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Chances are, if you're a mompreneur, that your office pulls double duty. Perhaps you've carved a little space in your bedroom, half a counter in the kitchen or were lucky enough to nab a desk in the family room. Even if you have a coveted separate space, it probably needs to double as kidspace. At the very least, be kid friendly.
I am lucky enough to have a space outside my home to run my office. Only having daycare 3.5 days a week, the space is often inhabited by the Bug for short periods of time. I had three guiding principles when I started designing the space: 1) must be colorful -- no boring beige in my new venture; 2) must NOT resemble my kitchen junk drawer (i.e. must be clutter-free); and 3) MUST be Bug friendly.
My office is still a work in progress, but I thought I'd share some tips to inspire your own kid-friendly workspace!
Divide the space (whatever the size) into two spaces: an 'entertaining' space and a 'work' space. There are many practical reasons for this, but it's also a mind trick. The entertaining space doubles as a place to meet with clients, partners, associates or friends AND an open area where your kids can play or nap if you need to bring them to the office with you. Breaking your space into two defined areas also requires you to only keep one space tidy for meetings. It's one thing to have to pick up a few toys or fluff a pillow before you meet with a client. It's quite another to have to clear your desk space.
Enclosed Toy Storage. If you're bringing your kids to work (even just on the occasional day they can't go to daycare because of the sniffles), you need some things to entertain them. You don't, however, want your office space to resemble a daycare center. Find enclosed storage where you can stash the toys, but also make them easily accessible to the pint sizers in your life.
Triple Duty Chair: INVEST in your desk chair. Not only does it need to be comfy, it needs to rock (just in case you have to soothe an infant or cranky child) and spin so you can easily keep an eye on a kiddo with leggos while catching up on email.
Nap Space: Nap space is important -- and not just for the preschoolers or toddlers in your life. Mompreneurs work odd hours (I frequently catch up on email at 2 AM), so you want a space where you can catch 26 minutes if you need to. And NASA says a 26 minute nap each day can increase your productivity by 30%. Who doesn't need that?
Style: Guess what? You left the office environment to go out on your own. That means you get to decorate with colors and patterns beyond the normal beige, beige and beige with a sprinkle of navy. Get at least one piece of furniture that says "This is ME." Personalize the space with your style. (Incidentally, this chair is from Pier 1).
What are your working smart tips for mompreneurs?
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