The WFH Challenge

Tips for working from home with kids

Last week I challenged Joe D’Eramo, Writer/PR & Marketing Consultant at HiRoad Communications and author of My Home Office Hacks, to share his best WFH hacks for digital parents. This week, I return the volley in Part II of this crossover event, sharing mine.

Here are some WFH hacks we are using right now in our house with our tween aged kids.

Wearables

I work from my kitchen which is amazing from 9am until about 3:13pm when my kids come stampeding through the door with 1000 stories and a desperate need for snacks. I love my children very very much but they are very loud and somehow always in need of snacks. I could hide in another room (and sometimes I do!) but when it's possible I like to be in the mix. In order to be on hand in case someone needs homework help or a bandaid without ruining all the fun, I put on my noise canceling headphones. This way I can see them and they can be silly at a moderate noise level without me getting distracted.

Last year we gave our eldest kid a smartwatch. We consider this smartwatch a utility, not a toy, so it's very no frills. It allows our two kids to walk to school by themselves on mornings when the adults have early meetings or ride their bikes around the neighborhood after school. They get a little independence and we get a little more scheduling flexibility. It's been a real game changer for all parties involved. (click here for my review of smartwatches)

To Do Lists

On days when our kids don’t have school but we have to work, we set them up with a To Do List. We are trying to teach them independence so they have to figure out how and when to do things like read for an hour, exercise for 30 mins and complete specific chores. We really try not to hover or check up too much throughout the day. They tell us how they did at dinner. As long as they get through their lists, they have freedom for the rest of the day for playdates, bike rides, even video games or TV if that's what they choose.

One Final Thought

My final thought on digital parenting and working from home echoes Joe’s. You CAN put them in front of the tv in order to deal with something else. A meeting, a deadline, making dinner— sometimes you need them occupied and that's ok. Really. Parenting while Working from Home is hard. You’re doing great! 

BONUS WFH While Parenting Hack