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Kids can struggle with your work-from-home routine, getting bored waiting for you. It’s time to involve them throughout the day.
Working from home* is supposed to offer you flexibility, especially if you work for yourself. If your kids need a day off school, you should be able to spend some time with them and work at the same time. During the summer months, you may find that it’s a chance to show them the world of work.
The problem is kids will find many a work-from-home routine boring. They want to spend time with you, and you need to find a way to integrate your children into the workday to keep it productive. Here are my top five creative ways to do that.
Set up kid-friendly workstations for their own work-from-home routine
My office also has desks for both of my children. This setup happened due to the pandemic and the need for online learning, but it now sets up a way to integrate my children’s needs with my own when running a business.
My eldest will spend time on her own computer. Sometimes she’s playing games, and sometimes she’s doing her own coding or some of her own interests. My youngest will spend time doing some workbooks or coloring.
It’s a great idea to set up their stations* so they can “work” as well. They get the “workspace” and they understand the need to remain focused on a task at hand. Create a space that is engaging as possible for them and their interests. And as the kids get older, you could even allow them to help you with your work, especially if you work from home. My eldest is learning social media marketing!
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Use interactive apps and puzzles to keep them occupied
Maybe you don’t have the space in the home office for their own workspace. Sometimes, they will just get bored of what they’re doing. You need to make sure they have something interactive and fun to do.
The last thing you want is for them to look at a digital screen all day. I’d suggest having some printed sheets or some puzzles to do. When you are happy with them looking at a screen, download an app or two with some interactive puzzles.
Make sure the tasks they’re doing are educational. Then they have their fun things to do when it’s time to take a break. This allows them to understand the difference between work and play.
Add in some breaks to your work-from-home routine
You need to set a good example for your children, and we all know that breaks are important. They will boost productivity levels, and they’re a great way for you to bond with your children.
I recommend working for 25 minutes and having a five-minute break. You can opt for 50 minutes of work and 10 minutes of play if this works best for you—admittedly, it does for me! Work with the way your brain works.
Opt for some fun activities to do together. You can had a dance party, do a quick project, or even set up a scavenger hunt. This is also a good chance to get outside to play. Don’t forget a lunch break as well!
With this routine, children will see that there is a break coming. You can start off with a physical timer so they can see when it’s time to play. Eventually, they learn to figure out how much they can get done in their “work” time.
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Get the kids doing some simple tasks to help
You could make your work-from-home life a little easier with the kids around. As I mentioned, you could get the kids doing some of the tasks for your work. My eldest was interested in learning social media marketing, so I got her started with that.
Maybe you can get younger kids to organize documents, or maybe you can get them to write appointments down in a diary* based on a list that you give them. You can give them a simple task to do around the house if you can’t let them help with work, such as unloading the loading the dishwasher.
If the children are younger, you’ll want to make these tasks fun. If they’re older, they can start to learn the way of work.
Establish boundaries with your children
There’s nothing wrong with your children learning boundaries. This is essential for them in life, and teaching them with your work is a great place to start. Explain to your children about your work-from-home routine and how important it is that you get tasks done.
When my children were younger, I would tell them about how if I got things done sooner, I’d be able to spend more time with them afterward. This meant that they didn’t pester as much throughout the day, allowing me to remain focused on work. When I had an office with a door, I would have a sign on the door to tell them when I couldn’t be disturbed and when I could—this was also good for the adults.
Now, I make sure my children know if there’s a chance I’ll be in an interview for work when they come home from school. They know that they need to be quiet when they walk in and wait for me to say hi first on those days. This boundary makes it clear that I’ll be with them as soon as possible. You can use visual aids* if they help with children.
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Do your children struggle with your work-from-home routine? What have you done to help them with it? Share in the comments below.
