How to Manage Working from Home When You Have Children

Did you ever think that you would have the option to work from home with your current job? Probably not until Covid-19 hit . Most of us couldn’t have imagined that we would be working from home and that our children would be home with us. It takes some getting used to for everyone. The kids want to run around and play and make all the noise they would normally do as if every day was the weekend   . You are having to adjust and find some sort of balance between being a parent, an employee, a teacher, and even a spouse if you’re married. How do you manage it all?

Does having a schedule work? 

That’s a really good question. In some households, it may work. While in others, it may not. You are trying to juggle work, teaching your children online, and just parenting them because you know that unless they are teenagers, they are not going to go sit quietly all day and watch TV or play video games. They are going to need your attention too. There are so many unseen things that will come up, that a detailed schedule even sounds crazy. Remember is to set your own expectations for the day.

The importance of setting boundaries

A few things that also might be helpful are things like setting clear boundaries. The biggest thing that you want to do while setting boundaries is having a designated work area for every working adult in the house. You can set up boundaries such as putting up signs that say when you are working, or the door being shut to your home office space means to not disturb you. You can take your calls on speaker so that they hear another voice and won’t disturb you. Just the workspace should set the expectation among your kids that when you are in that space, they need to leave you alone unless it’s an emergency. There is one exception to this space and that is when the kids are doing their schoolwork. It can be more helpful for everyone to sit at the kitchen table. That way there is an adult present to answer questions, help with submitting homework and break up arguments that arise when one child is doing something distracting that is causing the other child not to be able to focus on their work.

Be an early bird

Something else like getting up before the kids get up can be very beneficial. This can help you get started on your day. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you can start working, that depends on the company you work for and the type of job you do. But it does mean that you can get a head start on things like laundry, or cooking breakfast. If your job does allow you to set your own hours and doesn’t have to be done in the traditional 9 to 5, then working before the kids get up works could work out best for you. It would allow for things throughout the day like phone calls, emails, or small tasks that don’t necessarily rely on a lot of focus to get accomplished. 

Find useful tools

There are other things that can help with the task of getting your work done for the day. One of those things is using zip files. A zip file is a single file containing one or more compressed files, offering an ideal way to make large files smaller and keep related files together. They will shorten the process of sharing files. Zip files are archives that store multiple files. It allows for contained files to be compressed as well as simply storing a file without compressing it. Each file is stored separately, allowing different files in the same archive to be compressed using different methods.

Final thoughts

Just remember that it is a new process for everyone involved. It will take time to get a routine in place. Give leniency for you and your kids. There will be challenges and probably several reorganizations to your plan, so do things that are going to make it easier on yourself, your kids, your employers, and your coworkers. Let zip files help in that process.