I’ve been working from home for six years and love the flexibility it affords me. Since my daughter was three years old, through my second pregnancy, and now with a 4-year-old and 9-year-old, these years of working from home and owning my own business have been wonderful. I’ve been able to be there for my children, be home after school to help with homework, and not worry about needing permission from or explaining myself to anyone any time I need to take time off work. Working from home is great for all those and many more reasons, but it isn’t always smooth.
As I’ve learned over the years, working from home with young kids doesn’t always go the way you plan. I’ve had a variety of scenarios in my six years of being a work at home mom – from having a child home with me all day long or half-day, to even having both home with me. With each scenario, I’ve had to figure out a way to make our daily schedule work and be productive. My current situation is that I have my preschooler home with me in the afternoons after he attends pre-K in the morning. (His older sister is in school for traditional school hours.) Because he’s home with me a big chunk of the day, I set up an afternoon routine that includes play time, learning time, and quiet time (allowing me to work). It’s been working out well for us!
Since I’ve learned a few things over the years, I want to share a few simple tips that may help you work from home with kids and be more productive!
3 Tips for Working from Home with Young Kids
- Chunk your time: Divide your day into work time, time for the kids, and time for house responsibilities (i.e., cooking). Your kids will appreciate the structure and knowing when it’s “their” time vs. work time.
- Involve them in your work: I show my kids exactly what I do and they often help me with my work! From giving me blog post ideas to making crafts I can then share on the blog, they love to help and especially love seeing the finished product up on my site!
- Designate special toys or games they can use while you’re working: Save a few toys or games for them to play with only when you’re working. My son enjoys playing on our tablet during his quiet time and I’m fine with that because I know the rest of the day is full of non-screen activities!
I hope these tips for working from home with young kids help you structure your day to be more productive. They definitely have helped me, as well as helped my kids feel good about our time together and understand that mommy has to get work done too!
I’d love to hear what works for you! What other tips can you share for working from home with young kids?
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