Parents often find it hard to juggle their job while also taking care of their young kids. For some it may be even more difficult for parents to balance work and kids during this pandemic, as a lot of parents are working from home and kids are doing school online from home. This is the daily reality that a significant number of parents now face. To balance work and take care of your kids during these changing times, follow these tips to balance work and kids at home. 

As a working parent, most likely you previously planned your work routines around home and family time, perhaps from 8 in the morning to 6 in the evening. If you choose to stick to your daily habits and keep working your regular business hours, you need to re-evaluate your work schedule. The normal schedule will likely involve combining greater flexibility for your usual work schedule and plans, in exchange for non-standard house chores and family time. To successfully make a flexible work schedule, you need to know your style and work preferences.

Plan a schedule for time you will do your daily work and take care of the kids. If you have a spouse or partner at home too, coordinate both of your schedules together and be sure that it is something you both agree on. It is important to create this schedule of events, as it provides you a realistic understanding of what needs to be done and is essential, versus what you may need to give up.

If you try to adapt to a different schedule each day, it may become more hectic and be hard to make this new work from home lifestyle go smoothly. But to have it already set in the first place, you will quickly realize how to share home duties and educational responsibilities, while also carving out home routines and personal time. It's crucial to have a family meeting and lay down what you think is vital for your family's health, schooling and work productivity. This meeting can help to identify workload-sharing plans.

It may also be helpful to try different work schedules for a week at a time and then meet as a family to discuss what tips to balance work and the kids at home worked well, and what could be improved on. If things aren’t running as smoothly as you would like, try to swap activity times or roles twice a week or every other day.

Once you have laid down your plan, try to communicate with colleagues to ensure they are supportive and know what times you will be available for your normal work communications, zoom meetings, or when you will be returning emails. If your coworkers know what to expect, the transition will be smoother since they will not be “waiting” to hear back from you.

Another tip to balance work and kids at home is to have a work area set up in an office or in a quiet area of the house away from others. Some research suggests that you will feel less stressed when working from home if you have a dedicated work area. Working at home in a separate workspace will help you mentally and physically separate roles and boundaries. Consider investing in an excellent noise-canceling headset and an ergonomically designed table and chair. While you work at home with younger kids, you may want to place a boundary, such as a bookshelf or a room divider, so you can still monitor their actions.

It's also a good idea to install small traffic-light signs to remind your kids when they can and cannot go near your area. You can also use alarms to give you 10-minute reminders before you need to switch from work to parenting. Before you leave your workplace, write a note on what you will do when you come back. It will help you avoid thinking over those incomplete tasks as you transition into your next job in the role of parent.

If you want to aid your mental well-being and efficiency, seek help from friends and virtual resources. You, your partner, and your children may need social stimulation beyond each other. Arrange a video chat to organize virtual playtimes. Try to contact the parents of your children's classmates to help build a community. A parent doing a video music class or a virtual art class can help free up precious time for you and give you a few minutes to do something else.

As a working parent to young children, don't forget to take care of yourself and allow some time to unwind and relax. It is an excellent time to shed the guilt and be generous to yourself. Don't allow yourself to be beaten up with mistakes and missed targets.

When you work at home during this pandemic, you need to find a rhythm that works for you, your partner, your colleagues, and the young kids at home. Follow these tips to help balance work and kids at home. 

If you are working from home, supervising your kids’ online schooling, and you live in the Branson area, call Thousand Hills Realty at 417-337-8081 and let us help you find a larger Branson, Missouri, apartment or home to help you balance your work and kids from home.