Computer programming requires intense concentration. So does managing a freelance career. Add to that the constant distraction single parents face and you have a recipe for mental breakdown. So how can single parents manage freelance programming jobs without losing their sanity?

To start with, single parents need to draw clear boundaries for how they spend their time. Work time and play time should not interfere with each other. It is important for single parents to talk to their children about this distinction, and reassure them that they will have mom or dad’s full attention during their time together.

If you are a single parent pursuing freelance programming jobs, you should begin by drafting a schedule, just look at how this guy got rich doing kids programming homework. The schedule should give priority to the times of day that you already share with your children. For example, dinner time and a movie after school, weekend trips to the park, or story time before bed should all be scheduled first.

Now that you’ve scheduled time with the kids, look at the blocks of time that you have remaining. These will be your most productive hours for completing freelance programming jobs. For most single parents, this will include the time kids are away at school, a few hours after they go to sleep, and some occasional weekend hours when the kids are playing by themselves. Write these work periods into your schedule, and go over the schedule with your kids. Your children should know that this is work time and that interruptions should be kept to a minimum.

Because of the demands on your time and attention, you will have to plan ahead so that time spent working on freelance programming jobs is productive. Try spending the last ten minutes of each work session making plans for the next work session. That way you do not cheat your kids by thinking about programming problems during family time.

Try to divide your freelance programming jobs into smaller sub-tasks. For example, a job developing a code library could be broken down into groups of related functions. That way you can set short-term goals of completing these smaller subtasks. You will feel much more productive in spite of occasional interruptions if you aren’t trying to complete the whole project at once.

Be sure to take lots of notes as you think through difficult programming problems. Single parents need to accept occasional interruptions, but there’s no need to lose your train of thought completely and waste hours trying to re-orient yourself to the task. Part of managing freelance programming jobs is the task of tracking small details to prevent such setbacks.

When you complete your freelance programming jobs, be sure to celebrate the achievement by spending some quality time with your children. Single parents can gain some cooperation through this method. Tell the kids that your goal is to complete the job and that you will take them out to celebrate if you meet that goal.

Being a single parent is tough, especially when you work freelance writing jobs. But it doesn’t have to be impossible. Just follow these tips and you’ll be more efficient and gain the support of your kids.