How To Work From Home with Kids
Working from home isn’t an entirely new concept, but it’s definitely become much more common since the pandemic. Not long after everything shut down, everyone started trying to figure out how to keep their businesses running while staff remained at home. This led to many companies figuring out how to allow employees to continue to work from home, which is a wonderful blessing for many parents since that may open the door for them to no longer need childcare. However, for those same parents, trying to figure out how to work from home while you also manage your children is tough!
So for those of you “work-from-home moms” who are either just starting out your working from home life or have been in it a bit - here are some tips that I have found that might help your daily schedule run a bit more smoothly!
Let go of the idea of “perfection”
I teach my kids to set high goals, but also, teach them that it's OK to fail sometimes. I may start out my day with 100 tasks on my “to-do” list and by noon, I probably have 103 - and that’s with checking some off! I set high goals for myself in hopes that everything falls into place “just right” (because every now and then it does), but I also understand that getting “all the things” done may not be reasonable every single day. It’s OK to let that clean load of laundry sit another day (or week). At least the clothes are clean, right?! When we let go of the idea of perfection, we take the pressure off, which can actually make us more productive!
It’s also important to remember that working from home won’t look like working in an office! You may think this goes without saying, but it’s easy to slip into the mindset of comparing. The way you set up your day, the way you focus, the way you tackle projects - it’s all different! Especially when you have kids to tend to! Give yourself some grace and be open and honest with your co-workers and clients/customers. They’re pretty understanding if you’re on the phone and need to take a second to address your child. (Trust me! I’ve been there!)
Make a “To-Do” list
I actually picked this tip up from Maria. She’s shared her “to-do” lists many times on social media and it motivated me to give it a try myself. As mentioned above, I put everything, and I mean EVERYTHING on my to-do list. Even “drink water”! I write it at the top and add a tally for every time I refill my cup/bottle. I add the tasks I need to do for work to my list as well as my household tasks/chores, soccer/dance/wrestling practice - all of it! I even put what time I need to start making dinner so I don’t forget! I do my best to prioritize my list by starting with the items that are most important and at the end of each day, whatever is still on my list, I just add to the next day. Folding and putting away laundry is on my list almost every day.
I had actually gotten out of the habit of doing this for a bit and I have found that it’s so much harder for me to focus! I’m more easily distracted by all the things that need to get done that I forget some of the more important ones! When they’re all listed out, it’s easier to prioritize things so that you can make sure the really important things don’t get missed! While you don’t need a fancy notebook to make a “to-do” list, having something cute where everything is written down in one place is handy. You can pick something up from your local WalMart or Target, or we also really like this cute one we found on Amazon.
Set a schedule for yourself
One of the wonderful things about working from home is the flexibility it offers you. However, if you aren’t careful, you can find yourself working all day or during the evenings during what should be “family time”. I’ve certainly learned this one the hard way! I wake up with plans to start work after I get the kids breakfast and the kitchen cleaned up, but this and that pull my attention away throughout that process and next thing I know, it’s almost lunch and I haven’t even started! While I am still flexible with my schedule, I do my best to have a definitive “start” and “end” to my day when it comes to work and also set up clear breaks in my day to take care of the kids and their needs. There are always days when things don’t go as planned or I opt for an impromptu trip to the park, leaving me having to hop back on at the end of the day after my kids go to bed, but having a schedule at least gives some guidelines to your day and helps you be more successful in getting your tasks done on time.
Schedule an activity for your kids
If you have younger kids, you might be able to get away with doing the core of your work during their nap times. Those couple of hours of silence are golden and you really can get so much more work done when there aren’t tiny humans needing your attention! However, if you’re like me and have older kids, this doesn’t really work. What I have found that works well for us is to find an activity or project my kids can do independently. We are a homeschool family, so I was able to set up my day so that I can typically focus on work while my boys are sitting at the same dining room table doing their schoolwork**. I give my daughter (4) tablet time (she has a LeapPad Epic and I love that literally everything on her tablet is educational) or have her work on puzzles or playdough during this time (I have a basket of quiet activities she can do by herself). There have also been times when I need more than that couple of hours in a day to get everything done and I have found that selecting a movie and popping some popcorn is a great way to keep them quiet and out of my hair while I focus on work. There are endless possibilities and if you take just a little bit of time to plan something for them, you will find that you will be able to get more done without being interrupted 1,000 times.
**I spent a lot of my summer researching different homeschool programs and curriculums and finally settled on an online program that requires less of my involvement. This is what works for our family in this season. If you are in the same boat, you can read more about all the choices and options for homeschool/public school/private school in another blog we shared over the summer.
Hire a sitter/Look for part-time daycare options
I realize that one of the advantages for parents who are working from home is that you don’t have the expense of childcare, so this may not work for everyone, but I have found that it is well worth the expense to have a part-time sitter to watch my daughter just one day a week for a few hours. I am able to get so much done in that amount of time! Knowing I have a sitter one day a week also allows me to set up my “to-do” lists in such a way that I can focus on tasks that need my full attention on those days. I was able to find a daycare that would take my daughter just one day a week for a while, then I had a good friend who was able to take her one day a week. For you, you might not need a sitter weekly, but maybe bi-weekly or even monthly would work best. Maybe you can take your child(ren) to the sitter or maybe they will come to you! Maybe you have a friend who also works from home and you can take turns watching each other's kids! There are so many options out there, you just have to think outside the box!
Set-up/Prepare a designated “office” or “workspace”
While I can certainly work from anywhere in the house (and I do switch it up sometimes), I have a desk in my bedroom upstairs that I prefer to work from. I also have a designated area at our dining room table that I like to work from when my kids are working on their school work. Depending on what task(s) I am working on will sometimes determine where I work, but having a space or area that stays clean and is easy to set up quickly when I am ready to get to work makes it much easier to start working (instead of getting distracted by all the cleaning that needs to be done) and end my day when it’s time. I also find it helpful if I enjoy the space, so splurge a little and decorate your work enviroment so it’s a place you enjoy being!
Check out this “Work From Home” list of our favorite products to help get your space set up!
Don’t forget to schedule family time
As mentioned above, one of the big advantages of working from home for many people is that they have some flexibility in setting up their schedules! However, one of the down sides is that if you aren’t careful, your work schedule can quickly take over family time. (This is also where having a set “end time” comes in handy.) Between homeschool and extra curricular activities, I have often found myself working in the evenings when I can really focus on work and not have to tend to the kids so much. However, a big disadvantage of this is that it becomes very easy to miss out on time together as a family. I have found myself more than once running upstairs not long after my husband walks in the door saying “I’ll just be a quick 30 mins then I’ll be back down”, only to have that 30 mins turn into an hour or two and before I know it, it’s bedtime or the kids have already been put to sleep! When I take a moment to plan my family time into my day, I can schedule my work hours around that time, so it isn’t missed.
Check out some of our other blogs for some “family time” ideas for each season!
Check out this “Self-Care (Mom Care)” list of our favorite prodcuts to help you unwind from a long day of wrangling kids and clients! Need more ideas for self care? Check out this Self-Care Blog!
I know this is a lot of information and a lot to take in! While this is some of what I’ve learned from my experince as a work from home mom, I’m sure there are other ideas and tips out there that may benefit you on this journey. I hope this information was helpful!
What tips have you found helpful and beneficial in your work from home journey?
Terri - General Manager at Milk + Honey Jewelry