Having a work-from-home job sounds like the ideal life to many, especially because no commute time means you get to enjoy more time with your family. Having several more hours each week when you are not commuting can add up. However, if you are a parent, one of the less glamorous aspects of working from home is the fact that your attention might be split between your kids and your work, and you might not feel like you get anything done. While it can be challenging to juggle both, it is possible with the right steps.
Ask for Help When You Need It
If you are taking care of kids while working from home, go easy on yourself, because this is not an easy task. Take advantage of any opportunities that come your way. Consider getting support from family members, asking your company for more flexibility, or hiring childcare part-time. Trying to do everything yourself is unsustainable, so make sure you know your limits.
One option is to hire someone to take care of the kids or to enroll them in daycare part-time. Looking for other areas in which you can save money can make this a more realistic idea. Taking out a personal loan can help you get the rest of your finances in order or finance to pay for expenses now. You can then use the extra funds to pay for childcare on days you know you will be extra busy with work.
Reconsider Your Schedule
Both adults and kids do well with a routine, and a schedule can help you work more effectively. Even though you may have more flexibility when working from home, having set work hours can help you get to work and shut it off at the end of the day. This also helps you avoid drops in productivity that can occur when you multitask or have too many interruptions. It's important to be strict about your morning routine, even before you start work.
Wake up and get your kids up at the same time each day and go to your dedicated workspace so you get into the right mindset. While you should have a schedule, that doesn’t mean you should avoid a flexible schedule. It should allow you to live around your work schedule. This might include taking longer lunch breaks to relax with your kids or catch up on housework, or it might mean working a few hours on Saturday mornings so you can have shorter workdays during the week.
Let Your Team Know
Even if you take every step possible to be as productive as possible when you work from home, you will still face disruptions. Kids might have an emergency, come into the office when you are working, or just be loud from the next room. Don’t make the mistake of telling your coworkers everything is fine and that you don’t need help. Instead, let them know what working from home means for your family and let them know you may have interruptions. Think about whether there is anything they can do to make your work easier so you can let them know what they can do to help. This might mean they work with your schedule or are more patient with you.
Create a Workspace You Can Focus In
You don’t have to work in the same area all the time, but it’s a good idea to have a part of the home you can focus on work in. This can help you remove as many distractions as possible so you can focus on only your work. When you get dressed and come to this work area, you are getting yourself in the right mindset to focus on work and no other things. The ideal setup is a dedicated home office where you can close the door. But this might not be possible for every parent, so try to at least dedicate a portion of a room. It's also important to establish boundaries with your family as to when you should not be disturbed.
Help Your Kids be Creative
If you are taking care of your kids during the day, it’s a good idea to keep them occupied during this time. Consider immersing them in creative play while you are working. Create sets of toys that you can rotate through to keep your kids interested. When kids have something new to do, they will get more immersed in this, giving you a chance to focus on work. If this is something new for your kids, you can encourage them to play by themselves by turning things into a game.
Give them some art materials and encourage them to create something from their imagination. Or give them a puzzle to put together. Giving your kids screen time might be something you are trying to avoid, but screen time can keep your kids occupied and out of trouble if you have a meeting or phone conversation and need quiet. There are plenty of educational resources, so your kids are learning something. They could watch a video or play a game designed to teach them something.
