Ten Tips for Parents who Work From Home With Kids
Working from home can sound like a dream for many people. You can stay at home more often, spend more time in your home, save on travel, and get to see your family more often.
The other coin also is not without its problems, particularly for parents who have to manage work and child care difficulties in concentration on work; managing with caring for children (or homeschooling children); the blurring of boundaries between work and private life; and kids screaming for attention even when you are not there.
Even on the worst WFH (work at home) days, you might feel that you're not doing enough do and that you're not a good parent. Although it is possible to handle your work and take care of children, it will require some adjustments in your working and personal standards.
These tips and tricks are designed for parents who work remotely.
Here are 10 suggestions for parents working from home with their children
1. Be positive.
Some parents prefer to work from home but others must adapt to changes in the unexpected.
While this situation has its challenges, there are many benefits of working from the comfort of your home.
It won't always be easy however, focusing on positive aspects (and remembering what you're not doing at work) can help enormously on difficult days.
2. Adjust your schedule.
Adults are just like kids who are awed by routine. We work more efficiently when we follow a strategy.
A WFH routine can help us stay focused and avoid productivity lulls caused by multitasking or fighting constant interruptions.
To bring more order and certainty to your day, create your morning routine and stay strict about it whenever possible. If it's time to wake up, get up and prep for the day in the same way you would prior to going to the office. Head to your home, however you see it and get ready for your day.
To maximize the remainder of your day, adjust your schedule to make room for home life, whether this involves breaks to relax or time to catch up on chores or take care of childcare.
Use flexibility if you can and create an effective routine for you and your children. But remember, you can always modify it to meet daily changes.
This fantastic tip was featured in our collection of remote tips shared by our team:
3. Your colleagues should be open to you.
There are a variety of things that parents could do to help their kids work from home. However, interruptions can be expected. Your children might run towards you, yell at you during Zoom calls, or ask for your assistance with an emergency.
The worst thing that you could do to make it seem that everything is fine is to pretend that there is nothing wrong.
It is crucial to be open with your team about the advantages of working remotely. Discuss the implications to you. It could be an adjustment to your schedule that gives you greater flexibility, or some more patience.
4. Optimize the space you use to focus.
It doesn't mean that you need to do it all the time. However, you should designate a area of your home to be your workspace.
This makes it easier to limit distractions and focus on work, without letting it seep into personal life.
Start your day by having a cup of coffee or a casual outfit and a visit to your dedicated workspace.
It is an area could be transformed into a home office. If that isn't possible you could consider using an alternative area in your home as your workspace. Discuss with your family members what rules apply to who are able to access your attention.
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Parents can also get their children involved in designing homemade office signs that include green to signify "yes, you're allowed in" and red for "don't even consider it."
5. Do not do it in short bursts.
Babies and toddlers have more trouble than other parents due to the fact that they can't leave their children alone.
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If you're in charge of the care of children, you may want to think about working in short bursts at times you are able to, like when the children go to bed.
If you're lucky enough to be able to work from your desk while your spouse is taking care of your childcare and other household chores, you must plan your schedule so you can set a goal to leave your workplace every now and again instead of slaving away at your computer for the entire day.
6. Nurture creative activities.
There's a good chance that your kid can sit and read a book for hours while you're working. If you're the one responsible for childcare, keep your kids immersed in play by nurturing creativity.
The ability to rotate between different toys or other activities can help you concentrate and have more fun. Encourage independent play with your children.
If your kids will let them to access the internet while you are on important calls or need to focus, Scholastic Learn at HOME has educational resources that can help you teach your kids music, spelling and more.
7. Plan your meetings carefully.
The majority of parents who work at home have had some accidents.
While some of this is normal and can be attributed to your colleagues, it's essential to plan to be prepared for interruptions. If you're in conference calls with children, give the children a non-verbal signal "Do not interrupt".
With free-roaming toddlers it's not always feasible. It might be better to schedule calls during their normal sleeping hours. It is possible to turn off the phone or reschedule, dependent on whether or not you need to take care of children.
