Just when you’ve hit your stride with a schedule and things are going great, summer happens. For many of us, the kids will be out of school for the summer in a matter of days. The kids are excited - I am too. However, I can’t afford to close up shop for the summer, nor do I want to. So what is a work from home mom to do? Here are thirteen strategies that worked for me the past few summers.

1. Communication

Let your clients know that while you wish to continue to serve their needs, your hours and availability are going to be a bit different for the summer months while your kids are home. More often that not, they will understand. Likewise, explain to your kids that just because it is summer, you can’t afford to not work and that you need their cooperation. Get the kids involved in the planning process and they will be more apt to cooperate when you need it most.

2. Set Realistic Expectations

Do not expect to get as much done during the summer months as you would on a regular schedule. Cut back your workload to a manageable level. If you need to, consider getting an intern or outsourcing some of your least favorite and most time consuming tasks. Don’t try to cram work in at every possible turn - you need some time for yourself too.

3. Caller ID

If you do work from home and don’t have caller ID yet, you need to call your phone company right now and have it added. It is pennies a day and a total life saver! If you don’t have a dedicated business line, don’t let the kids answer the phone. Simple as that. If your kids need to call friends during business hours, have them use your cell phone or Skype - don’t let them tie up your business line.

4. Relocate Your Office

Consider the location of your office. Is it in a location where you can still monitor the kids? If not, consider setting up a temporary office in the heartbeat of the house. My office is in the former dining room. From my desk I can see directly into the playroom, the kitchen and I can hear what is going on in the living room.

If you have a laptop, take it outside and work while the kids play. You can still keep an eye on them and get your work done at the same time. Or play “school” at the kitchen table. Print out worksheets for each child to do while you work. The kids will love it because you are all together.

5. Get Mobile

Forward your business calls to your cell. Most clients would rather talk to you while you are at the park with your kids than not talk to you at all. If you have done suggestion #1, then this should not be a huge issue. Consider getting a phone with PDA functionality. I have a palm Treo 700w Smartphone that allows me to get email, surf the web, use MS Office applications, and such. It is most useful for capturing stray creative thoughts that come to me as soon as I step away from my desk.

6. Divide and Conquer

With a little (okay, alot) of planning, you can still get quality hours in. Are your kids early birds or night owls? Capitalize on that time to get the bulk of your work done. After lunch each day, my kids have to take an hour of Quiet Time - on their beds - this is non-negotiable. They can read, write or sleep. This gives me a chance to get in the office and check email, return phone calls, and knock out a few tasks. And if one of them happens to fall asleep - bonus!

7. Put Them to Work

Depending on the ages of your kids, get them involved and interested in what you are doing. I often refer to my kids as my “creative staff” because they are so good at helping me brainstorm, do product reviews, and test web sites I have created.

If your kids have a computer of their own (which they should unless you want your important files to magically disappear one day) give them a topic to research. My son is almost 11 and loves technology. During my recent redesign at my web tips blog, Essential Keystrokes, he was in and out of my office every hour checking on the progress of the site. You could even let them do a guest post on your blog. What a great way to get kids interested in writing and the editing process.

8. Go to the Library

Most public libraries have summer story time and activities for kids of all ages. Take your kids to storytime and sit in the back of the room with your laptop and work while the kids listen. If they are old enough (and your library is the right size), let the kids pick out a stack of books and read while you login on the library’s computer or bring your own. For little ones, many libraries have books on tape/CD that they can listen to with headphones. This is a huge treat in our house.

9. Kid Swap

While my two closest friends do not work during the summer, they still have hair appointments, grocery shopping and other errands to do that are just done better with out the kids. We arrange a swap. I take the kids one afternoon and she’ll take them another. Words to the wise! Whenever you enter into a swap arrangement, be sure that the reciprical playdate is set immediately - this helps keep things from getting too one-sided.

10. Mother’s Helper

If you don’t have a good kid swap option, try out a Mother’s Helper. When my kids were younger I hired a 13 year old from the neighborhood to come down three mornings a week for 2-3 hours to take the kids outside to play on the swings, ride bikes, draw on the sidewalk, etc, while I jammed on work for a few hours. The kids liked it because the 13 year old was always more fun than me.

11. Foster an Interest

Look into a day camp or summer class in something your child loves or wants to try. With three kids, I limit each child to one camp per summer, but you have to find what will work best for your situation. For example, my son loves LEGO Mindstorms NXT and there is a Mindstorms class he can take once a week for 8 weeks. This will give him a creative outlet and learning opportunity. My girls want to try horseback riding. Luckily for me, the art teacher at school is also a horse trainer and does a relatively inexpensive day camp that involves horses and art one week out of the summer. I will maximize my work time while they are at camp.

12. Negotiate a Deal

My kids are old enough now to understand a fair amount of give and take. If I know I need an extra hour in the office, I might cut a deal. For example, I will offer to take them bowling or to a movie in return for playing nicely and entertaining themselves responsibly while I finish up a task or take a conference call.

13. Take Advantage of a Rainy Day

Now I am not recommending that you place your kids in front of the TV all day long, but planned TV time can make for perfect work time - especially if you can take a laptop into the same room as your kids and work while they watch. Maximize your time on a rainy day by working while the kids take in a good movie.

If you still need more ideas, you are in luck! A few of my cyber pals are in the same boat and have made their compilations as well. Check these out for more ideas:

• 94 Ways to Keep Kids Busy for the Work At Home Parent by Wendy at eMoms at Home
• 78 Parent Child Activities by AgentSully
• How to Manage Kids in the Home Office by WebWorker Daily

And two of my favorite sites for kids activities:

• Printables4Kids - yes, this is another one of my sites, but it’s packed with great stuff
• FreeStuff4Kids - and this one is by Randa Clay and is also a must use resource

Visit the official Thursday Thirteen site for more TT posts.