Working From Home With Kids: A Survival Guide

Apr 29, 2020

Schools are closed due to the pandemic while educational institutions are still planning for remote learning systems. This seems to be a vacation for the meantime but unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to adults. Kids are kids and they can be very active to the point that they could distract parents who work remotely. If you face a similar problem, here are survival tips on how to stay productive.

1. Have a family meeting every morning

During breakfast, you and your partner should brief some new house rules on the children. Rules such as no disturbances during work time and the designated office space is off-limits. This is also a good time to answer the kids’ questions in advance. Questions like what’s for lunch, snack, and dinner or where the family tablet is.

2. Create a routine for the kids

If the kids have their own daily routine, the day will unfold smoothly. This is because, in the long run, they get comfortable and assured as they know what to expect. You’ll save a lot of time for work instead of checking if they already ate breakfast or bathed.

3. Plan and prepare meals in advance

Children are picky eaters, and it can be time-consuming and irritating to argue with them on that. Instead, ask or brief them on what to eat for snacks and meals. Doing this gives you enough time to prepare in advance. So when they’re hungry, the food is already ready and they can eat without issues.

4. Have a dedicated office space

You can use a spare bedroom or the attic with a desk. Choose a room with a door and lock that separates you from your little ones. You might not want to get interrupted by a game of hide and seek. However, before you separate yourself, make sure that your kids are old enough and can play without supervision. When they are, inform them to only knock unless it's an emergency.

5. Use high-quality streamed educational content

Kids nowadays are digital-natives. They would prefer to spend most of their time in front of a device screen rather than play with other toys. When they do, take advantage of that. Use the YouTube Kids app or set the device’s settings to family-friendly. Subscribe and set educational playlists on to keep them occupied.

6. Take turns with childcare

Make your remote working life a lot easier by sharing the childcare responsibilities with your spouse. If one of you requires no interruption at work then let the other tend to the kids full time. You can do this by alternating your working schedule by day or by half-day.

7. Work early or work late

It’s best to take advantage of the time when your kids are asleep. If they sleep early at night, you can work as a night owl. If they sleep in during the day then be a morning lark.

Tip: Stay active and play physically demanding games during the day with your kids so that they’ll be tired and can sleep in the afternoons. This way you'll have more time for uninterrupted work.

8. Assign tasks and chores to every family member

If you have teenagers or tweens, you can ask them to take care of their younger siblings and do other household responsibilities. Instruct the older brother to clean the house and play games with the young. An older sister can also help with childcare and cooking. Bottom line is, don’t do everything yourself. As long as there are family members who are able to help, let them.

Surviving a remote working environment with little ones is possible. All you have to do is plan carefully. Take advantage of the time the kids are asleep. Ask help from able family members. Assign individual tasks and schedule them.