Tips for Working from Home When Your Kids Are in the House

Remote work gives you more flexibility and a lot more time at home, making it easier to spend time with your kids and, well, take care of them. But let’s be honest, working while your kids are home is tough. Your parental responsibilities can often interfere with your work ones—especially if you’ve got a young one (or more than one) running around. Use these hacks to minimize distractions while still being a present and loving parent.

 

This can save you a ton of time in the morning. And, if you need to send out a few emails before dropping your kids off at school, you’ll get a few interruption-free minutes while they’re busy.

 

If there’s a specific behavior you want your children to develop, consider giving out rewards. Maybe they remembered to stay away from your office when your door is closed for a meeting or fixed their tablet issue independently. A small prize will teach them to repeat that behavior going forward.

 

Consider waking up before your kids to give yourself some buffer time. Not only will this give you time for focused work; you might also enjoy the peace and quiet.

 

Every morning, write down a list of what must get done that day, and tackle that list before anything else. If the kids need a lot of attention in the afternoon or you’re bombarded with lots of little distractions, you’ll still have accomplished the essentials. This strategy will also keep your workload in check—if you’re tackling the most important tasks, you’ll never get so far behind that you can’t catch up.

 

Divide your day into blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks. This technique helps you stay focused, work more efficiently, and manage both familial and professional obligations. Schedule blocks for both throughout your day; for instance, you might have a morning block for kid-related tasks, followed by a meetings block, another for answering emails, an afternoon block for your children, and a final block for writing memos, creating presentations, and so on. Make sure to give your team members and manager the heads-up about your availability.

 

Sometimes you just need to pull out the iPad or turn on the TV. But skip the guilt: You’re doing the (near) impossible by simultaneously parenting and working. Choose an educational show or game (or on rough days, whatever your kid will happily stay glued to) and give yourself an uninterrupted hour of work.