How to Manage Working From Home and Parenting

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With more and more parents working from home, it’s never been so important for parents to know how to manage their time between working from home and their parenting roles. Both of these endeavors require a lot of time and dedication, especially when it comes to looking after young children, and the best way to make sure that you get these things right is by taking the proper steps to ensure that you’re doing what you need to be doing.

Establish a Routine

First off, when it comes to parenting, one of the most vital things to do is to establish a routine. This means that you’ll need to make sure that you have regular times when you get your kids up and have something to do together, or plan an activity that can keep your child entertained on their own. It also means that you have to make sure that you set aside a little time every day or night to go over what you’ve done, and you need to make sure that you go through this process of evaluation as often as you can. For instance, if you’re working from home, you need to set aside an hour or two every day for you and your kids to talk about what you did that day and what you plan on doing the next day, this will help you to make sure that your kids are receiving the attention that they need.

When it comes to working from home, you need to be able to set a schedule that is both flexible and effective. Even if you are able to break up your day by setting aside an hour for yourself to focus on work or an hour for you to take care of your responsibilities as a parent, you need to make sure that you are still able to maintain a regular schedule so that you don’t get stuck in a constant state of chaos.

Prioritize Your Tasks

Also, when it comes to working from home, you will need to make sure that you are keeping a few basic tasks handy. For instance, if you have certain tasks that are fairly simple and routine, these are often the easiest things to do while multi-tasking or keeping an eye on the kids. It also helps to make sure you have all the tools such as a laptop, tablet, or wireless office headset available to be ready to work. If you have software updates or any kind of downtime, use this to your advantage.

When it comes to parenting, one of the best tips that you can take is to keep track of everything that goes on within your household. If you have children, you’ll want to make sure that you can record what they are doing in any room in the house (or outside, for that matter). This will allow you to make sure that you are always prepared and know what they are up to at any given time.

Monitor Your Children

When it comes to working from home, you want to make sure that you have a way to make sure that your children are safe. For example, this includes a baby monitor if you have young children that are still taking naps during the day, or cameras set up so you can keep an eye on your children if they are playing in a room or in the yard unsupervised.

The last tip to managing working from home and parenting is to make sure that you are constantly thinking about what your schedule will be like for the coming days and weeks. You want to remember that there are going to be times when you have to deal with clients or participate in internal team meetings so you need to make sure that you are able to work those events into your routine as seamlessly as possible.

Making sure that you are following these tips can make a huge difference in how well you handle both of these endeavors. Make sure that you are using them today to help you handle the workload and to make sure that you are always ready to deal with the things that are going to come your way. Establishing a handle on working while parenting may seem daunting but once you establish a routine, you will find that you are more than capable of managing both of these roles.

 

Katie Gorden

Katie earned a BA in English from WWU and loves to write. She also adores hiking in redwood forests, photography, and a campfire surrounded by friends and family.

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