Since the coronavirus pandemic has made its appearance, around this world, life has suddenly taken a turn. Out of everything else, work and academics has started following a home-based-online pattern and working parents and children have seen a huge transition in their daily lives. In fact, the thin line between being working professionals and parents has suddenly disappeared.
Plus, balancing work meetings-deadlines as well as meeting the needs of the children, has become quite a challenge, thus almost leaving parents feel like pulled throughout the day.
However, sometimes, just a little perspective might help manage work from home and children in a much healthier way.
Read on to find out how:
Establishing A Routine Helps
If you have older children, by now they have got habituated to the virtual classrooms. Therefore, while you commit a time for your children every morning and encourage them to follow a routine to complete their work on their own, you make a list of your absolute-musts and to-dos ready along with an estimated time-frame to complete them without any interruption. Establishing a routine, indeed, will help in assisting your child once you’re free from your work. However, if you have younger children at home, sometimes, you might just take longer than your estimated time-frame. As younger children might be needing individual attention from you.
Creating Boundaries Can Be Intimidating
But it is equally important. After all, it’s overwhelming, if you would have to attend to your child, who’s might be crying for some snacks, while you’re trying to complete a spreadsheet or you might have to attend to a call or email from your boss, at the same time. So, allocate different times for both. If you have an older child, telling him or her not to disturb you, within that time-frame, unless it is urgent, is a good idea. On contrary, if your child is young, make your house more accessible for him or her, along with a nanny to be there to attend to him or her, all the time. In this way, you can also attend to your boss’ requests, calls, mails and meet your deadlines.
Setting Up an Office Space is Necessary
In-between fulfilling your needs for your child, and other family members, you might be certainly needing a quite space to work. In that case, try to figure out what works out best for you, and use that much only. You might, for instance, choose a corner of your house, pull out a dining chair for a desk chair, and clear off a counter to dedicate a space for your monitor or laptop, printer and a few cups of pens. In this kind of set up you can just close the door behind you, and work, while your children are also busy with their grandparents, nannies, games or studies. However, if you are constantly moving, and interacting, you can set up same space in your living room too.
Take Short Breaks Between Work, If Possible
May be only for 35 to 40 minutes. The whole idea is to give your mind a point of relaxation and let your children know that you are free for them, for some time. In fact, if you have a play corner or study corner set up for them, with their favourite toys or books, and colourful mats, you may very well go and spend some time playing or reading with your kids. This will also be a time, when you can prepare some wonderful snacks for your kids and for yourself and can have them together, while you interact with each other.
Divide Home Responsibilities Between You and Your Partner
Yes! Set specific goals for each corner of house and for the work that might be related to your kids. And have it discussed and sorted well in advance. Communicate these roles separately to your children so that, they know whom to approach for their requirement. This in a way will be an example of team work in front of your kids. Not only will they be happy, seeing their parents working together in the house, but they will also understand no work is gender-specific in the household.
Keep Your Expectations Real
While you’re working from home with your children in tow, not all days are going to be smooth. So, if you have made a few mistakes in your work, while attending to your child’s tantrums, remember, you’re not a superhuman. Neither are you a parent, who’s someone out of your favourite movie. So, no guilt trips.
At The End
Setting up a time-table and following it will surely make working from home and parenting easy, thus establishing a strong bond between both parents and children