If your situation is flexible enough that you are able to work from home, or you are weighing up the pro’s and con’s of moving your workplace to your own place, you will probably be aware that working from home can be a bit of a love/hate relationship.

There are those of us that absolutely adore working from home and are powerhouses of productivity- running businesses, multitasking, keeping our home immaculate, and saving money on childcare while being there for the kids.

Well, at least I’ve heard whispers of this mythical creature… we shall call her the unicorn mother.

So how does a unicorn mother reach such a pinnacle of perfection? As with any other make believe character, one can only make educated guesses, and so without further adieu…

Here are our top three tips for becoming an amazing work from home mother, as pulled straight from our imagination, with absolutely no scientific backing, professional input, or in some cases association with reality in any shape or form. Enjoy!

Clean up as you go

The best way to keep your home uncluttered, clean, and perfectly organised is to follow after your children at all times on constant damage control. Independent play should be a swear word in your house, spontaneous play equally so. Activities should follow a very strict curriculum and then be packed up immediately after completion.

Getting interrupted, distracted by piles of laundry or dishes, having to catch a toddler mid launch off the couch, or putting out fires is unthinkable for you.

You will need: a stylish and sustainably manufactured tool belt packed with antibacterial wipes, the worlds most absorbent cloth, a Dyson cordless vac and spare battery pack, a laptop for typing one handed while you clean or perform extracurricular activities, two eyeballs which can work independently (one to check work emails, and the other to keep an eye on the tiny humans), and a bladder with the capacity required for 8-10 hours without a bathroom break.

Plan your week

On Sunday night come up with a plan for the following week, preferably in 6 minute intervals. In fact, there are really no tasks that should take longer than 6 minutes to do. 30 minute workout? Put that thing on fast forward and get it down to 6 minutes. 40-60 minutes for a roast? C’mon now, you have a good 6 minutes to brainstorm and build an invention that can cut that time frame down.

What you will need: A 6 minute timer, the ability to function at peak efficiency on 3 hours of sleep, and a large detailed and perfectly spaced spreadsheet with colour coded cells that match the perfectly styled interior design of your perfect home.

Have perfectly behaved children

Of course, with such perfect genetics as yours, luckily your sons and daughters will be hardwired towards exceptional behaviour. They will happily eat their vegetables, they will sleep to a schedule like angels, and will walk away in complete disinterest if they were to catch a glimpse of an episode of Monster High. Your handmade watercolour educational flash cards tackling subject such as financial planning, tax laws, and biochemistry will hold so much more appeal.

No colic, reflux, teething, tantrums, food throwing or rejection, whinging, screaming, blackmail, permanent marker on walls, or toy explosions for your little angels.  Certainly no sick days requiring you to put aside your work.

What you will need: A partner with equally infallible genetics, an organic vegetable garden, cardboard (recycled of course), and a bookshelf full of university level textbooks. Patience is optional with such lovely little cherubs as these.

If all of this seems a little out of reach, maybe take a peep at our house plans and consider a home with two dwellings under the same roof… translation, a separate home office with a soundproof firewall.

NOTE: The importance of the soundproof feature will be directly correlated to the lung capacity of your children. The fireproof feature will prevent them from turning your business to ashes along with all your treasured personal possessions.