How to Work from Home with Kids: 4 Tips

Working from home may sound like a dream come true for those people who haven’t experienced it yet, and for the most part it truly can be fantastic. 

But like everything in life, there are aspects of working from home that you might not have thought about until actually do it. 

Sure, your commute time is zero, you have more time to spend with your family, and you can do all of your day’s work while wearing your favorite pajamas, although this isn’t a great idea if you don’t want your productivity to suffer. 

But if you think working from home means being far away from all distractions then you are in for a very rough awakening. 

Even if your chatty coworkers and other office distractions can’t get to your home office, there still are many other distractions fighting for your attention while working from home. 

Although pets rank high on the distraction list, they are nothing compared to working from home with kids. 

To help you navigate this tricky situation here are 4 tips for working from home with kids and making sure you stay on top of your home office game. 

4 Tips for Working from Home with Kids

The following tips provide strategies for maintaining focus, minimizing disruptions, communicating effectively with your employer, and avoiding burnout when working remotely with little ones at home.

1. Be flexible with your schedule

The best way to start is to accept that your schedule is going to be very different when working from home, this is because you will have to adapt to your kid’s activities. 

The first thing to do is to determine which meetings and scheduled events are set in stone and which can be rearranged a bit. 

Once you have this information you can plan your week around these activities. 

So for example you might want to get most of your focused work done very early in the morning or late in the evening when your kids are asleep. And take care of administrative tasks and attend (virtual) meetings throughout the day. 

A great way to make this easier for you is to hire a live receptionist service that can schedule appointments and take care of administrative tasks for you. 

2. Communicate with your Boss

Once you understand how your work day may be structured it is important that you communicate clearly with your boss, not just about your schedule but also about what your other responsibilities look like. 

This means telling them exactly what is on your plate so they know why you need to readjust your schedule while also reassuring them that you will stay committed to maintaining your excellent performance. 

3. Use visual cues to minimize interruptions

Designate a specific area as your work zone. Ideally this would be a separate room where you could close the door but any area in your house can work as long as you use visual cues that make your kids associate this area with a no-go zone. 

To help them with this you could ask them to make you a big “STOP” sign so you can hang it on your door or in your designated area. This will ensure that they know when it’s not ok to interrupt while making them more likely to comply because it is “their” sign. 

4. Take a break from your home office

It is very important that you avoid home office burnout by changing scenery at least once a week. The best way to do this is to get a desk at a coworking space to do some focused work or to rent a meeting room for a virtual meeting in a professional setting and without fear of interruptions. This will ensure that your home office experience stays fresh while your professional performance is as good as it can be. 

Find Your Rhythm

Working from home with children presents its own unique challenges, but with the right strategies, it can be an immensely rewarding experience.

The key is to have realistic expectations, get creative with your routines and workspaces, and not be too hard on yourself when things don't go perfectly. With some trial and error, you'll find the right rhythm for being productive professionally while still being present for precious family moments.

About Andrés Sanjose

Andrés Sanjose is a writer and editor based in Guatemala. He previously lived in Berlin for 10 years where he witnessed the birth and amazing evolution of the Virtual Office phenomenon, while working as a freelancer in the german capital. He is very interested in what the future holds for this exciting industry and loves to write about it.