13 Work At Home Mum Survival Strategies to Make Your Life Easier
Are you working from home with kids? Your house is probably a little bit chaotic, to say the least. While you can find moments of peace here and there, you don’t want to go out of your mind trying to deal with your household while also staying on top of workplace tasks.
You need a break. Here are 13 work-at-home mum survival strategies to get you through the pandemic without another headache.
1. Talk to your kids first.
If your kids are old enough to understand what “mummy’s working” means, you may want to quickly sit with them and explain your needs. Tell them they are a part of your team and you need them to help you stay focused by keeping interruptions to a minimum.
2. Make a home office.
If you don’t have a designated area for your workspace already, you need to do so. Having your own place to work that is separated from the rest of the home will work wonders.
3. Try to have a flexible schedule.
Some jobs have schedules that are very rigid. But others allow you to be more flexible in choosing when you work. Perhaps opt for a schedule where you can take some breaks to spend time with your kids.
4. Seriously, take a break.
Tired of not knowing how to work at home with children? You might not be able to. Take the rest of the day off and take your kids on a nice walk.
5. Get up early.
Your kids might not be early risers, so take advantage of this. Get up early and have at least a few hours of peace and quiet before the chaos breaks down.
6. Ask your friends and family for help.
You can’t do everything alone. It’s okay to ask for help every once in a while. Trust in your family member or neighbor to watch the kids for a few hours so you can work in peace.
7. Stay up late.
In contrast to getting up early, you could stay up long past your kids’ bedtimes so you can have more quiet hours of working.
8. Promise gifts for good behavior.
Working from home with kids means you’re going to have to compromise a little bit. Offer an incentive for good behavior. Promise your kids gifts if they can be good the whole day!
9. Prepare for the worst.
It’s bound to happen: your child throws a temper tantrum during a virtual video meeting. Go through drills so you know how to handle it if that does ever happen after you’ve gone live.
10. Create an activity schedule.
Give your kids a little bit of a routine to follow throughout the day so they are more inclined to behave. Give them activities and things to look forward to.
11. Give yourself plenty of time to finish projects.
Working from home is great, but there is always going to be some kind of distraction. You may find that it takes you longer to finish certain tasks, and that’s okay – give yourself all the time you need and more!
12. Rearrange your work area.
Your kids might be quiet, but only if they’re near you. Remember that they want to be near you. Set up your workspace so they can play close by while you still have space to focus on your work.
13. Hire a babysitter.
If you are at your wit’s end, you might benefit from hiring some help. Get a sitter who can provide entertainment and attention to your kids while you work.
Rock the Work-From-Home Schedule!
Being a work-from-home mum with kids is exhausting. There are plenty of ways to make the home more accommodating, but it can take a while to get your kids to settle down once it’s time for you to do work. With any luck, you can come up with a system that works wonders for both you and your little ones.
