Working from home with kids may seem impossible but i’m here to tell you it is indeed not. Having a work from home job is one of the best blessings, once you figure out how to manage your workload while watching your children, you will never want to go back. Here are the 5 tips I have lived through to help you work from home with your kids.
Take it from someone who was working from home at a tech company, in sales, while watching her 16 week old babay boy. You can do it too. It might be hard but working from home while having your children there is such a reward. I hope more people feel empowered that they can also work remote and raise their babies.
Here are the top 5 Tips on how to work from home with kids
1. Time Management
In order to work efficiently from home while also watching your children, you have to understand the importance of time management. Everyones work schedule is different and only you understand the ins and outs of your day to day. Sit down and figure out how you can create time blocks, schedule meetings, get up early to start work, etc. and create a plan around this schedule to help you manage your time efficiently. Organizing your day and creating time blocks is SO important to your success. Depending on how old you child is this may differ, but I used to block out my calender for 15 mins as a “break” and would put my 4 month old down for nap, then during his nap time I would do a block for calls or schedule any follow up meetings during his nap times. So adjust according to your child’s age and what their schedule looks like. i t may take some time but you will find your own unique time blocking/management.
2. Equipment
Depending on your exact job this may vary but invest in some good equipment, specifically a good headset that will block out any noise and maybe a baby at or two to block out your kids when you are in important meetings so they don’t barge in. You could also consider investing in an app to help block out extra noise while still using a good headset. An app called Krisp is what I used when I was working in Sales and was heavy on the phone, it blocks out noise on top of the noise cancelling headphones I was using. Here is the headset that I swear by for noise cancelling headphones.
3. Designated play areas/Screen time
Yes, you heard that right SCREEN TIME…lol. Some parents may not be privy to allowing screen time but when you are in an important meeting or have to be on with a client, trust me screen time is just fine! Put on an educational show for your toddler, baby or child and if they are at an age that they can understand you are doing something important, explain it to them so they understand why you are allowing them to watch TV. Having a play area and rotating out toys is also a must. When my son was still 4 months old and on, I would create a little area where there were toys, a pad, tummy time, etc. As he got older I would put in new “stations” for him and while he did tummy time or was in his bouncer, I would execute one of my time blocks i.e; cold calling while he was entertained for that 20-30 minutes.
4. Communicate with your Manager or Don’t
Now, this is something that most woman will probably not do and I don’t blame them. I HATED the thought of telling my manager that my son was with me at home, especially when I just came back from maternity leave, I kept it a secret for a while then eventually told my manager. This tip may also depend on your working environment, some companies have strict policies on having kids at home while working, if that’s the case then please DO NOT tell anyone your kids are at home, like not a single soul. If you work for a company that doesn’t care then let them know at your discretion. This tip is specially up to your type of remote job. Read the virtual room you are in and decide if this is something that could help you or hinder you.
5. BREATH and take breaks!
Ladies and gentlemen, please remember when you are working at home with your kids to BREATH and TAKE BREAKS when you need it. This is under rated, but really take time to slow down when you are feeling anxious or stress creep up. You are not a doctor saving someones life, that is what I always used to tell myself, and guess what, even if you were you would have to BREATH and SLOW DOWN in order to not fuck things up for your patient. So slow down, breath, take breaks, get outside on a walk, meditate, do whatever it is that will make you remember that everything is going to be okay.
Remember, it’s not that serious, the more you have this attitude the better off you will be. Get your work done, create time blocks, invest in good equipment, set up play areas or TV times, and for gods sake BREATH and TAKE A BREAK! You got this and you can and will succeed at working at home with your children!