The new normal due to the coronavirus outbreak means that millions of parents across the globe are now facing the impossible task of being a parent, worker and teacher.
Getting through your day is difficult enough when you’re trying to work from home with the kids. However, when you also have to home school them at the same time, it can prove to be a real nightmare.
If you’re trying to find the right balance in this unprecedented situation, there are some tips you can follow. Here, we’ll look at some of the steps you can take to accomplish your new role without losing your mind.
Create and work from a schedule
The one thing that’s going to prove invaluable during this time, is creating and maintaining a schedule. The kids need a schedule and you need one to help you keep up with your increased duties.
Start with making a schedule for the kids. You can include educational activities, play time and mealtimes. When they know what they are working on and have a schedule to follow, it makes it so much easier for both them and you. Kids need a routine and they’ll be a lot happier when they’re following one.
Make time for physical activity
It can be tough trying to work when the kids have bundles of energy. So, why not help them burn off that energy so you can work in peace?
Getting them to partake in physical activity helps to wear them out as well as keep them healthy. So, encourage time running around in the back yard. You could create a mini assault course or look online for physical games you could play.
Once they’ve finished their physical activity, they will be more likely to play quietly for a period of time.
Don’t try and become a teacher
You may feel pressured to fill your child’s day with learning activities. It’s not your job to do this! If you have a toddler at home, read our related posts on 5 Tips for Stress-Free Toddler Activities and 10 Ways to Encourage Independent Play.
Talk through any issues with your employer
If you are having issues juggling everything, don’t be afraid to talk to your employer. They may give you additional days off so you can get used to the new arrangement.
Remember, there are a lot of people going through the same situation as you right now. It’s not easy but remind yourself that it is only temporary. The above tips will help you to better juggle your new responsibilities in the time being.
5 Tips for Working at Home with Kids
If you’re stuck working from home with the kids, there’s no doubt it’s going to be challenging! As parents, we know that getting anything done with their kids around can be almost impossible sometimes.
However, there are some great tips you can follow to make working from home with the kids much easier. It’s all about finding the right balance. Here, you’ll learn some ways you can effectively work from home even with kids in the house.
#1 – Create a routine early on
Working from home and having the kids home all day is a new experience for both you and them. Therefore, it’s going to help if you create a routine as early as you can.
Kids thrive with a routine so make sure you all have set wake up, meal and bedtimes. Try and schedule time you can spend together on your breaks too. Set a routine on when you have one on one time with them. Let dad or another caregiver take over when you need to completely focus on work. Make this part of the routine too.
#2 – Take advantage of nap times
Make sure you take advantage of nap times. These are the perfect opportunity for you to get a bulk of your work done without having to worry about the kids. Don’t forget self-care either, and nap times are perfect for this. Follow us on Instagram and watch out for our 7 Days of Self Care challenge for moms coming next week!
#3 – Make a consistent workspace
One thing you’re going to need when you’re working from home with the kids is a consistent workspace. A toddler or preschooler can understand that it’s part of the routine for you to work there.
#4 – Multitask selectively
Multitasking sometimes gets a bad rap, but it’s a necessity of mom life. You can choose which items in your to-do list can be done while multitasking. One thing that has helped me is to listen in to webinars while doing housework. Many moms make reports or answer emails while having an infant on a baby carrier.
Time with your kids can also double up as time to complete household chores. Kids love to be involved in this! Give them a simple task that they can do to help you. My toddler loves tasks like throwing trash and even mopping the floor! Read this post for some ideas on including toddler activities in your daily routine.
#5 – Give each child special time
Even young kids will be more likely to give you (at least some!) uninterrupted time if they know when they can spend some time with you. Start the day with this. You can play and have breakfast together, before you “go to work”. Continue to schedule breaks throughout the day where you can play with your kids.
This is a book that helped me personally in connecting with my child during our quality time. We want our kids to know that we love them and that they are our priority. (This is an affiliate link.)
Be kind to yourself
Finally, know that you don’t always have to be that organized, on-top-of-everything mom. There may be days that everything in your routine goes well, and days that you’re just doing everything you can to keep it together. I can’t count the number of days that I don’t get to follow these tips!
There was this day that I reached out to a mom group and asked, “Anyone else feel guilty for trying to work instead of spending quality time with your toddler? After all, they’re this age only once and they grow up so fast.” I am thankful for the support and encouragement I received. I realized that the important thing is to strike a balance. Yes, it is important not to miss out on this wonderful time in our kids’ lives. At the same time, we need to take care of practical matters too. If our work is something that gives us a sense of fulfillment, that is important too. We also want to give our kids a good example of a solid work ethic, while letting them know that they are our priority.
It’s not easy working from home with the kids, but it isn’t impossible either. Did the above tips help you or do you have your own tip to share? Let us know in the comments below!
