Have you found yourself suddenly working from home full time while trying to manage a full time day care, preschool, elementary, middle or high school (aka teaching your own children while also working, yikes!) aged child?
COVID-19 has definitely created a unique work-life-school reality for many families throughout the world. While we totally support social distancing so we can hopefully get back to “normal” sooner rather than later, we won’t pretend that there aren’t some unique challenges when school and work need to happen simultaneously…and in the same household! Guess what?? You’re in good company if this is you! Most of the BabyQuip community and the corporate team are also working from home while taking care of kiddos. We’ve gotten the scoop and compiled a list of helpful tips that may alleviate some of the challenges of working from home with kids!
Here are 14 strategies from our corporate team and QP community that may help you be parent, teacher, and employee all at the same time! Good luck!
1. The internet is your bestie!
We are fortunate enough to live during a pandemic with technology on our side. Sites like Zoom, YouTube and online educational platforms are definitely seeing a surge in users! They are great ways to entertain your kiddos so you can get some work done, while not necessarily just sitting them in front of a screen.
Juliana Elia, BabyQuip Quality Provider in Sacramento, is using technology to help teach and entertain her little ones: “Zoooooooom! Or things like it. So many online opportunities are arising to make connecting with others possible. My daughter is currently doing a Zoom meeting with her reading tutor. Her dance studio moved to offering all their classes online via YouTube. Tons of online educational sites are doing free courses or free trial periods. I’ll have one kid engaging in an online class, while I sit with the other and do math or writing.”
2. Use Zoom or FaceTime and hire grandparents or other family members to virtually babysit.
This tip comes from yours truly (Kaylee Garcia, BabyQuip Recruitment Manager). They say it takes a village…especially when working from home with kids. So now is the time to call your village and ask for them to virtually help! If you have an important call or video meeting, let grandma know to be available during that time. You can set up FaceTime or Zoom on your phone or other device so that your little assistant can read or sing with Grandma; and you can use your computer to do your video meeting or get some work done! Win, win for sure. Grandma will be delighted to help.
3. Flip flop spots with your partner when working from home with kids.
If both parents are now working from home with kids, consider “taking turns”. Maybe one parent is working from 9AM to 12PM while the other parent is with the kiddos. And then after lunch, swap!
4. Planning makes perfect.
If you are going to use the flip flop method above when working from home with kids, make sure you are reserving about 15 minutes of time each night to communicate with your partner about the next day. Maybe instead of 3 hours on and 3 hours off, you need a few specific hours throughout the day for conference calls. You’ll need to communicate clearly with your partner so everyone is on the same page. Regardless, connecting for 15 minutes the night before can help make the next day go a bit smoother!
5. Enlist the help of older siblings while working from home with kids.
If they complain, call it volunteer hours for school requirements! Sara Pereira, BabyQuip Quality Provider in Toronto, says “Have the older sibling help the younger sibling.” We recommend setting up some guidelines or an activity for the older sibling to monitor. Maybe you set up a playdoh station or drawing station that the little ones can do with the older kiddos. Take advantage of this time by getting a few work calls done or wrapping up a report for the day. If you get really desperate, you could offer some sort of payment to the older sibling—one extra hour of screen time, a few dollars, etc.
6. Eating and sleeping for the kids = work time for you!
If you can’t completely step away from the kiddos, try working while they are eating. We don’t recommend using this time for phone calls or meetings, but you could certainly send out a few emails or wrap up a project. If your toddler is strapped to their high chair and enjoying (or playing with) their breakfast, you can totally multitask and do a bit of work. For work that requires more focus or silence, utilize nap time. Let your boss or coworkers know when your kiddos take naps so they know when you’ll be available too! Need help with your child’s sleep schedule? Check out this article!
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- Boredom Busters: How to Keep Kids Successfully Occupied During Quarantine
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- Baby Gear Rental Services
7. Do you have bigger kids at home? Stick to a routine.
Our very own Director of Content & Marketing Communications, Jennifer Wold, is currently working from home with kids who are out of school due to COVID-19. She says, “Keeping a schedule with older kids and teens is key when you’re working from home. When my kids know exactly what is expected of them, the chores that need to be completed, and when it’s appropriate to play (or use their devices) the day goes so much smoother. Trust me, there are days that we get totally off track, especially during quarantine, but we do our best! I like using a chore app (Allowance & Chores Bot) that schedules and tracks what things need to be done each day of the week. I also highly suggest making your kids go outside every day. When they are old enough to be outdoors by themselves it doubles as fresh air and exercise for them and peace and quiet work time for you!”
8. Set up for work and play outside!
For most of us, the weather is warmer and Spring is here. This means, the outdoors can entertain and babysit your kids for you! Set up a table outside with your laptop, get an extension cord to connect to your charger, bring out some snacks and outdoor toys, and voila! You’re all set to work from home outside while your kids stay busy. If your older kids have distance learning to do, set up a table for them too. They can get some work done in the fresh outside air.
9. Flexibility is key when working from home with kids.
It’s important now, more than ever, to be as flexible as possible when working from home with kids. Do your best to stick to a schedule and have a routine; but if you need to mix things up a bit, do it. Nicole Kitzman, BabyQuip’s Director of Lead Gen & Community, is doing double duty with her twins home from school right now! Nicole shared with us what she’s doing to make it work: “I guess, honestly, I’d say flexibility; I have to understand that I need to be flexible and can’t expect the kids to work around my schedule. My work days last a lot longer because I have to take breaks throughout the day to make myself present for them. And impromptu dance parties are a must—one is about to happen now!” Dance parties are a must do for sure; it’s for P.E., we swear!
10. Have a secret stash of toys for desperate measures.
Do your little ones have a favorite toy right now? Are they dying for a certain something from Amazon? Perhaps you invest in a couple special toys that you break out for specific times when you really need to get some work done. Explain to them that they get to play with this special toy or they get to open this new toy because you need to work. Make it special and exciting! That should buy you at least 15 minutes. LOL.
11. Become an early riser or night owl if you have to!
Another option when working from home with kids is to start and finish your day earlier and/or later. We know this may make for a long day, but you may find you get a lot more done! When you work before the kids wake up or after they go to bed, you can schedule in lots of fun while they are awake. Even an hour or so earlier than they wake up could mean lots of productivity for you. Also, if you have a remote team, and some folks are working in different time zones, you may be able to schedule calls during this time too! At night, once they are in bed, get cozy on the couch and catch up on some simple things you didn’t get done during the day.
12. Working from home with kids requires taking breaks and having fun!
Step away from work and disconnect for a bit so you can do something fun with your little ones. This will make them feel engaged and more willing to let you do some work later on. Plus, we all need a little more fun while cooped up at home these days! Sarah Huff, BabyQuip’s Community & Customer Service Manager, is making sure to do this with her two boys: “Take a lot of breaks to spend actual time playing with them.” Not only will you feel energized after a quick walk around the block with them or a 15 minute bubble session outside, but they’ll appreciate the time with you and respect when you say it’s time for mommy or daddy to do a bit more work.
13. Stress less about screen time (for now).
We all know the rules about screen time and we all know it should be limited. But, we are not living under normal circumstances right now. So for now, stress less about the amount of screen time your kids are engaging in. If you have to throw a movie on in order to get an hour’s worth of work done, do it. If you have to give your tween their iPad for an hour to get on a conference call, do it. Forgive yourself and embrace the beauty of technology! PS: for older kiddos, put on a movie in a different language. Ta da! Now it’s language class!
14. When all else fails, snacks are the answer.
Snacks are a powerful tool. Negotiate quiet time with them. Use favorite snacks to keep your tiny humans busy for 15 minutes. Bribe an older kid to care for a younger kid in exchange for that delicious fruit roll up. However you use snacks as currency, just do it. Sarah Huff, who not only works for BQ corporate but is also a QP in Los Angeles, agrees: “So. Many. Snacks!”
Alright all you moms, dads, and caregivers (in the tone of Carol Baskins from Tiger King – it’s not a coronavirus article if that show isn’t mentioned, amiright?), we hope we’ve equipped you with some helpful tools to help you survive teaching and working and parenting through coronavirus. If there’s one thing to remember, this is not a “business as usual” situation. Show yourself and your kiddos some grace and patience. And if all else fails, dancing or food (or both) will usually help!
Have you found a strategy that has helped you when working from home with kids? WE WANT TO KNOW! After all, we really are all in this together. Comment below!
Kaylee Garcia is the mama to one sweet boy and one sweet girl, and wife to an awesome husband. Kaylee and her son (he’s only 4!) have completed over 20 trips via air travel (thank you, Alaska Airlines!) on over 40+ airplane rides! They love sharing travel tips with other families since they’ve learned a lot in the last 4 years. Kaylee enjoys spending time with family, researching baby gear, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Just found out my kids aren’t going back to school in the fall school will be remote only so I’m gonna have to take advantage of these tips now that I’ll be forced to work from home.
I love the idea of having grandparents Zoom-babysit for you!! Genius!
Be forgiving of yourself. Be flexible and don’t expect to be 100% productive in any part of your life.
I’m finding that my toddler just needs to be part of the action sometimes. I let her sit on my lap while I work for a few minutes several times a day. She then willingly goes to watch a show or play with toys after just those few minutes.
Definitely show yourself and your kids some grace and patience! This is such a crazy time. Thanks for the great article!
I have to tell you these are good things to try. I’ve done most of them and will try the ones I havent.
This is stressful for parents, but I wonder how stressful it is for kids or if there is science lookiing in to it. I bet they are deep down confused too and can feel our stress without us even sayting anything.
I love the tip on having grandma virtually babysit during important phone calls!
My husband works nights so he’s sleeping for most of my working day. I’m going to try some of these that don’t involve a spouse lol
awww this is so nice
This is a great list! I appreciate #2 as it was not on my radar…until now!
I’m literally working while they are eating as I type!
Love the Dance Parties!! We hit the Trolls sound track and we’re cutting those shapes!
Working during nap times are the best, 0 distractions! Think I’ll take the laptop outside while my little one plays, great tip.
It is so exhausting working from home. I’m trying to enjoy this once in a life time break from the real world but it is so hard sometimes!
We downloaded kids Facebook messenger. Myb5 year loves it. I control who she can call and she can pick from that list and answer calls on her tablet. This way she can stay in touch with school friends and family.
Nap time is critical for me to get any work done! My 2.5-yr-old is pretty wild, and my husband is working full-time from home whereas I only work part-time, so I get to ride herd on our tiny tornado most of the day.
This is a great list! I have a 14 year old, 3 year old, and 18 month old. The older sibling is such a great help, and we have never had this much quality time.
I feel so lucky during this crazy shelter in place thing. I’m a single mom and have a 10 year old son and a 2 year old daughter. My son has literally been my lifesaver keeping her occupied and happy while I work. Not sure what I would do otherwise.
Nap time is when my jam begins. My baby still takes 4 hour naps during hte day. I work during that time and then again at night when she goes down for the night. It’s not great for meetings but at least I get 8 horus of work done or close to it
Swapping places with your spouse is good. My husband doesn’t help at all, just works away in his ‘home’ office (the bedroom) while I work and take care of the kids. We are going to have a serious chat with this article in front of us! Cross your fingers for me. I have to get stuff done too…..sigh.
Totally agree to get outside whenever you can. The sun, even if it’s chilly outside does wonders for the soul.