So you thought working at home would be an easy thing? Sometimes it’s just like working outside the home, or even worse. Along with your full time job as domestic goddess, you are now a CEO of your own company. Here are a few tips for keeping your family as priority while reaching your business goals:

1 - Prioritize. Get your Day Planner and set aside all the time you want to spend with your family. Mark out your daughter's soccer schedule, evenings out with your husband and all other family appointments like doctor visits. When you have someone calling for an appointment for your services or to book a home party, you will have all your "business" time in front of you.

2 - Delegate. Discover what you can and can't live with when it comes to housework. Do you hate dirty dishes hanging out overnight? Can you live with dust? Does it really bug you to have toys all over the floor? Once you have established that, delegate responsibilities to the family. Kids as young as 18 months can help out. My oldest daughter LOVED to help feed the dog at that age. She would bring his bowl to where we kept the food and help scoop it into the bowl. Children can also learn to empty the dryer or put toys in a basket. While they are this young it will require you to help a bit, but as they get older your investment will have paid off. Also employ hubby to help out too!

3 - Automate. Technology is a wonderful thing. Use email forms, voicemail, or ipods to your advantage. Let the voicemail get your business call if little Suzie is screaming her head off and you can't take time to devote to your customers. Do not let technology overtake your free time. Machines are there to help you do your tasks, not to make more time for more tasks.

4 - Re-evaluate. Every once in a while (I recommend every 3 months), look at what you are doing and redo things as needed. Your son may have earned his next karate belt and now his classes are on a different day. Change your calendar to reflect this. Update your voicemail or email responses to reflect your new schedule.

5 - Enjoy. You are a WAHM (Work at home mom) for a reason- to be there for your kids. So whether they are in school or you are home schooling, set side time to go to the park, take in a movie, or just goof off at home. Resist the temptation to do business on family time.

Author Cara Sonnier (admin@thedessertbox.com) and her husband Eddie along with their 2 children live in southern Louisiana. She is a home schooling mom and owner of The Dessert Box http://www.thedessertbox.com/