7 Keys To Working From Home With Children
Reconciling work and motherhood is not usually an easy task. A particular case is that of women who work from home; This combination can have them as babysitters and employees at the same time, leaving no room to dedicate themselves to an activity fully. Here are some tips for working from home with children.
Being able to work from home has its undeniable benefits, but also some cons. When one is already exercising motherhood, it can become somewhat complicated to combine the job of mother with that of a worker.
Many times it happens that the demands intersect, the schedules are not enough and the mental exhaustion is noticed. In those cases, it is better to follow some recommendations to work from home with children and not die trying.
Keys to working from home with children
1. Hire a babysitter
In no way do you think that because ‘you are at home all day’ you can take care of your little one by yourself. While there may be exceptions, you will generally need a clear mind to go about your duties. Otherwise, you will do everything by halves.
Therefore, seeking the assistance of your partner or a babysitter is not bad at all. After all, working from home is the same as doing it in an office, with the advantage that you will be there for when it is really necessary.
2. Organization and determination
You may be working and it occurs to you that you have to do some shopping or a chore around the house. To avoid these distractions, try to set a schedule with fixed and determined hours for work.
Now, once you have it, try to fulfill it. Otherwise, you will work under pressure all the time, you will be open to anything taking you out of focus and, what is worse, you could not meet your work goals as you had proposed.
3. Choose a workplace
Like time, space plays a key role in every work environment. So, if you have the possibility of adapting a space in your home for work, do not hesitate to do so.
It is important that all family members know how to respect your privacy when you are there. Also, think about adding a dedicated phone line for your office, so that you are always available to your clients.
4. Use extracurricular activities to your advantage
Once children enter school age, things get quite simplified. During the school shift — be it morning or afternoon — they will already be busy; in the counter, you can write them down in some sporting or artistic activity. Of course, they have to decide which ones to attend.
To this great tool, you can add, for example, a visit to the grandparents’ house during the week or even plan free afternoons with your partner to alternate in caring for the little ones. Then the babysitter will be only for specific times and you can save some money.
5. Be smart and flexible
It is precisely one of the greatest advantages of working from home. There are no schedules; Therefore, if you wake up one night or if you have to stay awake to take care of one of your children, you can advance work.
Of course, it should not become a constant, as overworking is in no way justified. However, it can be useful when you know that you will not be able to fall asleep immediately and will therefore be tired the next morning.
6. Take advantage of the ‘overtime’
Similar to the previous point, you can also take advantage of some moments in which you know that the little ones will not demand your attention. For example, if they are watching television or playing video games, they may not need your help. What’s more, they may not even notice if you’ve left.
In those moments, you can take those minutes to finish something pending or advance details. Be careful, it is not advisable to focus on the main jobs, but simply to take them as ‘overtime’.
7. Find the balance
While most of the above recommendations are for you to maximize the time available, this does not mean that you should set aside children as much as possible. Much less means that you should consider them a hassle to avoid.
Both they and you are going to need moments together, so do not always be closed to ‘do not disturb during work hours’. Remain open and responsive to their requests. You could even assign them simple tasks – like stacking papers, for example – to spend time together and make them feel useful.
We warn you from the beginning: it will not be an easy task. However, with organization and will — and also patience — you will get through it perfectly. Working from home with children is not only feasible: it is also a great advantage that many would like to enjoy.
