Since the start of the pandemic, many people have found themselves working at home. Working at home comes with a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages. Often, people working from home will have children in their homes or have other family-related matters occur.
Working from home with kids is not an ideal workplace, but it is possible to make it work. Managing your kids while getting your job done efficiently is not the easiest thing to do. However, with these tips, we assure you that you will be able to find a happy medium.
Now that we are nearly over a year into the pandemic, managing family-related matters and work-related manners might feel like a breeze. However, we are all still struggling to find a happy balance between work and home life in some way.
If you are struggling to work from home during this pandemic, continue reading to learn some tips that may be of assistance to you and your family to juggle both your home and work life. The Balancing Act show understands how difficult this pandemic has been on families, especially those working remotely or unemployed during the pandemic.
Stick to a Schedule or Routine
Sticking to a schedule or routine is one of the most successful ways to work from home with kids. Things often happen that are out of your control, but working to balance your schedule daily will ensure that things run smoothly.
The Balancing Act show recommends setting alarms throughout the day for you and your children to stick to your daily schedule. When it comes to working from home with kids, it's essential to know that you may need to be flexible regarding specific due dates on things. An efficient way to get started in creating a schedule is to have a weekly family meeting.
Manage Screen Time
While working from home, it can be challenging to entertain your child at all hours of the day. It may seem like the easiest solution to pop your child in front of the TV or in front of the iPad and let them run free. However, if your child has become codependent on-screen time, it can be challenging to break them of this habit.
There are so many other unique ways to entertain your child that don’t involve being in front of a screen. Pinterest and Tik Tok are great platforms to look for innovative and creative games or artistic forms of entertainment for your child.
If you are looking for ways to entertain your child from home is make-at-home slime with them. Making slime is a fun and simple activity that can keep your child entertained for hours while you catch up on your work.
You may want to consider setting clear guidelines on how much screen time your child can have daily. You can even develop a reward system that helps your child to have more screen time. One way to make the most of your child's time is to make these rewards something that they enjoy doing, but it's also beneficial for you.
If your child loves to help you in the kitchen, let them help you prepare dinner with you. This will save you time cooking dinner and will uniquely reward your child.
Dedicate Your Own Workspace
Dedicating a room or office in your house is possible is key to working at home with kids. You may even want to set certain boundaries in this room for your children. Having a space that you can unwind and focus is essential to having a productive workday with children in the home.
Your children may even be struggling with going to school virtually as well. If you have space and feel it is practical, let your child have their own at-home office as well. This can give them a strong sense of independence and keep them away from your work area.
Accept Help From Others
Entertaining your kids and working from home is not easy. Accepting help from others, such as hiring a babysitter, looking to your family and friends, and your partner is expected and crucial. You may find yourself overwhelmed at many points throughout the day. It is entirely normal to feel overwhelmed and drained physically and emotionally. This is where seeking assistance is beneficial.
For many families, it can be challenging to afford a babysitter. In this case, you may want to consider working with other working moms and hire one babysitter to watch all of your children. This way, childcare becomes much more affordable, and your children are also around other children their age.
Communication is Key
Communication with your co-workers as well as your boss is vital to working at home. Your boss is likely to understand that working from home has an impact on your work life. The pandemic changed many people's lives drastically as well as those working mothers and fathers.
Having an open line of communication with all the people in your life will help you work from home and further your relationships with your co-workers and boss.
Communication is also vital when it comes to your family life. Just because you are at home all of the time with your children does not mean you are spending quality time with your children. It is still essential to do things with your children that they enjoy doing, such as going to the park, playing sports, or doing art.
Final Thoughts
Overall, working from home can be extremely difficult. However, it is possible to do. Be sure to give yourself praise for all of the hard work you do and manage all of your family-related matters. The Balancing Act show is here for you to provide further assistance in tips when it comes to managing your home and work life.
Remember that you can do this and take each day as it is. There's no reason to overwhelm yourself, don't get frustrated just because the day did not go as scheduled. Working from home is still new for many people. Don't be afraid to ask for help or seek assistance from others.
