work from home

March 17, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 11 Comments

Creating a Chore Time Routine for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners

Last year when we adopted our two sweet children, we sort of went into “survival” mode. Both children had emotional issues, and they need weekly behavioral therapy. Bella was enrolled in a therapy school, and Casey had physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I was spending hours and hour each day on the road. I was happy if I could somewhat maintain the house, and assigning chores to my kids wasn’t even on my radar.

This year things are different. My kids have graduated from all their therapy programs. They are sweet, happy children. You’d never know that a year ago they had major issues. (Thank you, God!) And now it’s time for chores!

First, I found a FREE printable chore chart here.

I printed up three BLANK copies of the chart so I could tailor them for my kids.

This website also gave me great ideas of what kids could do a different ages.

How to create a chore time routine for your kids: (@TriciaGoyer #Balanced)

Click To Tweet

Our list:

Bella (6)

Pick up toys
Put laundry in hamper
Take dishes to sink after meal
Make bed
Set plates and cups for dinner
Match socks

Alyssa (4)

Pick up toys
Put laundry in hamper
Sort laundry
Take dishes to sink after meal
Make bed
Set napkins and silverware for dinner

Casey (3)

Pick up toys
Put laundry in hamper
Check mailbox
Take dishes to sink after meal
Make bed

I might add on more later, but this is a great place to start!

I know it’s going to take a couple of weeks for us to get our chores down, but I know the work I put in now will be worth it! I saw this with my first round of kids. The more training I put in now will benefit our family’s team work later.

The more training you put in now will benefit your family’s team work later. @TriciaGoyer #Balanced

Click To Tweet

Things I will start with:

Create a chore chart.
Explain it to the kids.
Work with them through the day to follow the chart.
Create a small award box.

How about you? How do you handle chores for your kids?

Steps You can Take

Choose chores for your kids.
Create a chart.
Train them for their chores.
Reward them!

Daily Prayer

Dear Lord,

Sometimes it’s so much easier just to do things myself than to train my children. Yet I know that so much of “today” is really about “tomorrow” and the men and women they will grow to be. Help me to be diligent, Lord, to teach them diligence. Help me to be faithful with my time, attention, home and resources, so my children will understand how to be faith to all things you have so graciously given us.

In Jesus name, Amen.

March 16, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 4 Comments

How to Find Time to Clean During Your Day: Balanced Series Day 6

How to Find an Hour’s Worth of Cleaning Time in the Random Moments of Your Day

I don’t have hours a day to clean . . . although since I have a college-aged son, a husband, a grandma, and three kids six-years-old and under at home, I wish I did!

Take advantage of the random moments in your day! Here’s how (@TriciaGoyer #balanced):

Click To Tweet

Instead, I’ve developed the habit of using random minutes throughout the day to clean. Here’s what I’ve done in the last week:

Unloaded the dishwasher while waiting for my daughter’s bagel to toast.
Picked up three toys as I’m walking across the living room to call the kids down for dinner.
Sorted the rubber bands and bobby pins as I’m brushing my teeth.
Picked up all the empty water bottles and papers in my car as I’m grabbing my purse to go inside.
Sorted through mail as I’m browning the hamburger for tonight’s spaghetti.
Took dirty clothes from my bathroom to the laundry room on the way to make my morning coffee.
Folded laundry when I’m on a business call.
Swept the floor as I helped my daughter with her homework.

It’s amazing how these little things add up! And when I see a straightened pantry (done while I was waiting for pasta to boil) it makes me want to tackle the crumbs on the counters. It’s amazing how the little things add up!

How about you? How do you use those random minutes throughout the day to clean?

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for the random moments throughout my day. Help me to make the most of them and to recognize them for what they are: little blessings.

Resources You Might Like:

Easy Green Living
Home Cleaning Made Easy
The Naturally Clean Home

March 15, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 3 Comments

Taking Care of Your Calendar, So Your Calendar Takes Care of You: Balanced Series Day 5

Taking Care of Your Calendar, So Your Calendar Takes Care of You

I have a best friend I connect with every day. I check in with her, and she gives me guidance. I need lots of guidance.

OK, it’s not really a “she” but an “it.” It’s my calendar, and I give her/it a lot of attention. How?

I give her space. She likes air. She likes not to be crowded.

I give her priority. She likes to know that what’s she’s doing is important. Time is precious and should not be wasted. She knows how quickly her pages flip and insists what’s most important must come first.

I give her flexibility. She knows that life doesn’t always go how it’s planned. She knows that when she is rigid she will break easily. I give her room to bend.

Are you taking care of your calendar? @TriciaGoyer #Balanced

Click To Tweet

I give her form. She knows that evenings are for family dinners, except for Teen MOPS night and AWANAs night. She knows Sundays are for church and rest. She knows mornings are for homeschool and writing is for the afternoon. (My oldest homeschooler is in kindergarten, so two hours of dedicated learning plus various activities during the day is enough.)

Because I have “formed” first, the “filling” becomes easier. I can say no to evening activities or early morning requests because I’ve already set my priorities.

I’ve also given up a lot:

I rarely watch TV. (Our TV doesn’t even have cable.)
I rarely shop.
I don’t have much “me” time (except for naps).
I don’t do a lot of running around town because I know time is precious.
I only get a pedicure once a year, and I can’t tell you the last time I’ve had my nails done.

Of course I’m willing to give up these things because I’m so satisfied on what I choose to do. Many people see their calendar as an enemy, and there’s only conflict. I choose to treat my calendar like my best friend, and she is.

Choose to treat your #calendar like your best friend, and she will be. @TriciaGoyer #Balanced

Click To Tweet

It’s important you see, because when you take care of your calendar, your calendar takes care of you. I’m busy, yes, but I’m at peace. I’ve chosen what I want to fill my life and time with, and I go to sleep at night knowing that I can look forward to the next day because I’ve chosen how to spend it.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for all the opportunities my family and I have to take part in. Please give me clarity as I prioritize and schedule those into my calendar, and help me to leave room for you.

Resources You Might Like:

Women Living Well
There’s No Place Like Working from Home
Organizing from the Inside Out

March 14, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 4 Comments

How To Know God’s Call For Your Life: Balanced Series Day 4

How To Know God’s Call For Your Life

For the last twenty years I’ve balanced many things: being a writing, homeschooling my kids, and working with a crisis pregnancy center/teen mom support group. For most of the years I thought THOSE THINGS were my “ministry.” After all, those were the things that impacted others, drew them to Christ, and made a difference.

But in the last few years (since the 2012 Allume conference), I’ve wondered if what God has called me to do goes to even a deeper level than that. Yes, God has called me to all of those things, but maybe His greater plan is to use me for a model for other women. Maybe He wants to use me to say:

God has a big plan for your life.
Your children are a wonderful part of that plan.
Serving others in your work/ministry are another wonderful part of that plan.
Doing both together benefits both your kids and your work.
After all, the best way to teach your kids to “walk in the calling God has placed on your life” is for them to see you doing it.

Have you ever wondered if you know what God’s call is for your life? #Balanced @TriciaGoyer

Click To Tweet

And it’s funny that God has placed all of this on my heart now, because just a few hours ago I came across this verse:

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)

Or as it says in The Message version of the Bible:

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

I love to write. I love to raise my kids. I love homeschooling and serving teenage moms, but maybe the overarching call for my life just may be to be a voice, urging other women to “understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

How do you know the call God has placed upon your life? #Balanced @TriciaGoyer

Click To Tweet

How do I know this is my call?

It excites me.
It is in line with what God has asked me to do—where He’s led me.
Women respond, are encouraged, and are drawn closer to Christ.

How do you know your call?

It excites you.
It is in line with God has asked you to do—where He’s led you.
Others respond, are encouraged, and are drawn closer to Christ.

So, what do you think? What is the call God has placed on your life?

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me to recognize the call you’ve placed on my life. Give me the courage to pursue it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Resources You Might Like:

Buy the Field: Find, Follow, and Finish God’s Call for Your Life
The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life
Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence

March 13, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 3 Comments

How My Little Kids Help Me In My Work: Balanced Series Day 3

How My Little Kids Help Me In My Work

I’ve had kids in the home for twenty-four years. I’ve been writing (working) from home for twenty years. So everything I’ve accomplished as an author has been with kids at home. My kids help me in with my work—they really do.

They give me material to write about. I don’t know what I would write about if I didn’t have them!
They help me clean. OK, so the cleaning they do involves THEIR stuff. (And I have to remind them over and over to pick it up.)
They give me book ideas. Alyssa (three) told me that I need to write a story about a dancing doll and a polar bear. (I still have to work on that one.)

The important thing isn’t the amount of help that your kids actually do, but instead that they feel as if they’re a part of it. Because someday, when they get older, their ideas, work, and help will be valuable!

Your kids should feel a part of your work and your day as a #WAHM! #Balanced @TriciaGoyer

Click To Tweet

Just thinking about this makes me think about ways I can do a better job at involving them:

Talking to the kids about my work/books and asking for suggestions.
Getting them involved in “work” tasks, such as opening the mail.
Letting them know they “why” behind what we’re doing. For example, I’m taking them to Nashville for a work trip. Yes, they’ll be able to see their cousins, but I’m going to do better at explaining what type of work Mommy will be doing while they’re playing.

With my older three kids they grew up understanding that servicing others through work and service was something we all did together. I’m excited to teach my younger kids the same!

How about you? How do you involve your kids in your work?

Your kids can benefit from your work as a #WAHM! #Balanced @TriciaGoyer

Click To Tweet

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to look at each opportunity as a chance to involve my kids in my work and my day. Help them to learn from me, and help me to be a good example to my children. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Resources You Might Like:

Mom’s Ultimate Family Organizer
I’m a Work-at-Home Mommy—You Can Too!
What’s Your Lane?

March 12, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 12 Comments

How to Make Working from Home Work: Balanced Series Day 2

How to Make Working from Home Work

Over the years I’ve put a lot of thought, sacrifice, and even money into figuring how to make working from home work. Just yesterday I was telling a friend, “How amazing is it that I get to do what I love [write] while also getting to spend a large portion of my day with my children?”

I’m here when my kids wake up in the morning. I’m the first person they see when they come downstairs. I take them for walks. We homeschool and play board games. I fold their little T-shirts from the dryer and set dinner before them every night. I tuck them in bed.

Working from home doesn’t come without challenges. Get tips from @TriciaGoyer!

Click To Tweet

This doesn’t come without challenges. With a six-year-old and two three-year-olds there is a lot of noise and a lot of mess. It’s sometimes hard to concentrate, and I’ve resorted to hiring outside help.

I hire a housekeeper to come once a week.
I hire a babysitter to come many times a week, during the day.
I use Litfuse Publicity to be my extra hands and feet. They upload my blogs, manage my website, book guests for my radio show, etc.

None of this has happened overnight. I’ve sought out help in small ways, and I’ve built up over time. I’ve taken each step once my income has been able to sustain it. And the truth is knowing that I have others counting on me paying them has helped me be diligent about my work, too. I can’t play around on Facebook or computer games all day. I need money coming in to support those who make it possible for me to do what I do.

The one tool I depend on is my handy-dandy calendar. I use iCal on my Mac to keep track of where I need to be when. I don’t schedule anything unless I consult this first. I set up blocks when I knew the babysitter’s coming (or when my wonderful husband will have the kids), and then I schedule my work into those slots.

Things don’t always go as planned, but at least I have a plan that propels me in the right direction!

You also may notice:

Not every slot is full. There is time to homeschool, to cook, to clean, to play outside.
I schedule in time with friends. That large purple section in the afternoon on Friday was actually a phone call with a friend/fellow writer. We chatted for hours as the kids played. It filled me up!
I focus on a few important things. My life revolves around my kids, my writing, friends/church, and mentoring teen moms. That’s enough. I say no to a lot of things so I can say yes to the things that God has called me to. The things most important to me.

Whenever I start feeling anxious or worried, I go back to Ecclesiastes 4:6, “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” Yes, there are many additional ways I can give and serve, but one handful is enough, thank you very much.

How about you? Do you have a calendar that helps you keep track of your life and goals? I’d love to hear about it!

What tips do you have for WAHMs to stay organized? Share with @TriciaGoyer!

Click To Tweet

Steps You can Take:

You are in control of your calendar. You choose what to add in or take off.
Making a plan is the first step to having a successful work-at-home week!
Start small. If you’re going to hire help, do so in small chunks. Take on what you can sustain.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you that you have given me the desire and the potential to make my work matter. I thank you that I’m also able to be home and love and support my family. I can only take steps to success with You leading and guiding. Please lead me today.

Resources You Might Like:

Women Living Well
There’s No Place Like Working from Home
Organizing from the Inside Out

January 11, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Work-at-Home Mom and Work-at-Home Dad

We’ve launched a new adventure in the Goyer home. My husband, John, has a new job and has started working from home. Since I work at home as an author, that makes two of us. Yet, even though we’re both at home, our “styles” are amazingly different.

Offices: Both John and I have offices. Just last month we moved into a new house that had two spaces for our two offices. His has been set up. Mine is mostly boxes still. Why? Because I’ve unpacked the kitchen, living room, bathrooms, and most of the kids’ stuff first. My office is an “add-on” to my work around the home. It is the last thing to get attention.
Schedules: John turns in a time card, and he has to work eight hours a day. I work when I have a babysitter for a few hours or when the kids are napping. (Of course, sometimes instead of working, I nap too.)
Responsibilities: Both of us have contracts and deadlines. Both of us do conference calls and Skype sessions. John works with a team. I work with numerous teams at publishing houses and with my own assistants. Work is work. The responsibilities are big.

How both spouses can work from home successfully: tips from @TriciaGoyer and @MomLifeToday

Click To Tweet

Read the rest of this post on MomLife Today!

Did you hear the good news? My new book Balanced is available now via Amazon and Barnes & Noble for only $2.99 (digital only)!

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.