A Work-at-Home Muslimah’s Summer Challenge

The summer months have always been a bit challenging for me as a work at home parent. Most people assume that it should be a piece of cake to watch over my four children while working.

From the months of  August through June,  I typically work about 10 hours a day on client projects and personal work projects. When summer rolls around, I’m faced with the challenge of completing the same amount of work with four little ones between the ages of three and 10 at home. Of course the other challenge is making sure there’s enough quality, fun time for my kids – it is summer vacation after all. Here are a couple of suggestions for you to consider during the summer months:

Summer Camp

A couple of masjids in our area provide a quality summer camp for the kids where they spend time learning the fundamentals of their deen, going on fun field trips and making good friends.

The reality is that the summer camp option can be quite expensive, especially if you have several children. Check with the camp director to find out if there are discounts available for siblings. You can also ask about income assistance programs; many camps offer assistance options. Community programs like the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs and your local Parks and Recs may provide a more reasonably priced summer camp option as well.

Hire a In-Home Baby Sitter

There may be a sister in the community who wouldn’t mind coming to your home and watching your little one(s) for a couple of hours a day. This might be a more affordable option than camp – especially if you only need a couple of hours here and there during the week to manage your workload.

Post a notice at your masjid, the masjid newsletter and at the Muslim Student’s Association at your local college to get the word out that you’re looking to hire a sitter.

Start a Childcare Co-op

Create a childcare co-op by gathering a group of sisters together to trade off days keeping one anothers children. Create a rotating schedule. This gives each sister a chance to have some down time or get things completed without constant interruptions.

Reduce Your Workload Temporarily

If you have a spouse contributing to the living expenses, you may find that the best option is simply reducing the amount of work you take on until school starts again. I know that this is not an option for everyone in this economy (it isn’t for me anyway), but it is a temporary solution that can alleviate a lot of stress.

These are just a few suggestions to help you manage running your home-based business and caring for your children this summer. Working from home provides lots of flexibility, but there are time when you need time to concentrate on work uninterrupted.

What do you do to balance working from home and caring for your children during the summer months?

photo credit: es74273