The Best Work from Home with Kids Tips and Android Apps

The lockdown has turned a parent’s worst nightmare into reality – working two jobs at the same time. Work is hard in itself and adding kids to the mix blew everything out of proportions. What initially seemed like a unique opportunity to spend more time with children became a race to finish the Zoom meeting before the little ones besieged and broke open the living room door. Here is a list of work from home with kids’ tips.

The first step is an obvious one. As we all know, communication is an essential part of any job. In the light of that, your boss and the rest of your team should know that you are struggling not only to maintain the same productivity, but even to have stress free communication. Make ahead excuses for future video meetings that might be interrupted by your toddler crying or demanding attention. The new etiquette for business is that you warn your co-workers or clients not to be shocked if they see a toying flying for the camera or other foreseeable events.

Children are restless when they are bored and not given enough attention. If possible, try to have another family member over while you have crucial meetings or have important deadlines to meet. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, even neighbors can give you a big helping hand by dropping by and allowing you to focus on work only. Of course, that option is rather complicated given the guidelines on social distancing. Older kids who know their way around technology can participate in playdates with their peers.

A list of work from home with kids tips worth trying must include activities that can be engaging and don’t require your presence. They differ based on age, but all target the same thing – distract the child while you do the important stuff. Babies can be fooled into submission by naps, swings, bouncy chairs, new favorite toys. Even tv shows or music can work. Having a pet can also help free more of your time and attention. With toddlers, things get simpler. The amount of shows, online games, and educational apps out there is simply staggering. All you have to do is make a selection. Older children should be capable to grasp why mommy and daddy are stuck at their desk and should be good with minimum interaction every hour or so.

The “let kids be kids” strategy can also work. Instead on stressing yourself to maintain the appearance of professionalism, maybe it is time for people to be more real. There is probably a minority of bosses who would still keep a stiff upper lip if kids make their unannounced presence during a meeting. More laid-back employers could see this as a unique opportunity to get to know their employees better. As often said, “We are all in this together”, so it might just happen that parent from both sides share the same challenge.

Success in working from home is strictly dependent on building a schedule. Prioritizing task and activities will help you deal with this multi-tasking nightmare. Know to differentiate between what is urgent, what is important, and what is important. Employers should be able to tolerate some degree of flexibility for parents with children, allowing them to make up for lost hours in the evenings.

If you are not eager to sacrifice performance for being a responsive parent, setting some clear limits is very important. Kids learn by example and by being told. All it takes is a couple of days of enforcing the new rules, and things should be fine. Make sure to reward good behavior in order to make it stick and reward your children with your full attention after office hours.

Working from home with kids is complicated, especially because it never happened before. If you find yourself struggling and having a miserable time, maybe it is time to reach out for advice to someone that appears to navigate the period with ease. Be honest about what aspects you find more challenging and you might just end up with a lifesaving idea or tip.

Remember that trial and error is the right way to go for finding what works and what doesn’t. And don’t despair. We all have good days and bad days.