School’s Out, Kids Are Home & I Am Still Trying To Run A Business.

There’s a special kind of chaos that hits when summer break collides with working from home.

Picture it: You’re mid-conference call, trying to sound like you’ve got it all together, when you glance up and see your kid just standing there. You silently mouth “shhh” with your finger over your lips... and they just stand there.

Watching. Waiting. Breathing loud.

You work from home but your kids are home too. And suddenly you're in charge of lunch, logistics, sibling fights, and still somehow expected to run a business. (Teachers really don’t get enough credit.)

You want to be present. You want to keep things moving. But it feels like no matter where you focus, something else slips through the cracks.

Here’s what I need you to know:

you’re not doing it wrong.

This season isn’t broken. It’s just different. And instead of fighting it, what if we gave ourselves permission to adjust?

You don’t need a flawless color-coded routine. You need boundaries that work in your real environment. And grace to meet yourself where you are because you’re doing more than enough. After 13 years of working from home, running a business and feeling like my dog when they have the zoomies, this is what has worked for me throughout each summer. From toddlerhood to tweenhood.

When Hustle Doesn’t Fit the Season

This is the part of the year where I stop pretending I can work like it’s January. Summer hits, the kids are home, and suddenly my work blocks turn into "how much can I get done before someone comes in here wanting something?"

I had to shift the way I plan. Not give up on structure, just stop trying to do it perfectly. What’s helped me is keeping it simple. I use my digital planner to brain dump what actually matters for the week and then plug it into the windows I know I’ll get (even if that window is 27 minutes during a movie).

No pressure, no Pinterest schedule. Just a flexible plan that keeps me focused and helps me stop spiraling when things go sideways. Because they will go sideways.

If you’re feeling that too, trying to grow a business and keep the house from falling apart you’re not alone.

This season just needs a different rhythm.

Build a Rhythm, Not a Rigged Schedule

I’ve done the color-coded charts. I’ve printed the hourly breakdowns. I’ve tried. And what I’ve learned is: summer doesn’t care about your spreadsheet.

What does help? A loose rhythm. Morning routines that start slower. Admin tasks in the afternoon when everyone’s a little fried. Rest time that includes screens (because sanity matters). Maybe a family walk after dinner or “quiet time” that’s not actually quiet but buys you 20 minutes.

Your days won’t be the same every time but when you stop trying to control every hour, it’s easier to actually enjoy a few.

Let Boundaries Do the Heavy Lifting

If you’ve ever hidden in the bathroom for a Zoom call then, Hi, we’re the same.

Working from home doesn’t mean you’re “always on.” You’re allowed to have office hours, even if your office is in your converted garage. You’re allowed to say “I’ll help you in five minutes” without guilt. You’re allowed to ask for help or say no to things that don’t fit right now. You are allowed a ‘drive home’ to decompress.

I’ve found that small, consistent boundaries protect my energy more than any productivity hack ever could. They remind my kids and myself that my work matters too.

Don’t Overcomplicate It… Batch What You Can

Let’s talk business. I’ve stopped trying to work all day every day. Instead, I block off a couple chunks each week to batch content, answer emails, or tackle client work. I pick what matters most and do that.

Batching has saved me. I’m not constantly context-switching, and I can actually rest without feeling behind. Even batching 1–2 Instagram posts or 30 minutes of admin work can add up fast.

It’s not about how much you’re doing, it’s about what you’re getting done on purpose.

When my kids were a little younger, I’d set a timer for 20-30 minutes and tell them to find an activity while I am working. When the timer went off then they can come and ask me for something if they needed. Sometimes it would be a whole hour before they came to bother me. (I will toot my own horn for this genius idea… I know someone else probably came up with this first.. but TOOT TOOT).

Your Business Isn’t the Only Thing That Deserves Breaks

I know the temptation to push through. But if you’re burning out just to keep up, something’s gotta give.

You deserve breaks too. Not just the kind where you scroll Instagram while someone climbs on you. I mean actual space. Walks. Naps. Reading a book just because. Rest is productive when you're the one holding so many things together.

It’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to unplug. It’s okay to let good enough be good enough.

Take a break… you deserve it.

The Chore Chart That Saved My Sanity (and My Floors)

Listen. One of the best things I did this summer? I made a chore chart. Not a Pinterest-perfect one. Just a real-life, no-fluff version that my kids could actually follow.

I stopped doing everything myself and started handing out little jobs, dishes, laundry, picking up their tornado messes and suddenly, things felt a little less chaotic. (Not quiet. But manageable.)

This year I am not paying my kids money for chores. Instead, their payment is screentime. They get an hour a day for ‘free’. Once that time is up their done son! (Unless its educational). As they complete their chores they get payment of time… they can choose to save it, use it whenever. We go on an honesty chart (they forget I can check their usage). This has helped to keep them off the screens and accountable for something. 

I’m sharing it with you too, because if it helped me, maybe it’ll help you too. You can print it, hang it up, or just use it to start the convo.

Let’s teach these kids some responsibility while we’re keeping our businesses alive, yeah?

Fill out the form below to get the free chore chart!

You’re Not Behind… You’re Just in a Season That Looks Different

If you’ve been walking around feeling like you’re dropping balls left and right, wondering how everyone else is “balancing it all,” let me just say it louder for the moms in the back:

You’re not failing and no one is balancing it all, some just fake it better.

You’re working. You’re parenting. You’re navigating sticky floors, snack requests, and surprise emotional meltdowns (some of which are your own). And you’re still showing up.

This isn’t about doing it all. It’s about doing what matters your way.

So keep building your business. Keep raising those babies. Keep showing up imperfectly, because I promise that’s more than enough.

And if you ever need someone in your corner saying, “Yep, same,” I’m right here.

Now go reheat your coffee for the third time and remind yourself you’re doing great.