How to Productively Work from Home with Kids in the Mix
If you find yourself suddenly working from home due to COVID-19, tech support, staying focused, communication, and maintaining productivity are all new challenges.
When you through kids into the mix, it can end up feeling like one of the hardest things you’ve ever done. Below are a few tips on how you can keep your sanity and stay productive.
Make a Schedule
Parents know that routine and scheduling are essential to keeping kids happy. Making a schedule can help to set expectations and clarify to little ones when you are doing work and when they can expect to have your undivided attention. If you’re looking after little ones, your schedule will likely be based around naps and feeding times. If you have older kids, you need to integrate any home-schooling obligations. In either case, having a detailed plan is crucial to success. It keeps everybody organized and helps to keep interruptions to a minimum.
Use Screen Time Strategically
While it may be tempting to plop your kids in front of the TV or tablet so you can do work all day, it’s not a very effective strategy. Not only isn’t it good for kids to sit in front of a screen all day, but they also get sick of it at some point.
A better approach is to hold off on screen time until a time when you absolutely need your children to be quiet and occupied, such as during an important conference call.
Use Early Mornings
If you’re working from home and your kids are there with you, it’s almost impossible to dedicate your full brainpower to job responsibilities. If you absolutely need full concentration to get work done, consider doing you’re most labor-intensive work in the early mornings.
Be strategic. If your kids usually get up at 7:30 a.m., try to be up and working around 5:30 a.m. Getting in a couple hours, or even 90 minutes, before the kids get up can give your workday some massive boost. Working in the morning is also great because you start fresh. However, if you find it works better to tackle serious job responsibilities in the evenings, that’s an option as well.
Shift Rotation
If you are at home with your spouse, dividing up time with the kid(s) is ideal, even if both of you have to work full-time. Develop a plan of attack with regard to time, space, and computers.
Prioritize Short Play Breaks
Taking short breaks during the day is good for both you and your kids. Research studies reveal that children actually prosper with short, 5- to 20-minute periods of totally uninterrupted attention.
If you make sure to incorporate regular breaks into your day, you not only support your productivity, you can feel confident that your kids are getting the attention they need.
We Can Help You Find the Right Work Situation
Given all the uncertainty in the job market, you need a career partner you can depend on. Please contact ZDA today to find out how we can support you and your career during this difficult time.
