5 effective ways you can be productive working from home with your kids
Remember the times you wished you could work from home and not have to show up at the office? Well, it seems like we’ll be having a lot more days to work from home than we may have perceived, owing to the current Covid-19 situation.
One of the advantages of working from home, is the Zen you get before jumping into your days’ work. You’re more relaxed, invigorated, and have the option of taking tasks as they come, and while at it, assign time to tasks you hope to finish off!
Imagine the focus and attention you’re able to render without distractions from your colleagues. But, this is a luxury you can only afford if you live alone, or imbibe a high level of discipline at home; which means family members know that you’re unavailable at certain times of the day. Your KIDS particularly.
I’ve identified 5 ways you can be productive working from home, even if your kids may butt in occasionally to disturb.
Hire a part-time nanny
If you live with family members, you may have the option of having them help you look after the kids for a few hours. That means feeding, playtime, and maybe launch. But if you’re a single parent, and you don’t live with a relative or perhaps you’re a small family with no brother or sister living with you, hiring a part-time nanny will help you get some worries off your shoulder. It’ll give you enough time to focus on work, without distractions, and be very productive.
Have a work structure
Having a work structure is like the chilled bottle of Coca-Cola you take on a sunny day, that leaves you feeling refreshed. It organizes your workflow and makes visible any loophole that could hamper your productivity.
Your work structure should include when you start and finish work for the day, a WhatsApp number that team members can leave messages in cases of emergency, response time to customers who may want to make inquiries about specific products and services, longest wait time for documents you need to create, etc. A clearly defined work structure, helps you work like a professional.
Set Guidelines
It’s very important to set internal and external guidelines as you work from home, so that family members understand how to comport themselves around the house when you’re working. Helping your team members understand your working conditions will also help you achieve some level of productivity as well.
Share your schedule with your caregiver
More important than creating a work schedule, is having your caregiver know what times you are available and what times you’re NOT. If your wife, husband, or nanny is your caregiver, it's crucial to share your schedule with them, so they have your work itinerary handy. Having a conversation about this works too, but it'll help if you print out a handy copy. That way, they familiarize themselves with your schedule, and keep it at the top of their minds.
Take breaks from work to play with your kids
Children love to play all the time. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to periodically take a break from work to play with the kids, so they can feel your presence, since they’re trying to adjust to the idea that you can’t be disturbed.
Playing games, singing a little, or even coloring with them can add some spark to their day and lighten your stress.
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