Working from home can seem like an easy option at first. There’s no waiting in bus queues, and you don’t have to get dressed.
Remote work with kids
You can even stop for lunch whenever you want. The catch is that a majority of remote workers report finding more distractions at home than they ever did at the office.
When it comes to interruptions, your children can be the worst offenders. Remote work is challenging precisely because you are not in an office any more. Your work has moved into your home, and the routine you used to keep no longer fits.
There is a route to success, but you must make meticulous plans and be flexible. A great deal also depends on your situation, such as being the only adult at home. We’ve compiled our best tips for working remotely with kids to give you a head start.
1. Setting up the best kid-friendly office space
It may sound like a contradiction to include kids in your home office. However, it’s a fact you have to face. Caring for your children, whatever their age, still has to be a priority when you’re working remotely.
Set your home office up somewhere you can still keep an eye on the children. Avoid locking yourself away in a spare bedroom, where you will never know what they are doing. Choose a corner of a communal room instead, and the longer that room is, the better, because you can work at one end while they play at the other.
Set up a low screen to define your office space. A helpful tip is to hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the edge of your workspace when you need to focus. If your children tend to be noisy while playing, consider wearing headphones. However, make sure to check on them visually regularly.
2. Organize your working day
You can no longer jump straight into your work at 9.00 am and work through until 5.00 pm. When combining an active parental role with remote work, you need a much more flexible timetable. To begin with, your working day will probably become much longer than if you were at the office.
That stretch grows further still when you have to include supervising your own children. So get organized by starting work as early as possible, preferably a couple of hours before breakfast. That’s when you can take a break and socialize with your children.
Your working day could also include a few extra hours when your children have gone to bed. Again, it’s important to plan ahead and organize your tasks. Reserve assignments that won’t require interacting with colleagues for these unsociable, out-of-office hours.
Read also: 6 Ways to Streamline Business Processes and Workflows.
3. Including kids in your work timetable
Children always need attention, particularly if they are young. From their point of view, they can see where you are and can’t understand why you ignore them while working. Unfortunately, you have little choice but to deal with them multiple times throughout your remote work.
It’s often easier to spend a short while giving them quality attention first. Otherwise, you risk even more interruptions. Once you’ve provided attention, they’ll be content to play without you for a while. Your timetable will inevitably include more breaks than normal to account for family time.
Children have relatively short attention spans. Unfortunately, your timetable has to reflect this. Alternate smaller work sessions with quality attention. Making sure they have absorbing toys to play with is crucial to your work productivity. Remember to take frequent short breaks to check on their progress.
4. Seek adult assistance
Sharing childcare with another adult is helpful. If your partner also works remotely, take turns providing supervision for your children. If you’re the only adult, consider enlisting a family member to amuse your children for an hour or two.
This is a vital strategy if you have to attend a remote conference or webinar at an appointed hour. An alternative is to arrange for your in-laws to take the children to a museum or park for an hour or two while you deal with urgent tasks. However, if you can’t get any additional help, you’ll have to develop outstanding improvisation skills.
Save the creative activities for the moment you need them most. Stock up on colouring books and crayons, or buy a few kits where they build pictures from pre-cut shapes. Be firm about having no interruptions until your call has finished.
5. Give yourself time to adapt
Remote working can absolutely be a success, but it would be best to have more time to adapt when you have children at home.
If you are new to the format, allow time to adjust. Always confide in your employer if you need longer to complete assignments.
Key takeaways on remote work with children at home
Working remotely can be very successful, even if you have children at home. It could help you develop outstanding organizational skills. You’ll inevitably become adept at improvisation and multitasking. The structure of a remote working day can be quite different from working in an office.
Expect to start early and finish late, but you’ll have more breaks to compensate. Incorporate your children into your daily timetable. Give them high-quality attention before and after each work session. Trying to ignore them will only cause conflict and confusion.
Give yourself time to find a remote work routine that fits you and your family. Balanced properly, the job and the time with your children stop competing, and the days you get with them become the part you would not trade back.
FAQ
How do I set up a kid-friendly workspace at home?
You should choose a workspace in a communal room rather than locking yourself away, so you can keep an eye on your children while working, use a visible sign or headphones to signal focus time, and arrange your desk and screen in a way that separates the play area from the work area.
How can I organize my working day when working remotely with children?
You should adopt a flexible timetable since you likely cannot work standard office hours, aim to start early before breakfast and reserve tasks not requiring interaction for times when children are asleep, and plan ahead so you match your family needs with your work calendar.
How do I include my children in my work timetable without losing productivity?
You should give them some quality attention first so they feel seen and then alternate between short focused work sessions and breaks to check on them, make sure they have engaging toys or activities so you reduce interruptions, and build more frequent shorter work blocks rather than one long session.
What can I do if I am the only adult at home and need to supervise children while working?
You can seek help from another adult if possible, arrange for a family member or partner to take over supervision for an hour, or if help is not available then develop your improvisation skills, set up creative activities for children in advance and firm boundaries ("no interruptions") during key calls.
How long does it take to adapt to working remotely with children at home?
You should allow time to adapt because remote working statistics show improved productivity and engagement but only after a period of adjustment; it’s important to communicate with your employer, set realistic expectations and gradually settle into a pattern that balances your work and family life.
