Working from home with children

Working from home can be a welcome change from going to the office every day, or it can be a regular part of your work week. What happens if your children are suddenly at home too? How do you balance getting the work done, being there for your team, and keeping your child safely occupied and entertained? With more and more people working from home, whether temporarily or permanently, we surveyed some parents to find out their best Tips for working from home with your children to experience.

Communicate with your leadership and team about your schedule

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It's likely that at least a few other parents on your team are going through the same situation. Openly telling your manager and team that your children will be home with you will help them better understand your work environment and better support you. Communicate your schedule in advance if you need to organize your day a little differently than usual, for example if you are unavailable for part of the day or have to care for a sick child, so that everyone is informed and there are no surprises. Take a look at your calendar to see if you need to schedule breaks so you can prepare new activities for your children, give them lunch or open snacks - if you have a planned schedule, it's much easier to know. when you need to take a break.

Create a schedule - for you and for the children

Setting up a schedule for yourself can ensure you're on top of your work without having to sacrifice more time for yourself. If you work a job in the home office , it's easy to send yet another email and it can be difficult to truly switch off from work because effective work from home requires a clear demarcation between work time and home time.

If the kids are at home with you, it's even more important to create a schedule. This way they know when they can see you (e.g. during lunch break) and whether you are available for a quick chat or to pick up a snack. Children are also used to schedules at school. So giving them structure at home can help them maintain a sense of continuity in their days. Try to set aside time for studying, snacks, lunch, games, crafts, and other activities that you can alternate each day to keep children busy and prevent boredom.

Start everyone's day right - get up and get ready

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You may not have to go to the office and the kids don't have to go to school, but taking a shower and putting on real clothes will make you feel more prepared for the day and give you a sense of normalcy and structure (which is what kids crave). Plus, you'll be able to make a video call instantly without worrying about dressing appropriately or brushing your hair. Your kids will also feel like there are specific phases of their day - changing out of their pajamas and into their play clothes allows them to adjust to different activities rather than spending the whole day in their pajamas (although that's fun sometimes too) .

Designate work and play areas

Create a stimulating environment to keep your child's attention by setting up a special area for your child to play or do activities. One employee shared that when she works from home with her little one, she sets up a play area and gives her daughter one of her old computers so she feels like she's working alongside her. Crafts and books to read, as well as various activities throughout the day, help keep children's attention. Another staff member encourages parents to think creatively about ways to keep their children occupied. She once answered a phone call while pushing her daughter around the house in her stroller, and she discovered that moldable playdough had the best mileage per dollar. She also saves screen time for when she really needs it. Activity bags filled with simple activities and toys for toddlers are a great way to change toys and keep little ones interested.

Be patient and make concessions

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If you are unable to share tasks with someone, don't expect to be able to give 100% of your attention to something for an extended period of time. If you're only working at home with your child on a short-term basis, it may be beneficial to relax typical screen time rules. It's also important to know when your child is reaching his or her limits without your attention. Giving your child undivided attention and giving him time to talk to you, even for just a few minutes, will help him satisfy his need and move on to another independent activity. If you are able to share parenting responsibilities with a partner during the work day, take turns so that each of you has time to focus on work while the other takes care of the children. Compare schedules in the morning and make a plan for the day if you need to relieve yourself more often. Above all, be patient - with your child, your partner and with yourself. Balancing work and raising children is difficult even under the best of circumstances.

Create time slots to work

If your child is still at the napping age, try to use this time to plan meetings (or at least the most important ones). Working early in the morning or late at night when your child is sleeping is also a good option (talk to your team if you need to work at other times). During these undisturbed times, attend to the work that needs your undivided attention most. The more you work with your child at home, the better you will be able to estimate how much quiet time you will get by offering different activities. Send the kids outside to play while you write a few emails. Have a few special activities (like a favorite show) ready for when you need some time to yourself. Let older children stay up late with you so they can sleep in later - this gives you time to get a few meetings done before they wake up. And if your child is still small, you can carry him in a sling or baby carrier so that he is calm and close to you and you have your hands free to work.

Be empathetic and flexible as a manager and colleague

Encourage everyone to share their needs - share things like your schedule, free time, meetings, deliverables and project status, as well as the feedback and input you need from others to make the workday go more smoothly for everyone. Make sure you maintain an open and regular flow of communication to share this type of information clearly so that everyone is kept up to date. Proactively ask your team to tell you how they are doing, how their families are doing, or how their day has gone so far to open the lines of communication. If you are a parent who has children at home while you work remotely, share how your day is going, what activities your children are doing to keep themselves busy, or what resources the parents on your team can use.

Showing empathy when someone on your team is struggling is crucial to making them feel supported, included, seen and heard. This doesn't mean you have to feel sorry for them - empathy is about listening to what's really going on with them, trying to understand how they're feeling, acknowledging the difficulty of their situation and, most importantly, connecting with your team members create that shows that you truly care and respect them. When a team member comes to you with a concern, you should make them feel heard and validate their feelings so that they feel like they are not alone and are still an important part of the team.