Working from Home with Children

During the pandemic, many of us were asked to work from home, and that came with new challenges. The least of which was how to set up our home office. Now, working from home is much more common, but we’re still learning how to be productive from home. Especially for those working from home with children.

For working parents of school-age children, working at home with children means finding ways to safely occupy your child’s attention so you can get some work done.

Both work and child care can be stressful. So, juggling both can only provide increased pressure on an already stressful experience. To provide just a bit of assistance, we have compiled these six (6) tips to help you manage your work and parental duties while at home.

Expect changes to your work schedule

The first thing you will need to do is accept that your work schedule will change. It’s going to be different working from home with children. Younger children will require more hands-on assistance, especially with getting their day started.

Sure, teenagers can be more independent and may even be helpful in managing some of the household tasks while you work, but you need to be ready to jump in as needed.

As you blend your work and home life, this may be a great opportunity to teach your children new responsibilities. Even in small doses, this will help you get more work done.

Get your kids into a new routine

Admittedly, this one I learned from my wife. She is the queen of getting our children into routines, and it’s always been effective.

Basically, to help differentiate work and playtime, kids need a routine. If they’re working on school assignments, having them sit down at the same time each day can help provide structure during this uncertain time.

Of course, you will need to be available to help, and you’ll need to set aside specific times for fun activities you can all do together.

Get the right home safety measures in place

You need to brush up on your home safety skills and make sure your home is properly childproofed, especially if you have younger children. This will help to prevent accidents as there will be times when the children are out of your sight.

This can be fairly easy, after cleaning your home, be sure to store cleaning supplies out of reach of young children. If you have a home security system, set up a notification to alert you when a door or window is opened.

You’ll also want to take care of yourself by making sure your home office is comfortable and organized in a way that helps limit potential problems, such as overuse injuries.

Set proper expectations

Working from home with kids may impact your ability to focus, particularly in uncertain scenarios like the COVID-19 pandemic. Give yourself permission to adapt your work style, realizing that it may take you twice as long to compile a report or finish a project.

Working from home means family needs are perhaps just a room away. Strive for balance by arranging your days to fit in all the important tasks you must attend to for both your family and your job.

If you can take a break on a beautiful day, get out in the yard with your kids. You’ll appreciate the moments of escape spent with your family.

Make fun games a priority

While you’re searching online for paper goods or hand sanitizer, add a few art kits or video games to your shopping cart. Now may even be the time to purchase that new gaming system you planned to buy as a special gift. Set parameters around screen time, but realize there may be instances where a little extra play is okay if your kids are having fun and you’re on the verge of completing a task for work.

You may also want to stock up on craft supplies that can come in handy when you need a quick, easy distraction for your kids in order to give you the time you need to meet an impending work deadline.

Your parental instincts are still king

Nobody understands your children better than you. If they’re struggling to adapt to this new situation, they may require more of your attention right now. That’s OK. You can address this by finding ways to shift around work responsibilities. If you have a partner who is also working from home, maybe you can agree to trade off childcare duties to ensure that your family’s needs are being met.

Right now, your main priority will be just making it through the day and keeping your family healthy. But, it’s also important to work and provide for your family’s financial needs. Communicate with your co-workers and managers as you adjust your work-life balance.

Consider Whether Your Insurance Needs Have Changed

If you’re moving to a home-based business or using office equipment at home, you’ll need to understand how this fits into your homeowner’s policy. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact your insurance agent.

The bottom line

The work we do is changing. That’s for sure. We’ll need to adapt and make the best of the situation. Frankly, this could all become a blessing in disguise. If it’s not, you can always get a quote for more life insurance, the stress can take its toll. Follow the simple steps in this post, and we think you’ll be just fine working from home with your children.