Tips for Working from Home with Toddlers – Top 10 Tips to Balance Parenthood with Working from Home
I am sure you have seen internet photos of a work-from-home parent working with a toddler on their lap. How cool, you must have thought. But that remains that, just photos. You know downright that working from home is not that simple for parents.
It is not uncommon for babies to cry for attention when you are trying to chase a tight deadline. In short, either your babies or the work may suffer some neglect.
But that’s the last thing you want. You want your babies to get all the care and attention, and you sure want to maximize your productivity at work.
So, we are in a dilemma right here. The toddlers or work? In this article, we discuss helpful tips for working from home with toddlers while maintaining productivity.
If you are a work-from-home parent who has been struggling to balance the two, here are my favorite tips for Working from Home with toddlers to help you balance your life.
Now, let’s get down to the top 10 tips for working from home with toddlers? Right away.
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Uncomplicated Tips For Working From Home With Toddlers
# Focus On Productivity
If your work is flexible, it would be best to focus on productivity. If the job is flexible, focus on the quality of the work and not the quantity.
Focus on giving your best on whatever you set your hands on. This way, your kids will get the attention and care they need without compromising your work quality.
Alternatively, focus on getting more done in a short time. You don’t have to work for 8 hours a day; this is not corporate. Even in a corporate setting, the work done in 8 hours can be done in six hours and sometimes less; you know that already.
To keep your work happy and your kids happier, focus more on quality and productivity.
# Take Advantage Of Naptime
This is one of my top-on-list tips for working from home with toddlers. When your toddlers go to bed or during their naptime, don’t go napping too. This is the time to go strong on your work.
If you have crucial calls to make, schedule the calls around your babies’ bedtime. If you have something delicate that requires total concentration, take advantage of naptime; you don’t know when next you will have such a serene moment.
# Work In Small Chunks
With toddlers, you can’t afford to sit and work for three hours straight unless you have someone watching over them. Even with this, toddlers will always pop up in your workspace and try to get involved in your work.
So, do not schedule a three-hour work session and wait for it to happen. You will end up disappointed and behind your schedule. For every few minutes, you get, squeeze in some work. Little progress will eventually add up.
When they have a short nap, take advantage. When they are hooked on Spongebob for 10 minutes, squeeze in some work. By the end of the day, the small chunks will add up, and you may even end up doing much more than you had planned
Also Read; 35 Working Mom Quotes For When You Need A Lift-Me-Up
# Offer Your Kids Lots of Distractions
Keeping your kids busy will give you time to go strong on your work. Have them play with their favorite toys as you work. This may give you some minutes to hours of undistracted work time.
If they have a favorite cartoon to watch, use it as a distractor.
Also, kids lose interest quite quickly. You may want to have several activities planned. Switch between the activities to keep them engaged for longer.
They can start with their favorite games, toys, and then their favorite show. This will prevent quicker burnout, which is what you want.
A lot of kids now enjoy games on their tablets. You can have them engaged on their tablet, on their small desk opposite yours. Having them busy opposite you is a perfect multi-tasking hack; you can watch them easily you work.
Brilliant Tips for Working from Home with Toddlers
# Find Help The Kids
Sometimes, working from home with kids can become overwhelming. Seeking help can be the right direction. You can have someone to watch over the kids as you work.
You can work out a schedule with your spouse. As you work, they can watch over the kids and have a change after an hour or two. If this is not an option for you, consider seeking help from outside.
You can hire a full-time nanny and have them watch the kids as you work. But, this can turn out to be ridiculously expensive.
To save on such costs, you can have your nanny come over; watch the kids for, let’s say, 3 or 5 hours per day. Paying them hourly can save you lots of money.
You can also organize playdates with kids whose parents you trust in the neighborhood. If you know other work-from-home parents, you can alternate watching the kids; this may work excellently for both families.
If you have a relative or friend who is willing to go out with them on the weekend, take advantage of that and work.
# Wake Up Earlier
The best way to work from home with kids is to take advantage of when they are not active.
Wake up earlier than your regular wake time. An hour or two before your regular toddlers’ wake-up time will save you some time.
Tip: Create a priority list. Use these two hours to work on your most significant and most important programs. You will love how serene it is when you wake up earlier than everybody to work.
You can spare some minutes in these extra hours to plan for the rest of the day.
The other alternative would be to stay up late if you are not exhausted from the day.
# Plan For The Day
If you take, let’s say, 30 minutes before bed or immediately after bed to prepare for your day, things will run out more smoothly than you thought.
You can cook your children’s meals in the morning, and warm them when needed. With the extra time you get during the day, you want to squeeze in some work and not cook for the babies.
Also, plan for all the kid’s activities before the start of the day. To keep them engaged, you need to have several activities lined up for the day. It will save you time during the day.
Also, I have seen parents save some homework for when they are working. For instance, for the weekend, don’t let them complete their homework on Friday evening.
You can divide the work, and let them work on it as you work. This is a super hack for the holiday homework too.
Also Check Out: 50 Incredible Productivity Quotes To Help You Face Life’s Obstacle Head On
# Give Your Child Undivided Attention
If a child wants your attention, they most probably won’t stop until they get it.
The secret is straightforward, give it to them entirely, and they will give you your time too. If they want to see what you are doing on your computer, show it to them.
If they want you to join them in their games, log off, get on the floor, and play. Chances are, they too will want some alone time after.
If you brush them off when they are craving your attention, they become more persistent.
# Get Better With Screen Time
No, nobody is saying your kids should sit in front of a TV screen all day. We all know how destructive too much screen time can be. And no, nobody is trying to say your kids should roam the internet all day.
We are trying to say that screen time can be both helpful to the kids and your work-from-home schedule. There are a lot of educational websites and apps your kids could use for their development.
And the good thing is, most of these sites make their content interesting and engaging for the kids. The kids will stay glued for a lengthy period.
The kid’s show on Netflix has got to be something all work from home parents are grateful for. Thanks, Netflix.
Careful, though, screen time can never replace real human attention. You already know not to use them as a babysitter. Plan a specific time for the screen, and as they watch, work
# Go Big On Positive Reinforcement
First, to use positive reinforcement, you need to set realistic boundaries for your work. For instance, the kids cannot destruct you when you are on a phone call.
If they destruct you, you don’t punish them. You repeat and reinforce the rules. But if they don’t destruct you during essential phone calls, they receive an award.
They may get their favorite snacks or time on their play tablet.
It is simple as that; they have to learn to associate good behavior with a reward. This way, they will grant you ample time to work.
If they are old enough, make them understand why they need to behave well as your work. Make it simple as mummy or daddy needs to work to get money to buys us food.
However, if the kids keep overstepping the boundaries, a punishment may help get you on level ground. But, a focus on the positive side often bores more fruit.
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What’re Your Favorite Tips For Working From Home With Toddlers?
What’re your favorite tips for working from home with toddlers? Did you love these tips?
Any work-from-home parent will tell you that any photo of a parent sitting on a kitchen counter with a laptop and a kid claiming to be working is just a photoshoot. The reality is tricky.
And parents end up not working at all. Taking care of your kids can be exhausting. By the time they take their nap, you may be too exhausted and in need of a nap too.
The tricks above will help you juggle between taking care of your kids and working from home effectively. If you don’t want to let any of the sides down, be sure to incorporate the tips above.
That’s a wrap for today. Do you know any tips that we could add to our list? Are you a work-from-home parent with toddlers? What worked for you and what did not? I would love to hear all about it in the comment box below.
