When people all over the globe were forced to work from home, many people were just happy knowing that they weren’t losing their jobs. Some rejoiced, knowing that they could not only save on the commute but also avoid getting sick. Others have thrived in the work-from-home environment, insisting that it’s made them more productive.
However, there are some people who started working from home or started a home business who have realized that it’s a major disruption and juggling act. For workers that have young children, working from home has proven to be quite the challenge. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a large house with a free room that they could easily convert into a home office. And not every parent can avoid seeing their kids for the entire duration of their work day. Fortunately, the last two years have given us plenty of wisdom through experimentation and experience. Here are some tips from parents for parents on how to work from home when they have kids:
Create a sense of structure
Your work or business hours may be flexible, but not having a schedule can introduce chaos – especially when you have young kids. Whether your children are too young for school or are still studying from home, create a routine that starts each day right. Get up, get dressed, and have breakfast. A routine sets the tone for the day and tells your kids that you’re about to go into work mode, even if that just means going into your home office or opening your laptop at your designated work space.
Assign designated work areas and play areas
Once your work day starts, does your bedroom, kitchen counter, dining room table, or living room coffee table suddenly convert into your home office? It doesn’t matter where you work; the important thing is to explain to your kids that at a certain time each day, that is your designated work area and no longer a space they can play. Help them make the transition by showing them which areas are designed for play while you work.
Turn to technology
If your child needs to be in a separate room while you are working, gain peace of mind by having a webcam or nanny cam feed live video of your kid to you. Yes, it can be distracting to constantly look at a separate screen in between working on your laptop or desktop. But it beats having zero visual on your young child while you’re isolated in another room.
Develop rules and rewards
Explain the rules to your children when they see that you are on a call or in a video conference—no interrupting, no loud noises, etc. The rewards may depend on your kids’ ages. Young children need to know they’ve done a good job. The rewards can be as simple as having their favorite snack at your next break.
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