far more likely to wake up on time. If you are the type of person who does not wake up when the alarm first goes, set it a few minutes earlier. 

Enforce childrens' bedtimes strictly so that they are not too tired to get up on time in the morning.

2. Make lunches the night before.

I prepare lunches just before bedtime and refrigerate. This is a huge time saver in the morning.

3. Clothing

Deciding what to wear in the morning takes up more time than you might think. Pick out clothes for the whole family the night before and leave the ironed out clothes out for the next morning. (Make a mental note of plan B outfits if the weather turns out different to anticipated).

 If your kids insist on picking out their own clothing (and do not wear school uniforms), make sure that your selection meets their approval. Do not forget to include underwear, socks and shoes as there is nothing that can slow things down like finding that one missing shoe at the last minute.

4. Pack in advance

Pack all school and work bags the night before and do a check that nothing has been forgotten. Pre-package lunch money for each day at the beginning of the week. Leave all the odds and ends that family members will need at the doorway out. This includes any extra-mural equipment, gym clothes, laptop bags, umbrellas and such.

5. Breakfast

If you eat breakfast as a family, set the table for breakfast the night before. Cereals, etc can be left covered, on the breakfast table, for easy access. If you eat foods that can be prepared beforehand, do so (for example my children love warm oatmeal so I prepare enough for three days a time and then refrigerate and just heat up and add milk when needed).

Put coffee and water in the coffee machine the night before so you just need to switch it on in the morning (or if you have a fancy one with a timer, use it).

6. Plan your route

Explore different routes to wherever you need.to be in the morning until you find the one that works best. In Jozi morning traffic, the shortest route is often not the fastest route.

7. Be bathroom savvy.

Make sure everything you need in the bathroom in the morning is easily accessible. If family members need to share bathrooms, have an informal schedule as to who gets to go when.

8. Desperate times...

If you are really pressed for time, consider showering the night before (men can shave then night before too!)

9. The kids need to hurry too!

This is the most important one. As anyone with children knows, despite your best efforts, a day-dreaming or moody child can derail your plans of being on time. Here's how to keep them on track:

• Have a structured morning routine. This helps children feel secure and keep things on track.

• If you need to force them out of bed, cuddles and tickles are more likely to get your child to co-operate with you than screaming and shouting.

• Keep them focused on the task by rewarding them for getting dressed quickly.

•  Assign tasks like getting dressed alone or making cereal to children who are old enough. Give them a checklist with pictures of all the tasks that need to be completed, eg. brush teeth, get dressed, brush hair, eat breakfast.

•  On those moody days when kids seem to be moving in reverse gear, fantasy play might be the best way forward (eg. in our house 'lets get the princess ready for the ball' is a favourite).

• Enforce a no toys and no television rule during this crucial time window.

• Have competitions to see who can get dressed or have breakfast the fastest. Use a stopwatch and let them try to beat their own best times.

• Examine your own attitude. If you are flustered or moody in the morning, things are more likely to spiral out of control than if you handle the morning rush calmly and methodically.

Do you have any secret tips in your arsenal? We would love if you share them with us.

Working From Home Series- Ten Tips on How to Actually Get Work Done

I previously posted a broad guideline as to getting started with working from home.

So now you have all your ducks in a row, business registrations sorted, a website and a home office. How do you manage to practically get things done from home?

• Do not fall into the trap of slumping on the couch in your pyjamas or tracksuit every day. You may be able to afford to sleep in for a few more minutes as you do not need to beat morning traffic, but start your day as if you are going to the office. Shower, get dressed, put on your make up (if you usually wear make up). It may just be a mindset thing but you will feel more productive and more confident.

• Plan, plan, plan. You should have set goals for the month, for the week and set a (flexible) schedule at the beginning of each day setting out what you need to achieve for the day. Be realistic and make provisions for any disruptions in your day that you know are going to occur (like school pick ups or doctors appointments). Similarly, figure out when your most productive times are and schedule key tasks for those times. Then- stick to your plan.

• That having been said, life happens and you have to accept that. Especially if you are a parent, there will be days where a cranky, teething baby or a school emergency derail your plans completely. Have a plan B, see to the most urgent tasks at hand, manage any expectations from clients by keeping them informed of any deadline shifts and then get back on track the next day.

• Out of sight, out of mind. As you might not physically be seen every day like those who work in offices or retail spaces, it is easy for potential clients to forget that you are there. While you do not want to harass people or appear to be spamming, some gentle reminders that you are there are crucial. This does not have to be direct marketing, perhaps posting an article on LinkedIn or forwarding a joke or article of interest to a client will mean that they remember you when your services are needed. Hopefully, the next time they need the services that you provide, you will be the first person they have in mind.

• Speak to others who have started similar businesses (possibly in a different area if it is a fiercely competitive market). While this may seem intimidating, they will likely be honored that you consider them as role-models. 

• To use your time most efficiently, diarise intensive work slots where you are completely focused on the task at hand with no distractions. Use these slots for more complex tasks. It is easy to think you can multitask, but distractions such as having the television or radio on or even social media feeds can hamper productivity. Log out of Facebook and Twitter completely during these slots unless you need to be active on there right then for work purposes.

•  Be flexible in your working hours. If late nights or 5 am is your best chance to get work done, then work at those times. However, you also need to be available during regular hours so that your clients can actually communicate with you.

• Delegate where possible. For example, if you can afford to get help with the housework a couple of times a week (or to watch kids for a short while), you can free up valuable time to get work done.

• Use technology to free more time. Use your laptop, smartphone or tablet to enable you to work while getting other tasks done. Have Wifi available across your property so that you can send off emails etc while watching your children play outside.

• If you are working with your children around, set boundaries for older children (for example that they need to be quiet if mommy is on the phone). Have pre-planned activities ready for them to keep themselves happily amused with minimal adult assistance. With babies, a wrap may be a good hands-free investment. Use nap times to your advantage to get the most done.

Are you ready to work from home? The Jozi WAHM's Guide to Getting Started

In this day and age, with all kinds of technology making it easy to stay connected without physically being at the office, the decision to work from home may be an alluring one for many. Being able to spend time with family, spending less time in traffic, determining your own working hours and saving on rental and petrol costs may be motivating factors for such a decision. With proper planning, the decision to stay at home may be a rewarding one. However, before deciding to do so, there are many aspects that need to be considered.

Making the decision to work from home was one of the biggest decisions of my adult life and took many months of deliberation and planning. Even so there are some things that took me off guard. 

If you are considering working from home, here are some things that require some serious thought while compiling your business plan. Note: This is just a broad checklist and specific aspects of the issues below will be covered in future posts.

• Firstly, do you have the right personality type for this? Extreme extroverts might miss the daily interaction with others at the office and may feel isolated if there is not enough interaction with others. Conversely, extreme introverts might find it difficult to engage in the conversations needed to get the ball rolling and interact with clients. You will also need to seriously assess whether you are self-motivated enough to actually get down to working when there is nobody policing whether or not you actually do so.

• Then, obviously, you need to consider what type of business it is which you wish to pursue. Your skill set, personality type, education and the market demand in your area will all help in determining this. Adequate market research will be required to determine whether your business idea is a viable one and this is often one of the primary determinants of whether a business can thrive. You will need to determine who your target market are, whether they will buy into your product.You also need to figure out if the service you are offering is one that people will be willing to pay for, how much they are willing to pay and whether this will be lucrative for you.

• Be wary of business areas which have already reached saturation point. At the same time, if you are considering a business type that not many others are doing, this could either mean that your business is novel and unique or that it is a bad idea and that others know better- you need to figure out which!

• You will need to calculate what the start up costs for your business will be and consider how these will be funded. Will you need to apply for any credit facilities and how will these be repaid? Bear in mind that it is likely that you will not see a profit for at least the first year of operation, so you need to consider how your expenses will be covered during this period.

• The type of business enterprise needs consideration. While a sole proprietorship may be the simplest way to operate, the possibility of a company, trust or other enterprise may be considered in order to limit personal liability. However, the consequences and responsibility that comes along with these vehicles need to be understood and it would be prudent to consult with an attorney to consider the pro's and cons of each potential option. In addition, your attorney can help you to establish whether any registrations or licenses are required and any regulatory and compliance aspects your business will have to adhere to going forward. 

• You will need to consider your property- where at home you will work from and whether the way your home is set up will practically allow for you to work from home. Certain business types may require that your property is zoned for business and you will need to check whether this is the case. If you are selling goods rather than offering services, you need to consider whether you will have to keep physical stock and whether you have the space for this. Regardless of the business type, a dedicated work space is ideal, preferably one which is in some way separated from the rest of the home. 

• You obviously need to ensure that you have all the relevant tools of trade, which will be determined by the business type. Most businesses will require fast and reliable internet connectivity and you will have to research what the best option for this is in your area. 

• If you have the type of business that will involve have clients in and out of your home, you need to consider whether your family's privacy will be infringed and even more importantly, security. Do you have parking space for potential clients and will this be disruptive to your neighbours?

• If you are planning to work from home with children around, a whole extra level of complexity will be added to your business planning. Will you work with your children present or will you have assistance? Even with a nanny to help with my one year old and with my four year old at pre-school in the mornings, this aspect is far tougher than I had anticipated. Given that spending time with my family was my primary motivator for leaving my office job, I find it difficult to banish myself into isolation and usually end up allowing the constant disruptions from my children. As a work at home mother, you will need to figure out for yourself how to balance this aspect (for a few tips on this aspect, please see my previous blog post on the topic here). You also need to set boundaries against disruptions from the beginning so that extended family and friends are aware that just because you are not physically at the office, you are working. 

If you have all the answers to the above questions, then working from home may well be the way forward for you.

The Jozi WAHM's Golden Rules for Working From Home

So far most of my posts have been child-centred. This one is too, in a way, as it focuses on how to get work done from home with children around (especially if the reason you are working from home in the first place is to spend more time with them).

• If possible, get help, at least part of the time (I am still working on this one as Squish refuses to stay with my nanny/domestic worker most days so I am more productive just working around him). 
• Have a designated work place reserved only for this purpose and with all the tools of the trade close by. If you have a proper home office, this is fantastic, but if not, have a corner of your home designated for this purpose.
• Plan your day and what needs to be achieved. Get your most important tasks done at the times when you anticipate the least distractions (for me this is late night or mid-morning when Noodle is at creche and Squish is napping).
• Have activities pre-planned for the children which will allow you to complete a task. I have toys categorised so that a specific type of toy is easily accessible when required.
• Maximise your time by working smarter. Shop online to save time. 
• Multi-task where possible. I reserve simpler tasks which can be completed from my phone or tablet for when supervising the kids playing in the garden etc.