Working From Home With Children
There is no magic formula for working from home with your children present, but there are tips and tricks you can follow to help everyone have a successful and productive day— including you!
It does not matter what age your children are, it is important that you establish a routine, schedule, and discuss the expectations with the whole family. Doing this does not mean everyone will follow the routine and schedule perfectly, but it will help structure your day as much as possible.
Nobody knows your children better than YOU! Take advantage of that and plan accordingly. You know when they are the most active, when they take their naps, what entertains them, what frustrates them, etc. It might take some time for you and the family to catch your groove, but you will get there!
15 Tips & Tricks to WFH With Children
Wake up before the children wake up— This one is very important! The earlier you wake up, the better. Waking up before your children will allow you to prep for the day. You can use this time to shower and get ready, have some quiet time, work out, have some coffee, spend time with your partner, get work started early, etc. This is your time!
If possible, divide and conquer!— It’s ok to accept help, whether its from your partner, a family member, or friend. If you have someone who can help while you are working from home, that is great! You can ask them to help specifically when trying to finish a very important task or while you are on a conference call. If your partner is also working from home, you two can divide and conquer. Taking turns through out the day will help you balance each other’s work. Start the day discussing your tasks in priority order from high to low, while one finishes a task, the other can be with the children and vice versa. Don’t forget, team work makes the dream work!
Check in with friends who might also be WFH with their children to exchange ideas— They say, “it takes a village,” right? Well, now is your time to call on that village! If you know of any friends or family members with children who are also working from home, check in with them to see how they are structuring their days. You can bounce ideas off each other and have a buddy who understands what you are going through to keep you company. You can even create a group text and get more people involved.
Prioritize work around your children’s energy levels— This is why establishing and maintaining a routine and schedule is important, not to try and follow it perfectly because that is impossible, but because you can align it with your children’s energy levels. You know them better than anyone else and can tell when they are the most active and when they need a nap, etc. Take advantage of that and structure your daily schedule around that so you can maximize your productivity.
Be proud of your work and talk to your children about it— This one varies on the age of your children, but it is avery important one. For the most part when children get frustrated it is because they do not understand something. If you take the time to talk to them about your job, what you do, and why it is important, it will help them understand what it is that your are doing when you are away from them. Children have a short attention span, so get creative, make it fun and compare it to something they are familiar with.
Have snacks handy, lots of ‘em!— Children love snacks! Make sure you have a lot of snacks handy because they will get hungry and you will too. Prep your snacks ahead of time so you can make sure you and your children stay fed and full while you finish your tasks.
Take advantage of naps— I cannot make this one any more obvious. Schedule your important calls, video conferences, and busiest task during this time. You will be able to concentrate better knowing your child is asleep and you will not be interrupted.
Plan to eat lunch as a family— Working from home with children present is tough because your children will see you at home and will want your undivided attention. This is why #5 is important. The more your children know about your work, the more accepting they will be. Don’t forget to spend time with them through the day even if you are just checking in and remind them they are important. Eat lunch together, talk about your day, and enjoy being able to spend this time with them while working from home.
Check-in on your children in between calls and before/after each task— This will remind your children that even though you are busy working you are still there. It will vary depending on their age, but you can get creative and find what works for your family.
Align screen time/naps with important calls— This one is similar to #7 but focused on minimizing the amount of screen time. It will vary depending on their age but if they are on the younger side and you would like to reduce screen time, use it only when you have an important call or when trying to work through tight deadlines. Remember, everyone has different views on screen time and that is completely ok. Do what works for you and your family.
Set up a designed workspace for yourself so your children know that is where you will be working— Avoid working from the living room or your bedroom so you can set boundaries. Try to find a quiet corner if possible and let your children know that is where you will be working from in case they need anything.
Know when to unplug— Temptation to keep working even after hours is high when working from home, especially since you are “plugged in” the majority of the day and it is so easy for you to pick up your cell phone, iPad, or laptop, and send an email or two. The more you get done during the day, the less you will have to do at night. Once your work day is done, turn your devices off and dedicate the rest of your attention to your family.
You might need to work late—This one is different from #12. The fact that you might need to work late is a reality we sometimes cannot avoid. If you end up needing to work late, make sure you do it after your children go to sleep and after you have taken care of yourself. Talk about this with your family and give yourself a realistic time window, for example; on the days you have to work late you will only spend 1.5 hours working. Once your time is up you will unplug and revisit tomorrow.
Prep the night before as much as possible— This one is focused on your personal life. What can you do tonight that will help you have a more productive and efficient day tomorrow? A load of laundry, meal prep, work out, shower, cleaning, etc. Find what works for you! Some people like to stay up late to prep and others like to wake up early, the choice is yours.
Remember you are not alone and you are not the only person going through this— Going back to #3, you are not alone! Working from home is becoming more and more popular, especially now since we are dealing with COVID-19 around the world. Give yourself some peace of mind knowing that you are not the only parent having to work from home with your children preset.
