Working
from home with children
Working at home
is becoming more and more common lately. Women
are setting up home offices and keeping their
children home with them. This can be such a
benefit for both parent and child, but it also
has some disadvantages.
One of the primary disadvantages is the fact
that the children that are at home with are
most likely babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Children at each of these stages are generally
high maintenance. They need a lot of care, not
to mention the love that you want to give them
- the latter of which is probably one of the
reasons that you’re working at home to begin
with. The disadvantage in all of this is the
fact that while you are giving your child the
care and love that they deserve, your work is
not getting done.
There are ways
to give your children the time that they need,
and still get your work done. It takes planning,
preparation, and follow through. You need to
plan your days and organize yourself so that
you can stay on top of your workload, household
responsibilities, and family.
Babies
With babies, you have to work around them. They
need to be fed when they’re hungry, they need their
nappy changed when it’s messy, and they need tons
of love. You’re going to have to take advantage
of any nap time that your baby takes.
Keeping Baby Entertained
Babies are a lot easier to amuse then say a toddler/preschooler
but they still need a lot of time and love not
to mention things to keep them occupied.
Music soothes them, swings entertain them (as
long as you monitor them for safety), toys for
them to admire and reach for keep them busy, and
you can lay them on their tummy for a workout
while you sit next to them and get some work done.
Toddlers
Toddlers are into everything. They are known for
their “search and destroy” demeanour. If you do
try to work while your child this age is loose,
you must set limits and boundaries from the very
beginning with them. Have off-limits areas that
are vital to you, such as your computer, your
files, etc.
Keeping A Toddler
Entertained
Toddlers tend to copy what their parents do so
this will also include your work. He/she will
want your pens, want to play on your computer
and write all over your paperwork. Designate their
own pen and paper a long with their own little
desk to work at. Tell him/her that they have to
do some drawing for mammy to put on the wall,
fridge etc.. It’s very hard to keep a toddler
out of specific areas, so you really need to take
advantage of nap-time and bedtime with children
this age. Snacks and cartoons are a way to keep
them busy for short periods of time. You could
also invest in a good video, say their favourite
cartoon character. But try not to get in to the
habit of letting him/her watch to much TV.
Preschool Children
Preschool children are much easier to work around.
They might even be interested In seeing what you’re
working on. They can pull a chair up next to you,
and when they get bored they’ll go look through
their books and toys or watch a video. Children
this age will respect your off-limits areas and
items. To keep them involved, you can call their
colouring projects their “work” or you can give
them old check book registers to “balance”… Any
ideas like this will make them feel very important.
Get your creative mind thinking to let your little
ones have fun.
Always remember why you work at home. If we don’t
dedicate quality time with our children, we might
as well go back to the office. They would rather
only see you in the evenings than watch you stare
at a computer screen all day and holler when they
get in the way. They’re only young for so long,
and before you know it they’ll be in school all
day. That’s going to give you at least six hours
of uninterrupted work every day. Enjoy them while
they’re young, and remember that it doesn’t last.
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