Your guide to balancing parenthood with working from home. Check out these hot tips from parents on the Always Fresh team.
To all you working parents out there, we see you. Family is a gift, and we want you to thrive as a both a parent and a professional. When it comes to working remotely with kids at home, things can get tricky. We have a few working mama bears and papa bears over here at Always Fresh, and they’re basically superheroes. How do they do it? Today we’re talking about tips for working from home with kids, without losing your sanity…well, for the most part.
Juggling your job while parenting is no easy feat, but we’ve seen it done well. We hate to be that person- the one who shares unsolicited parenting advice, but we do have some tips we’re excited to share with you! Victoria, one of our fearless leaders and mother of six, jumps in with her experience as well. You’re in for a treat!
Open communication between your boss and team early on is super important. Talk about anything that may affect your responsibilities or coworkers, and figure out a solution together. Come to an understanding and set expectations. We realize it can be a little scary talking to your boss about personal stuff, but it’s totally worth it! Your colleagues will appreciate you taking them into consideration, and you’ll avoid unnecessary friction caused by lack of communication.
When it comes to maximizing efficiency and productivity, time blocking is a game-changer. Turn off notifications (you can set specific contacts as exceptions like your children’s school, caregiver’s, your partner, etc. to bypass “Do not disturb mode”), and work for 90 minutes at a time, uninterrupted. This will help you get more bang for your buck time-wise, so to speak.
Victoria’s method: “Protect your working hours. By having consistent, dedicated blocks of time that are protected for work or meetings, helps me stay organized and productive.”
Lock yourself in a room and throw away the key, Rapunzel. Just kidding, but it is really helpful to find a tucked away room where your kiddos can’t see you. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Set clear boundaries by letting your children and caregivers know when the door is shut or you’re in your designated home office, not to bother you.
You can even have a sticky note system to signal your availability. For example, a pink sticky note means you’re in a meeting; blue means heads down, please do not disturb; and yellow means come in if you need me, but I’m still on the clock.
Victoria’s approach: “Open Door/Closed door rule: If my office door is open that means I am working but available for visitors. If my door is closed that means that I am unable to have additional people in my office space.”
Hopefully, you’ve talked with your boss and come to an understanding of what your schedule looks like. If you have a flexible work schedule, you can be more available to your children when they’re home, choosing to work while they’re at school, napping, or when you have help.
If you work a traditional schedule or need to be online at specific times, create a schedule and post it for your family. Integrate your work and personal calendar to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. Having a routine will help your productivity and streamline your day. At Always Fresh, we have flexible schedules outside of meetings, and the lovely parents on our team sometimes choose to work at night when their kids are sleeping or on Sunday’s if they want to catch up on hours later.
Words of wisdom from Victoria: “Stay flexible! I try to be as flexible as possible when the kids are home and I've got to get work done. Sometimes this looks like working in the evenings versus the normal working hours. Sometimes it means utilizing PTO when we don't have a fun vacation planned. But I am grateful to have the flexibility to be a mom first every time.”
Make sure to have help when you need it. That may look like having a full-time nanny, grandparents or family support, day-care, carpool, or any of the other many creative solutions out there. You know the saying – “It takes a village”. There’s no shame in asking for help. We humans only have capacity for so much. If you try to take on too much, it can lead to stress and burnout. We don’t want that, do we? Try out different solutions until you find what works for you and your family.
Advice from Victoria: “Hire help. It is a financial sacrifice, but it gives me peace that the kids are well taken care of when I work.”
Accept that you may not get things done the same way you did before kids or when working at an office. There’s going to be a give and take, and you’ll likely need to drop some responsibilities to make it manageable. Maybe that’s subscription meal planning, having someone help clean the house, giving up a time-consuming task at work to someone who is willing and has the capacity. Take some days off to spend with your family, and bank a few personal days for when the unexpected comes up. Be intentional about where your time, energy, and money flows. Remember, there’s not a right or wrong way to go about it. If you feel like you’re dropping the ball, know you’re not the only one who has felt that. Try finding some parents in a similar position and create a community to lean on. Don’t be too hard on yourself- you’ve got this!
Victoria’s way: “For summer parenting and working I do a 'snack bowl'. Where I have a mixture of fun and healthy snacks that my kids can have without asking me for permission. With six kids and summer boredom, sometimes that turns into pantry surfing, and with inflation, no one wants to double up their normal amount of groceries! The snack bowl has been a great way to give them autonomy over their hunger, and protect my grocery bill!
Also, we do a 'check three' before they come to ask me to play video games. My kids know they need to read for a minimum of 45 minutes, do something to help our family (a chore, play with a sibling, or do yard work), and get creative (color, Legos, play outside, or write letters to friends) before asking for some gaming time.”
Everyone loves an encore, right? Well here’s a sneaky little tip for when you have a chaotic day at home and you just can’t deal. Head to a local coffee shop or nearby co-work space. We know- it’s not technically working from home, but sometimes you need a “work-cation”.
A cafe is a great affordable option, where you can hang out on your laptop without the kids running around like Mowgli. If you have meetings and need a quieter or more private space, a co-working option is ideal. They typically have day-passes and levels of access depending on your need and budget.
If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or feel like your company could use a helping hand with marketing or a Webflow website, Always Fresh would love to take something off your plate. We’re all about supporting our community and helping you crush your goals. Reach out and let’s chat!
