Managing a New School Year For Freelancing Parents

That is parents who are freelancers or work-from-home warriors.

For many people — particularly Americans — the school has been in session for a month or so.

For many, myself included, this is their first time managing a freelance or work-from-home career and a child’s school schedule.

It’s been a learning experience.

As someone freelancing for a quarter of a century, I wasn’t entirely prepared for how much my routine would change once my kid started kindergarten.

Instead of a few half days of pre-K, my kid is now in school five days a week from 8:30 to 3:30. The school is half an hour away, and he’s too young for the bus.

How has it been going?

I won’t lie. It was rough at first. But I think we’re getting the hang of it.

Here are some tips if you’ve found yourself in a similar situation and trying to manage a child’s new school schedule and your own work/life routine.

Planners and Calendars

These are critical.

I didn’t realize how much parents are involved with schools these days. It’s very different from when I was a kid. Possibly it’s the kind of school my kid goes to, but in talking with other parents, there does seem to be a higher level of parental engagement expected.

What does this mean?

For me, it means helping with field trips, attending parent-teacher conferences, taking care of the school’s goats, and knowing which days it’s my responsibility to drive the kid to school and/or pick him up. It also means remembering when to send money for school lunches and spirit wear.

A planner helps me remember when to do what and how that will affect the rest of my schedule. I usually update it weekly and consult it daily. My wife does the same thing.

In addition, we have a large calendar hanging in our kitchen that has all this same information so we can note events and school tasks at a glance.

On top of school-related items, this is also how we note medical appointments, birthday parties for kids in my son’s class, play dates, and, you know, important things like my wedding anniversary (which is coming up fast).

You could go digital, sure. We tried.

But we often find that digital calendars and organizers on our phones or computers tend to get forgotten. Even when we set the apps to deliver notifications, the digital option has shown to be less effective.

Your results might vary.

Either digital or analog, get a good planner and calendar to help sort out all your new responsibilities.

Keep a Rein On Your Day’s Goals

You’ve got to manage your day carefully.

If you’re a busy freelancer, you may have half a dozen or so projects open all at once.

List them by priority, but only truly commit yourself to two of them.

If you find yourself with some extra time, you can take on a third or even fourth item, but the idea here is not to overextend yourself and not give yourself enough time to adequately address each action item.

This system works best when you have a lot of control over your work schedule. If you’re working from home for a company, you should tackle your work tasks by their priority.

Figure Out Your “Prime Time”

We all have our times of day when we feel the most productive.

For me, I’m most productive real early in the morning. I take advantage of that by taking on one of my goals early in the morning before anyone gets up, and then my next big task after school drop-off — either at home or at the local library.

My wife is not a morning person. She gets her best work done between 11 am and 7 pm.

What we don’t do is try to force ourselves to be productive during our more low-energy times.

Managing this around a kid’s school schedule can be a hassle. Still, if you are aware of your “prime time” hours and parental responsibilities, you can use this information to determine what will work best for you, your family, and your work.

Get Rid of Distractions

Between TVs, phones, tablets, and everything, there are a lot of distractions in my house. That can make it challenging to stay focused.

I’ve only learned to stay focused after years of practice. I keep the TV off. I put my phone on silent. I play music at a low volume.

But I’m human. Even after years of practice, I still get distracted from time to time.

The best solution for me is to get out of the house. I usually set up shop at the local library. They’ve got tables and chairs, good lighting, and free Wi-Fi.

And lots of stern-faced librarians ready to shut you down if they find you streaming an episode of Community when you should be quietly working.

Identify your distractions and either remove them or remove yourself from their presence.

Remember Your Partner

Okay, I understand that not everyone has the luxury of a partner when it comes to managing both work and child-rearing.

Remember that a partner does not necessarily mean a spouse. It can be another family member or another single parent in a similar situation with whom you’ve decided to join forces.

Whoever you have for a partner (or partners), work with them. Compare schedules and find spots where you can support each other, be it work, transportation, parent events, or whatever.

It may be lopsided at times, but, in the end, it balances and — more importantly — supporting each other helps the kid.

That’s who all this is for, after all.

Be Kind To Yourself

Look, juggling work and dealing with a young child in school can be a bit much — especially at first.

Do everyone a favor by ensuring you don’t push yourself too hard.

It may take a few weeks, but you’ll get the hang of it.

Things will undoubtedly change, but starting with a sane approach to managing your time and your children’s school schedules will make it easier next year when faced with a new routine.

In the meantime, remember to take breaks when you can. And that you’re well within your rights to reward yourself from time to time.

You’ll be fine.

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2.

Interested in the freelance lifestyle? Check out The Freelance Creative by JohnTeehan. John shares advice and tips for a successful freelance career — drawing from over twenty years of personal experience. Available in book form or as a Kindle Unlimited read.