How I Organize My Work While Taking Care of Twins

It’s 8 a.m. on a Monday morning and my twins are watching Paw Patrol while having their morning milk and I’m having my coffee and trying to type this.

My twins are three and I work from home. When I tell people or other bloggers in Facebook groups or Twitter they are often surprised at how much I’m doing.

It’s true. My plate is full to the max. I have three other blogs – FreelancerFAQs, LifeStyleBody and my freelance writing blog over at ElnaCain – and I also write for clients and have a course for new writers too!

And I have twins to take care of.

How do I manage all this?

I’m not the most perfect mom or even have my act together. Before I had my twins, I envisioned play stations, arts and crafts and spending all day with them having fun. I never thought about all the other things like chores and meal planning

But, I adapted and learned.

For me, the biggest helper in terms of getting most things done is being organized. You might call me a little Type A and that’s a good thing and bad thing. I’m also a perfectionist, but my house is always in a constant state of mess (go figure).

But, there is a method to my madness. I’m not not the type of mom with color-coded boxes or clear bins for storage. But during the day I do have a system I go by so that I can maximize my work and spend quality time with my twins.

If you are a new mom or a mom with small children and you want to start a home-based business, here is how I organize my day while taking care of twins.

1. Have a Plan….and Stick to It

Okay, I must admit, I make plans all the time and only half stick to it. But, I’m trying hard.

For example, my newest plan is to check email and social media in the morning while my twins have their milk and watch a quick show, then I tidy up the living room and kitchen.

This might mean folding blankets, putting toys in their right spots, doing a quick vacuum and emptying the dishwasher or loading it up.

I may also throw in a quick load of laundry to wash. The twins help me with all this, which is great now that they are three!

Breakfast is made, then I clean them up and then back to doing more chores until lunch time. If I manage to get everything done, then I can do a play activity or go outside with the twins.

I typically stay home during the day and don’t venture out too much. I actually don’t go out with the twins on my own; I usually have my MIL or husband with me so or else it becomes a bit stressful for me if I end up going out alone with twins.

I’m able to work once they have their afternoon nap and the rest of the day is just getting supper on the table and then spending family time in the evening.

2. Create a To-Do List

I’m sure you already do this right? I write everything down and it helps me move my day forward. I do have a Trello account for bigger projects, but I mostly rely on pen and paper.

I have a master chore to-do list – these are things that should be done eventually like organize the entrance way closet or clean out the pantry.

I also have a work to-do list – these are things related to my freelance writing business. They can include editing a piece or a notification of a deadline that’s coming up.

3. Give Your Child or Children a Daily Chore

You think my house is a mess with all the chores I have to do! Ha, really it’s just that twins make a lot of mess! Crumbs everywhere, toys scattered around and clothes just thrown everywhere. Right now they are into changing their clothes three times a day!

So, I’m trying to get my children to tidy up their toys in the morning and have my son vacuum the living room.

If your child is old enough, get them working early

4. Get Help

I don’t do this alone. My husband stays home also – he has his own business – and my in-laws come by practically every day.

So if I have to run to the store down the street to pick up milk and cream, I can do that on my own. My husband also helps with chores too so eventually things get down around the house.

If you have family close by, see if they can help you out once or twice a week.

5. Work When It’s Quiet

My house is noisy! I never knew how loud twins can be I’m constantly dividing my attention between the two and often times there’s a lot of screaming for my attention.

So, the only real time I can work on client work or on my business is when my twins are sleeping. Right now they are taking their daily nap, but I know the time when they drop it is looming.

When this happens, I have no clue how I’m going to cope! For now, I can work during their naps and when they go to bed at night. This gives me around four to five hours a day.

During the day I may check my email or social media, but I really try to focus on the twins during the day.

If you want even more tips to be a more productive mommy blogger, check out this post.

It’s A Work in Progress

I may appear to have it “all together” but in reality, it’s a work in progress. Every day is different; there may be a sickness or my son is defying me or I just have a ton of client work that NEEDS to get done.

But, generally, with my to-do list and my overall plan to compartmentalize my day between home life and work life, I can get things down.

Over to you – do you have children? How do you manage your day with work and taking care of your child?