Working from home can sound like a dream to many people. You can enjoy more time in your home, save on the commute, and see a lot more of your family.
But the downside has some not-so-dreamy realities, especially for parents who have to balance work and childcare: difficulty concentrating; juggling childcare work and, in some cases, having to teach them at home; blurred boundaries between work and private time and children who stand up for your undivided attention when you need GSD.
On the less glamorous WFH (work from home) days, you may feel like you have no work and You were a bad parent. Juggling work and childcare is possible, but requires recalibrating expectations and work style.
To make your remote work reality more functional, here are some of our top tips for parents who work from home.
10 tips for parents who work from home with children
1. Focus on the positive.
Although some parents volunteer to work from home, others have unexpectedly had to adjust to this new reality.
This situation comes with its own set of challenges, but we can all find some benefits in working from home – whether it be avoiding the daily commute, spending more time with family, having dinner at home, or being close to the refrigerator.
It won’t always be easy, but focusing on the positives (and remembering what to avoid in the office) can go a long way on stressful days.
2. Adjust your schedule.
Just like children, adults live off routines and work much more efficiently when we have a schedule.
Having a WFH routine helps us stay focused and avoid the downturn in productivity that comes with multitasking or constant interruptions.
To add structure and predictability to your day, create a morning routine and be strict whenever possible. When it is time to wake up, get up and prepare for the day as you would before going to the office. Then head to your home office, whatever that looks like to you, and get in the mood for work.
To optimize the rest of the day, adapt your work schedule to your private life, be it during breaks or time to catch up on chores and take care of the children.
If you can, use a flexible schedule and develop a routine that works for you and your children – but keep in mind that you can always adjust it to accommodate daily changes.
In our collection of tips for working remotely from our team, we shared this great tip:
Make a schedule with the people you live with. I work in the morning, watch kids (ages two and four) PM, and my husband does the opposite.
3. Be open with your co-workers.
While parents can take many steps to maintain their productivity at work from home. There will still be disruptions. Your kids will run into your office, fit into a tantrum during a Zoom call, or ask you to help out with a home emergency.
The worst thing you can do is pretend everything is okay, approach work like an office, and insist that you don’t need any help.
Discuss with your team what working from home will be like for you and consider what inquiries you can make to make it easier and more productive. This can be an adjusted schedule that allows for more flexibility, or just a little more patience.
4. Optimize your work area for focus.
While you don’t have to adhere to it 100%, assign an area of the house as your own workspace.
This makes it easier to limit distractions and focus on work without it invading your personal life.
When you start your work day by arriving at your special workplace with a coffee and wearing daytime clothes, let your mind know that this is the time and place to start work.
Ideally, this would be a separate room that you can convert into a home office. However, if that’s not an option, try finding a non-communal corner of your home that you can turn into your workplace. Agree on the rules with everyone in your household about when and how they can get your attention.
Parents can also get their children to help design their own office signs, with green for “yes, you can go in” and red for “don’t even think about it”.
5. Work in short bursts.
Parents of babies and toddlers have a harder time than most because they cannot be left alone.
If you are responsible for childcare, it may be best to work in short intervals when you can; B. when the children are sleeping.
But if you’re lucky enough to be able to focus on work while your partner helps with childcare at home, make your schedule so that you can come out of your office every now and then and help instead of locking yourself up all day .
6. Encourage creative activities.
Your child is unlikely to sit still and read a book all day while you work. If you are responsible for childcare, keep your children moving with creative activities.
Switching between different sets of toys and other activities can encourage deeper, more meaningful play, while also giving you a little more time to focus. If your kids are not used to playing on their own, you can try to stimulate their imaginations by making it their own game – one that involves independent activities like solving a puzzle or creating something completely new with art materials with one set stimulates time to show you what they came up with.
If you’re okay with your kids having some screen time while you take important calls or focus, check out educational resources like Scholastic Learn at Home, digital games that teach things like spelling and music, or even virtual museum tours.
7. Plan meetings wisely.
Almost every home working parent has a few unfortunate mishaps to share.
While much of this is inevitable and you and your coworkers can only laugh, plan for breaks by giving your children a non-verbal “do not disturb” during conference calls.
Of course, this doesn’t always work with free running toddlers, in which case it may be better to schedule calls during their normal sleep hours. Sometimes all you need to do is mute or even reschedule your calls when you have childcare responsibilities.
8. Get the technology on your side.
The rise of cloud computing is exactly what made the rise of remote work possible. Instead of having to manually exchange documents or log into user accounts on site, employees can now access the information they need for their work online.
With collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams, project management software like Trello, and web-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, it’s easier than ever to get work done at home.
Whether you’re having a bit of fun setting up your own video conferencing background on Zoom or taking the time to build a tech stack that will make your job so much easier, choosing the right apps can make a world of difference.
9. Know when to switch off.
Mastering the work-life balance has never been so difficult. While many praise the benefits of working from home, you can end up feeling like you are always at work. It is therefore important to know when to switch off.
As a parent, you will likely need to allow for some flexibility in creating your daily schedule. Still, it’s important to schedule a time when you can confidently say you are done for the day. This of course requires some self-discipline and expectation with your team, but you need to have clear boundaries to keep stress at bay.
10. Just be with yourself – and ask for help.
If you’re a parent who balances work and childcare, you deserve a medal and all the opportunities you can get to help.
This could mean getting help from a family member, hiring someone to help with childcare, or asking your employer for flexible hours or a little more leniency during WFH.
Most importantly, don’t expect to always find the right balance effortlessly and effectively. Look for ways to make your work life easier, but also be nice to yourself when things don’t go as planned. When things are tough to manage, try to take some time off whenever possible and remember to focus on self-care as well. It can be a stressful situation for many, so it is important to focus on your own wellbeing and know your limits.
