Helpful Tips and Advice Working From Home With Kids

While the first wave of the pandemic might be behind us, there’s the threat of a second wave looming in the future. Many people are still working from home and, for the most part, many schools have shifted to a virtual format most likely for most of the 2020-2021 school year. Getting used to working from home is already a challenge. Add to that having your children in the house the entire day and helping them with homework and it’s easy to see why so many parents feel overwhelmed.

Sure, it’s great to spend more time with the kids, but social distancing restrictions mean there are fewer places for your family to go. Gone is the access to camps, babysitters, playdates, and visiting extended family. Luckily, there are several strategies you can use to make the most of your new situation. While following these tips will help, it definitely won’t be smooth or perfect so make sure to give yourself a bit of grace when it comes to getting used to the new normal.

Get Creative With Your Schedule

If you have another person in your home, consider trying out a split schedule. Maybe that means you watch the kids during the day while your partner works and come afternoon you can get to work and have your partner watch the kids and so on. If you have an older child who doesn’t require oversight, you can ask them to watch the younger children while you and your partner work.

While you’ll get some pushback, it’s important that everyone help out in the household. You shouldn’t ask the older children to shoulder too much responsibility though as they still have to focus on their own studies. Instead, try to get them to watch their younger siblings for an hour or two. Make the deal even sweeter by offering them an hourly wage for their time.

Of course, it might not be possible to get all your work done during normal business hours if you’re splitting the time with your partner. In those cases, it pays to get a bit creative. That might mean that you will have to start work earlier or end later depending on when you’re most productive. Also, a great way to improve your productivity is to pick out specific tasks in advance and then gather all of the information you’ll need in advance to complete it without any issues. It might take some time to get used to the new schedule, but it will be much easier once you have created a routine that works for you.

Be Up Front With Your Boss

Since you’ll likely be making some adjustments to your schedule to work with your children, chances are you won’t be able to work the normal 9-5 hours. With the pandemic, chances are your boss will be more understanding about your situation. With that said, it’s a good idea to run your new schedule by your manager as well as your team. 

Before you reach out to your boss and team, it’s a good idea to have a clear action plan. You want to assure everyone on your team that you will still be available and able to reach deadlines. To alleviate their concerns, show them your proposed work schedule so that they not only know that you are working on projects but also know when they can expect you to respond to emails.

Stick To A Routine

Most people tend to do best when they have a routine, but it can be hard to stick to one. Building good habits requires knowledge of yourself as well as the perseverance to stick to it,  especially in the beginning. If you’ve had issues sticking to a routine try the following steps to help keep you motivated and on task when working from home:

• Use a planner - plan out your week by breaking up your projects into smaller tasks. You should block off time for work, watching the kids, meals, breaks, and so on. This can give you a clear sense of what you need to do and what tasks you need to jump on immediately.

• Create a workspace - it can be all too easy to realize that after 8 hours you haven’t gotten out of bed or changed out of your pajamas. While certainly comfortable, it actually puts you in the wrong mindset and makes it harder for you to focus on work. Instead, create a ‘workspace’ somewhere in your house even if it’s your living room table or a desk in your bedroom. Brighten up the area with some plants and make sure you have all of the stationary and items you need to work uninterrupted.

• Take breaks - the average person can only concentrate for around an hour. Set a timer for yourself and every hour get up and walk away from the screen for 10-15 minutes. You could go outside to do a brisk walk around the block, take some time to meditate, or just do some light stretches. The idea is to give your mind a break so that when you sit back down you’ll feel refreshed.

• Exercise - moving your body is extremely important, especially when working from home as you’re more likely to stay in one place. Before or after you start work, take some time to warm up your body. Do a quick run around your block or dust off your exercise equipment and start using them. There are also plenty of bodyweight exercises if you don’t have any equipment.

Use Visual Cues To Minimize Interruptions

If you’re sharing childcare duties with your partner, try your best to avoid interrupting them during their work hours. One of the best ways to do this is by having the working partner in a separate room from where you are watching your children. Make sure you and your partner keep the door closed as that’s an excellent visual Do Not Disturb signal. Make sure your children understand that a closed door means that they cannot enter the room.

Things get a bit harder if there isn’t another room to move into. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to reduce interruptions. If you followed the tips in the previous step you’ll already have a workspace whether that’s in the kitchen or living room. You want to build an association that when you or your partner are in this area it signals to your children that you are working and shouldn’t be interrupted. If necessary, you can even mark off the area with some masking tape to set up a temporary barrier. You and your partner should also consistently use the same area to reinforce to the kids that the location is for work. 

If there isn’t another adult in the house, visual cues become even more important. That might mean hanging signs on your desk or the wall next to you that says Do Not Disturb. You can really drive the point home by having your kids decorate the sign. Not only will they have fun decorating, but they will also be more likely to respect a sign that they made. Of course, once you are done with work, you should also signal that by taking off the tape or sign so your kids know that it is okay to talk to you.

Let Kids Make Some Choices

It’s easy to assume that all the choices you make are best for your children. However, if you make every single decision for your kids they will not feel empowered and it will not prepare them for adulthood. It’s important to let your children have some say over their activities while you’re working from home. It can help build their independence and free up more of your time to get work done. For older children, you can allow them to get their own snacks and meals from a pre-selected menu that you have created and left in the fridge. You can also leave a list of activities for your children to do if they find themselves with nothing to do.

Younger children will require a bit more help. Maybe that means prepping and packaging foods into single servings and leaving them out on the counter. With activities, you can set up a station where your child can choose from a variety of pre-picked options such as coloring, playing with toys, etc. 

There are other benefits to letting your child choose what to do besides giving  them independence such as:

• Avoiding tantrums - most tantrums are caused by a lack of control and power. By giving your children the opportunity to choose their own snacks and activities, you’re reducing the chances that you’ll have to deal with a screaming and crying child.

• Build confidence - when a decision your child makes, no matter how small, goes well they will feel proud and build their confidence. This will help build positive decision-making skills throughout their life.

• Teach responsibility - your life is defined by the series of choices you made to get to where you are. By giving your children small choices throughout the day you’re teaching your child to be active in the decision-making process. This allows them to manage their decisions and outcomes.

Communicate With Your Coworkers

Sure, you might have a great schedule set up, but things don’t always go as planned. Somedays your child might be needier than other days or maybe they got sick and you need to monitor them. Maybe they’ll let out a screech the second you unmute your conference call. Or maybe they’ll bomb your video meetings. The fact is that these disruptions are bound to happen no matter how much you explain the rules to your kids. The best thing you can do is let your coworkers know about the situation in advance so they’ll be prepared for interruptions or background noise. Call attention to the situation at the beginning so they can be prepared for a kid’s face to pop up on video.

If you’re working a split schedule, tell the people you work with the most that you’ll be working different hours and that they might see or hear your child during meetings. Your coworkers will be much more understanding if something does happen. If you can change your email signature, put in your revised business hours to remind everyone of when they can reach you. 

Plan Breaks With Kids

Breaks are important for both you and your children as they can help boost your performance as it can help reduce stress and reduces the need for a long recovery at the end of the day. A good break allows you and your child to take your mind off whatever you’re working on whether that’s a project or homework. Depending on your child’s needs these breaks will look different. For quieter children, a break might just mean actively sitting still or putting them to bed. For more energetic children, they might need a dance break. Come up with a list of activities that you and your children will enjoy and then use the ones that work for that particular break. Make sure to give your children your full attention as your children will look forward to the breaks more and it will help them get through their working blocks a bit faster.

As for adults, breaks are equally as important, but it can be harder to manage especially with work and watching your kids. In the beginning, you might feel like you manage but as the weeks go on you’ll feel more burnt out. Find some time that you can set aside just for yourself. For households with more than one adult, you can trade off your break times. If you’re a single parent, you might have to wait until the weekend or use early morning or late evening for your personal time.

Follow These Helpful Tips To Get In A Product Work Day From Home

Juggling working from home and kids at the same time has always been difficult, but now with the pandemic, it’s even harder as you have to be an employee, parent, and teacher. It can be trying at times for both you and your children so if you’re feeling frazzled and on edge, step back and take a deep breath. Remember to be gentle with your kids and yourself as you’re both trying to come to terms with what’s going on. 

Every family’s situation is different so you’ll need to figure out what works best for you. It will take some time to create a solid routine, but as long as you plan and communicate openly with your family, coworkers, and manager you should be able to confidently handle any working arrangements. It won’t be easy, but it will definitely make your life a lot easier.

Jessica Lauren is Founder, contributing Author and Owner of Citrus Sleep. Citrus Sleep is an online publication that highlights brands, sleep products, women’s fashion, subscription services and ideas creating positive social change and promoting a healthy lifestyle. After spending nearly a decade working in PR and marketing for several brands and startups, Jessica knows what truly drives conversions, sold-out launches and guest posts.

Follow Jessica at @jessicalaurencs | Jessica Lauren

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