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Working From Home with Kids

by | Apr 6, 2020 |

The current global situation has pushed many workers into the uncharted territory of working from home. Whether this was a request from an employer, state-mandated order, or due to a child remote learning from home, working from home can be an intimidating task and you will need to change some of your habits and routines to make working from home a success.

The adjustment from office life to working from home requires establishing boundaries between work and personal life. Which, if we are being honest, is harder than it sounds. I have personally worked from home before, but never with a child at home. A quick web search will produce hundreds of articles and blogs on how to transition to a work from home lifestyle, but not many for full-time workers with kids. Parents and kids nationwide are making the transition to learning Zoom, online communication, and hitting deadlines. The team at the App-Garden made the transition to remote working three weeks ago, and many of our team had to plan for children and their work schedule. Here are some of their tips and some extras for navigating this new work style.

 

Plan Ahead

Working from home allows more flexibility when it comes to being available for your children but providing a schedule will provide some structure to the day. Team members from the App-Garden had a few suggestions for planning ahead.

  • Kaila Ashley, Sales and Marketing Manager
    • Every night I sit down and write out a checklist for my son for the next day. I try to stay away from a super strict schedule and fit in-class time in between my scheduled meetings, which can fluctuate at times.


  • Cassidy Beam, Facility Tracker Specialist
    • I have to be very specific with my daughter, so I make a checklist. Wake up, eat breakfast, brush hair, one hour of dedicated schoolwork and determine what subjects to do for the rest of the day, etc.

 

Set a Morning Routine: 

This goes right along with planning ahead. While kids may look at this as an extended Summer break, keeping a morning routine will help to set the day up for success. It may not be required to still wake up at 5:00 AM to prepare for getting off to work and school, but setting a time to wake up, eat breakfast and get settled in, will ease some of the chaos of the mornings.

 

Take a Break: 

There are many studies that show breaks help to increase productivity, improve mental well-being, and boost creativity. Kids need breaks and so do adults! Try to step away from school studies and work for 5-10 minutes. Go outside for a quick walk or try out a quick 5 minute Kid’s Yoga session! It is easier to get lost in work when working remotely and not take breaks.

 

Separate Business and Parent Roles:

With schools nationwide closing for the remainder of the years, parents are having to wear multiple hats at once. Setting up a separate workspace for kids and parents will help to establish boundaries. Sometimes having a closed-off office space is not possible. Cassidy shared, “I have set up spaces at the kitchen table for her and me to work together, and when I go into meetings I set her up with a task prior and let her know I am going into a meeting.”
 

Look For Resources:

While older children may have the required workload to keep them preoccupied while you work, younger kids can only handle so much desk time. Their days are normally filled with multiple breaks or interactive learning with their classmates. There are multiple resources online to help to fill those downtimes. Plan special events for kids during the day, such as a movie time or set up a time for your child to have a  Virtual Field Trip!
 
These are just a few tips for making the change to remote working from home. There is no one size fits all for this situation, each family will be different. What is key is finding a schedule that works for you. 

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