As a parent, your career and family are the two most important things in life. Finding a balance between the two is no easy feat, but it’s one that can be achieved with some hard work and plenty of patience.
For example, if you’re working from home with kids, there are ways you can make your work life easier.
In this post we’ll discuss how to create an office space for yourself in your home so that you can get some work done during school hours without interruptions from other household members including the kids!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Balancing work and parenting when working from home requires organization, flexibility, and communication. |
| To stay productive while working from home with kids, establish a routine, set boundaries, and plan ahead. |
| Keeping kids entertained while working from home can be challenging, consider setting up designated play areas or activities. |
| Interruptions are inevitable when working from home with kids, establish rules and consequences around interruptions. |
| To reduce stress and maintain your mental health while working from home with kids, make time for self-care and practice mindfulness. |
Get The Kitchen Ready
If you’re working from home, don’t underestimate the importance of a clean kitchen. If your kids are still in diapers, this will be especially true. There’s no better way to start off your day than a fresh-looking kitchen that’s ready for action.
Get everything out of sight and store it properly
Sanitize any surfaces that might get splashed or otherwise touched by little hands (countertops, table tops and drawers if possible)
Make sure you have everything you need on hand and put it where it belongs! Don’t have time for groceries? Make arrangements with a neighbor or family member who does so they can pick up some staples for the week before dropping them off at your house with their child who is also partaking in this cleaning effort (if applicable).
These supplies may include: coffee beans/machine; water filter; spices/oils; napkins/paper towels; plasticware; soap/dish detergent for dishes etc.; garbage bags; dishwasher detergent if applicable; toilet paper & cleaning products.”
Creating a productive work environment at home with kids can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Our article on how to create a productive work environment at home with kids provides useful tips and strategies to help you stay focused and productive while working from home with your children.
Create A Work Zone
Once you’ve got your space ready to go, make sure you’re not wasting time on trivial things. A cluttered space can be distracting and stressful, so it’s important to keep it clean.
The last thing you want is a bunch of little distractions taking up valuable mental energy when you should be focusing on work.
Start by removing any clutter from your work area. This includes items that don’t need to be there or things that just aren’t necessary for working—whether they’re clothes hanging off the back of a chair or stacks of papers on the floor (don’t let those get into piles!).
Next, make sure that everything in the room is well-lit enough for optimal vision and alertness. You’ll also want to ensure that there isn’t too much light coming from behind your screen; if possible, position yourself so that any natural sunlight coming through windows doesn’t glare directly at your monitor while you’re working.
Finally, try adjusting the height at which your desk sits relative to where you sit while in front of it: if this isn’t possible due to physical limitations like having children who need attention nearby or not being able to move furniture around easily enough then consider purchasing an adjustable computer riser instead!
Best Office Furniture for Creating the Perfect Work Zone
| Furniture Item | Description | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustable Standing Desk | Allows you to easily switch between sitting and standing, reducing fatigue and promoting better overall health. | VariDesk, Uplift Desk |
| Ergonomic Office Chair | Provides proper lumbar and arm support, reducing the risk of injury and improving comfort. | Herman Miller, Steelcase |
| Monitor Arm | Frees up desk space and adjusts to your eye level, reducing neck and eye strain. | Ergotron, Fleximounts |
| Task Lighting | Reduces eye strain and provides focused lighting for reading and working. | Philips Hue, TaoTronics |
| Noise-Cancelling Headphones | Block out distractions and noise, allowing for focused work and concentration. | Bose QuietComfort, Sony WH1000XM4 |
This table suggests the best furniture items for creating the perfect work zone at home. By investing in quality furniture, you can ensure comfort and productivity while working remotely.
Set Up A Play Zone
While you’re at it, make sure the play zone is safe. Tots can get into all kinds of trouble if they have too much room and aren’t being watched, so it may be a good idea to create a small area where your kid can play independently an enclosed space with plenty of interesting toys and activities should do the trick.
Next up, make sure that this area is as clean as possible; kids tend to be pretty messy especially when running around playing and keeping an eye on them while cooking or working on other tasks might be difficult if their play space isn’t neat and tidy.
That said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with letting them build forts from couch cushions or whatever else their little hands find lying around!
Last but not least (and perhaps most importantly), ensure that this space is quiet enough for both of you not to be distracted by one another’s conversation. A parent’s workday should never interfere with his or her child’s nap time—or vice versa!
Working from home with kids can be tough, but with the right strategies, you can make it work. Check out our ultimate guide to working from home with kids for expert advice and tips on how to juggle remote work and parenting.
Establish A Schedule
This is the most important step in working from home while having kids, because it will help you stay sane and accomplish your goals.
Create a schedule that includes time in your day for both work and family. If you have an established routine before kids, then it will be easier to figure out how much time each task takes to complete (i.e., cooking dinner), but if not, this can be difficult at first.
For example, when my daughter was born I didn’t know how long it took me to feed her or change her diaper—but now that she’s older and we’ve been doing things together for multiple years now, I know exactly how long each task takes.
If you want to work while taking care of your kids full-time (like me!), then you need a schedule with clear start times and end times for each task on the list so that there’s no confusion or mixed messages about what needs doing when; once again: keep things simple!
You might be tempted by new opportunities or social commitments during these early months as well but remember: if they’re not part of today’s plan don’t put them on tomorrow’s agenda either!
Best Time Management Tools for Establishing a Productive Schedule
| Tool Name | Description | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar App | Allows you to schedule meetings, tasks and appointments, and receive reminders. | Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook |
| Time Tracking App | Helps you track the time spent on each task, providing insights into productivity and helping you to improve efficiency. | Toggl, RescueTime |
| To-Do List App | Organizes and prioritizes your tasks, making it easier to manage your workload. | Todoist, Wunderlist |
| Pomodoro Timer | Breaks tasks into manageable intervals to increase focus and reduce procrastination. | Focus@Will, TomatoTimer |
| Productivity Journal | Allows you to reflect on your daily work and make adjustments to your schedule and routines. | Best Self Co., Clever Fox |
This table suggests the best time management tools for establishing a productive schedule. By using these tools, you can improve organization, time management, and productivity while working from home.
Minimize Disruptions With Noise-Canceling Headphones
Noise-canceling headphones are a must for any parent who works from home. They’re especially helpful in a situation where you need to focus on work and your kids are running around being loud.
The most important thing to consider when buying noise-canceling headphones is that they don’t reduce ambient sound as much as regular headphones.
If you want to hear what’s going on around you, look for cans with passive (i.e., non-noise canceling) cancellation capabilities instead of active ones; these will let you hear things like emergency vehicles or people yelling your name without taking away from the music or podcast playing in your ears.
Another important thing: make sure the ear pads fit comfortably over not only your ears but also over the top of them this will help keep outside sounds out while still letting enough air circulate to keep them cool during long sessions at the computer desk!
Navigating the challenges of working from home with kids requires flexibility and creative thinking. Our article on making it work: strategies for working from home with kids offers practical tips and solutions for staying productive and managing your schedule while working from home with children.
Stay Connected With Family, Friends And Colleagues.
When you work from home, it’s easy to feel isolated. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in your struggle and you don’t have to do this alone.
Stay connected with family, friends and colleagues: If possible, use a headset when talking on the phone so that the kids can hear their daddy or mommy’s voice while they play nearby. Email is also a great way to stay in touch with family and friends while still keeping up with work demands.
Take some time for yourself: Make sure that you take some time out of each day for yourself—whether it’s taking a walk or meditating to unwind after spending time with your kids all day long! And don’t forget about quality time with your partner!
You may have gotten used to communicating via text message these days but try having an actual conversation about what is happening in both of your lives once in a while too!
Ask for help: This is one of my favorite tips because asking for help makes perfect sense but I often struggle with actually doing it myself so I know how hard this will be for some people who are very independent by nature like me!
But if there are things going on at home (a sick child/parent/pet) or outside factors affecting how much work gets done during certain hours then let someone else know so he/she can help pick up some slack until things return back to normal again because sometimes nobody knows how great life would be without those little distractions until they experience them firsthand themselves
Best Communication Tools for Staying Connected With Family, Friends, and Colleagues
| Tool Name | Description | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| Video Conferencing App | Allows you to host virtual meetings and catch up with family and colleagues face-to-face. | Zoom, Google Meet |
| Instant Messaging App | Allows you to communicate in real-time with family, friends, and colleagues. | WhatsApp, Slack |
| Project Management Software | Facilitates collaboration and helps you stay organized with your projects and tasks. | Asana, Trello |
| Virtual Private Network (VPN) | An encrypted network connection that ensures your online activity is private and secure. | NordVPN, ExpressVPN |
| Social Media App | Connects you with friends, family, and colleagues, providing an informal way to stay in touch. | Facebook, LinkedIn |
This table suggests the best communication tools for staying connected with family, friends, and colleagues while working from home. With these tools, you can stay engaged and productive in your personal and professional relationships.
Take Breaks To Help Kids Stay Engaged
When working from home with kids, it’s important to take breaks. If you’re working on a project that requires your full attention and focus, try taking regular breaks throughout the day so that your child has a chance to play and relax. Your child needs time to be a kid!
This can also help with managing household chores. If you’re focused on something else for a few minutes here or there, use this downtime to do things like laundry and cleaning up the house. Think of it as multitasking: You’ll get more done in less time by taking advantage of those small windows of opportunity when everyone is engaged elsewhere.
Balancing work and parenting can be overwhelming, but knowing how to prioritize your time can help. Our guide on how to prioritize tasks for maximum productivity offers helpful strategies that can help you be more efficient and effective with your time and energy.
Make Time For Self-Care
As a working parent, it can be easy to put all of your focus on the kids and forget about yourself. That’s why it’s so important to take time off from work every day in order to focus on your own needs. Set aside an hour a day for yourself and do something that relaxes you.
Exercise is a great way to de-stress and it will help you sleep better at night. And don’t forget about nutrition!
Take some time each week to prepare healthy meals; this will reduce stress levels by making sure that you’re eating right while keeping costs down since buying food can get expensive if not done strategically (and also because who wants their kids eating fast food?).
Another way to take care of yourself is through self-care practices like meditation or yoga—these practices have been shown over recent years as effective ways of reducing stress levels while boosting overall energy levels throughout the day—which means more productivity when working!
Make Schoolwork And Parenting A Team Effort
Make schoolwork and parenting a team effort. If you’re working from home, your kids are likely to be around you more than they would be if you were at the office.
Be sure to involve them in your work as much as possible; they’ll learn more by getting involved and helping out than they will from observing from a distance.
Have a plan for what you need to do and when it needs to happen. It’s important not only for yourself but for your children as well that their routine is consistent and reliable so that everyone knows what to expect each day, no matter where the two of you are working (i.e., at home or elsewhere).
Make sure your kids have a role in the process—and don’t be afraid to ask for help from other family members if necessary!
The ultimate survival guide for working from home with kids is here! Check out our comprehensive guide on working from home with kids: the ultimate survival guide for expert tips and advice on how to make it work, even when the going gets tough.
Check In With Yourself Frequently
This can be as simple as taking a lunch break, or it can be something you do every day.
Take a few minutes at the end of the day to reflect on how you are doing and what went well. This will help you build up your confidence for the next day.
If you are having trouble with something, take time to evaluate it carefully and make sure that any problems aren’t due to lack of preparation or other external factors (like not having access to resources).
Think about what needs to happen next in order for your project/goal/task to be completed successfully.
Evaluate Your Home Office Setup Often
It’s important to evaluate your home office setup often. Take a step back and look at the big picture: make sure you have a comfortable chair and desk, bright lighting, a clean and organized space, and good internet connection (especially if you work from anywhere). It’s also important to stay in a quiet environment as much as possible.
If your office is too noisy or crowded with people coming in and out of the room, this can easily distract you from work tasks.
However, don’t forget about having fun! Having fun might mean hanging out with friends over Skype or taking time for yourself to read books or watch TV shows in bed before bedtime rolls around all while still getting everything done at home (with kids).
When All Else Fails, Be Flexible!
If all else fails, be flexible! Don’t be afraid to change your routine. Try new things and see what works for you. If one method of working from home isn’t working, try something else.
It’s okay to ask for help if you need it and don’t hesitate to ask your partner or friends for help with child care now and then so that you can get some work done without being interrupted every five minutes by “Mommy?” or “Daddy?”.
Being flexible will allow for more creativity in how you do things and will help keep things fresh throughout the day.
Conclusion
We hope these tips are helpful in your quest to find balance between work and parenting. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but we believe that by using a combination of these tips you can create an environment where you can focus on both work and family.
Further Reading
If you want to learn more about working from home with kids, check out these resources:
Working from Home with Kids: A Complete Guide – This comprehensive guide from BetterUp includes tips and advice for managing your time, staying productive, and finding a work-life balance while parenting at home.
A Guide for Working Parents: How to Balance Your Career and Children While Working Remotely – This guide from Hubspot provides parents with actionable tips for balancing their work and family obligations while working remotely.
Working from Home with Kids: Tips, Tricks, and Challenges – Healthline provides tips for parents to make working from home and parenting work together.
FAQs
How can I be productive while working from home with kids?
To stay productive while working from home with kids, it’s important to establish a routine, set boundaries, and plan ahead. Make a schedule for your work and your children, communicate with your family about your expectations, and utilize tools like noise-cancelling headphones or white noise to help you focus.
How do I balance work and parenting when working from home?
Balancing work and parenting when working from home requires organization, flexibility, and communication. Set clear boundaries between work and family time, plan your schedule in advance, and communicate your expectations with both your employer and your family.
How can I keep my kids entertained while I work from home?
Keeping kids entertained while working from home can be challenging. Consider setting up designated play areas or activities, scheduling screen time, involving your children in your work if possible, and taking breaks together throughout the day.
How do I deal with interruptions when working from home with kids?
Interruptions are inevitable when working from home with kids. Communicate with your family about your needs, establish rules and consequences around interruptions, and be flexible and patient with your children when they need your attention.
How can I reduce stress and maintain my mental health while working from home with kids?
To reduce stress and maintain your mental health while working from home with kids, make time for self-care, establish boundaries between work and family time, and practice mindfulness and stress-reducing techniques like meditation or exercise. Additionally, consider seeking support from a therapist or counselor if needed.
Hi there! I’m Hellen James, and I’ve been working at home for over a decade. I’ve been looking for ways to be more efficient at home, and I have a bunch of tips that you’ll love.
