Tips for working from home with kids during quarantine
If you’re here, you’re probably stressed tf out. You’re struggling to be productive while also entertaining the kids. Oh, and not to mention all the stress and anxiety around the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’re all in this together. And if you are working from home, take a moment to first feel so, so grateful you have that ability. Yes, it’s hard. Especially with kids. But you are employed, and that is something to hold onto and appreciate right now.
Now, let’s talk tactics.
I’m a work-from-home mom. I have been working from home (part-time) as a freelance copywriter since my son was born in 2017. For me, the adjustment to quarantine life has been more subtle than most. I’m used to being home most of the time and working around my son’s schedule, and I’ve learned to make it work for our family. But for thousands of parents, this is new territory. So I wanted to try to share some tips that help me get work done while also raising a toddler full-time.
I know every job and every kid is different, so these aren’t universal tips, but hopefully you can find something helpful for you in here!
1. Make a schedule
I’m not a schedule freak. My schedule is adaptable, but I like to have my working time planned. I find it keeps me accountable and also prevents me from stressing out about meeting deadlines.
If your kids are older, you can communicate with them when your “work hours” are so that they know when you won’t be able to play with them. That doesn’t work with my 2-year-old. I cannot focus and work while watching him. It’s not even worth the battle of trying. So I don’t.
Here are some times you can potentially work, kid-free:
Early morning, before the kids are up
Nap time (the most magical time)
After bedtime
If you have a partner who is also working from home right now, discuss your deadlines/priorities and take shifts. My husband and I have been trading off a bit.
As mentioned, if you have older kids who can respect “working hours”, establish this with them and set some boundaries. But then be sure to be present with them when working hours are over. They’re probably going stir crazy and need your attention.
Working late nights isn’t glamorous, but for me I’ve also felt it was worth it to be able to stay at home with my son. And I’ve found that it’s much better for me to completely separate work and kid time so that I don’t get frustrated with my son. That’s not fair to either of us.
2. Make your bed and brush your darn teeth
Get rid of any to-dos or distractions that will prevent you from being productive. For me, I can’t sit and focus on work when I have a sink full of dishes, an unmade bed, mountains of laundry, and I look the same as I did when I rolled out of bed.
Before I even attempt to work, I complete a checklist of “musts-dos”. Your list might look different from mine. Here’s what mine usually looks like, and I complete this list while my toddler is awake. In fact, he helps me with it (sometimes):
Make the bed
Get ready - brush my teeth, comb my hair, wash my face, change from pajamas to clean yoga pants :)
Start a load of laundry
Empty the dishwasher (I run a load every night and empty in the morning)
My “getting ready” is super minimal. It might be important for your productivity to put on “real clothes” and makeup. Especially if you do that for your regular office job! But changing from pajamas to yoga pants is as glam as I get most days, and it’s enough for me.
When you work from home, or you’re a stay-at-home parent, it can be easy to skip out on getting yourself ready. I used to go about my day in my pajamas, and then BAM! Before I knew what was happening it was noon and I was still in my pajamas and … did I even brush my teeth? It’s amazing what a difference it makes. So wash your face, brush your teeth, and get yourself ready … whatever that looks like.
3. Manage expectations with your colleagues/boss
My clients know that I work odd hours. I usually email them late at night or on weekends, when I clock most of my hours.
When something changes in my schedule, I let them know in advance so they understand if I’m slow to respond.
During this time, I would hope that your colleagues and boss would be understanding of your odd schedule. Let them know when you plan to be available. Tell them to call or text your cell phone if there’s an urgent need since you won’t be attached to your email all day. When they know what to expect of you, you don’t have to stress out if you miss an email while you were building a fort with your kids.
4. Prioritize self-care
It’s extra difficult to squeeze in self-care right now, but it’s so important.
Every day, I’ve gone for a walk outside around our neighborhood during nap time. Yes, I know nap time is also a great opportunity to work. But taking 20 minutes to walk isn’t going to make or break my productivity for the day. In fact, I probably make up that time because when I move and get fresh air, I’m more productive.
Work is important. But our health is more important—physical and mental—and the two are connected. Carve out some time to take care of yourself.
5. Know that you can’t do it all
Keeping small humans alive is a full-time job. You can’t expect to get 40-hour weeks in as a work-from-home parent of young children. So don’t expect that.
But listen. Do you actually work 40 hours a week in your office job? How much of that time is spent chatting with co-workers, going down Internet rabbit holes, wasting away in pointless meetings, etc.?
I work fewer hours at home, but when I work, I’m actually working. You can still get things done, you just need to be strategic about it.
Once again, I want to reiterate that those of us who are working from home right now are so privileged to have the ability to continue supporting our families. It’s an inconvenience, it’s not ideal, but if you’re working remotely, you’re still getting paid and you’re not worrying about how you will feed your kids this month. Lead with gratitude.
Like most things, it will get easier in time. You’ll figure out what works for you. And hopefully, if we all hunker down and work together, we can get through this sooner than later.
Sending you lots of love!