Keeping the kids occupied while working remotely
We all remember this moment: a BBC news interview turned viral after a little girl kicked open her dad’s office door and marched into view. It was a hilarious and adorable moment that every parent could relate to. But, when your home becomes the new office, incidents like this may not always be so cute. Parenting while working remotely can be hard.
Here is some advice from the experts.
- Talk to your boss and coworkers
Things are different, your schedule will not be the same. Remind yourself that this isn’t a personal issue, it’s a community issue. But, there are still deadlines to be met and projects to be finished. Be upfront with your employer and team, if you communicate your situation clearly to your coworkers it will reduce the possibility of unmet expectations and an impossible workload.
- Look to your partner
If there is another adult working from home consider taking shifts. From eight in the morning until noon you can be with the kids while your partner works, and then vice-versa. During your shift, the other parent can give 100 percent of their attention to their work to optimize productivity.
3. For the babies
Working from home with an infant will be challenging, but there are small things you can try that could make a big difference. If possible, utilize a baby backpack. This will keep the child close to you, satisfying their need for touch and allow you to move around with two free hands. Take breaks to play with your child. When they fall back to sleep, get moving! Use these quiet moments to buckle down.
4. Get creative with your old routine
Everyone is finding out now, that working and socializing from home is possible. Find ways to incorporate daily and weekly activities virtually. Do your kids have playdates every Friday? Set them up on a group Zoom call with all their friends, try Google Hangouts! Do you have family or friends with children? Work together! One family creates a meal plan for every family to use, another thinks of arts and crafts to keep the kids busy this week…everyone gets a weight lifted off their shoulders and a strong community to rely on.
5. Accept that things are going to change, a lot
You can create as many color-coded schedules and reminder sticky notes as you’d like, but things aren’t going to go smoothly all the time. Prepare for interruptions and unexpected stumbling blocks by taking it day-by-day and finding the bigger picture. Working
from home isn’t easy for anyone, and doing it with children is a different beast entirely, but cut yourself some slack. Plans and routines are going to change but find support in the people around you and remind yourself you are not alone in this.
It’s an unpredictable time, and we’re all figuring it out as we go. You are working so hard as an employee and a parent, give yourself some credit- don’t ever be afraid to ask for help, either. Not every day is going to be perfect, and that’s perfectly fine.
