Many people around the world have recently found themselves in a position where they need to work from home. Working from home can be great for a number of reasons including a lack of commute and getting to spend more time with your kids. Of course, working from home can also be tricky, when you have kids around the house.
In this article, we are going to offer parents who are working from home some tips. Use these tips to improve the way that you work this year.
Create A Home Office
One of the most important tips that we have for parents who are hoping to work from home is to create a home office. You need to have a separate space for your work and another for your personal life. It is important that you have adequate working conditions such as a comfortable chair, a desk and lots of space. If you don’t have a spare room, it might be time to do a clear out and put some of your things in a storage unit like those from Safestore. Having a separate home office will also help you to teach your kids that you are in work mode.
Keep Your Kids Busy
When you are working from home and your kids are around, you will need to make sure that you are keeping your kids busy. If you have a lot on your plate, then you might need to come up with some tasks that can keep them occupied for extended periods of time. Depending on their age, you might be able to leave them in the kitchen painting while you work in your office. Otherwise, you’ll need to get creative. Take a look online at some fun activities for your kids to do while you’re working.
Set Office Hours
If you’re home more than you usually are, you will possibly find that your kids want to spend more time with you. This is why our next tip is to make sure that you set office hours and let them know that you are not available to play with them during these. When setting your office hours, you should also make sure to set aside time for lunch and regular breaks, just like in the office. This will give you time to spend with your kids and be a parent.
Learn to Switch Off
Our final tip for those who are working from home as parents is to learn to switch off. When you have all of your work at home with you, it can be easy to work more than you usually would. You need to learn to switch off for the sake of your kids as well as yourself. Once your office hours are over, leave your computer in the home office. Don’t let yourself do overtime unless you need to, and this will help you to navigate this new arrangement that you have in place.
Use Our Tips
Now that you have heard some of our tips for working from home, make sure to put them into practice. It can be tricky to work from home for anyone, never mind those who have kids running around making a lot of noise. If you can, set up a home office and only work there during normal office hours. Learn to switch off and keep your kids occupied and this should help you to work productively. Hopefully, you’ll get used to all of this in no time at all.
Image Credits: CDC
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