Top tips for working from home with children, or supporting colleagues who are.
This week, the schools were due to start back for the summer term. Thanks to coronavirus, some of us are embracing something which we never dreamt of - balancing working from home with home schooling beyond the Easter holiday. The reality of working from home as a parent is that now, more than ever, we all need to embrace ever more flexible ways of working. For those of us that don’t have children, (or like me, have those of the four-legged variety) it’s important to recognise that we face this challenge alongside our colleagues as we adapt to accommodate and support each other through this unprecedented time.
Firstly, let’s not overlook that spending more time at home with your children has many positives! You have more time with them, and can take enjoyment from finding challenging things for them to do and be entertained by. But as we all embrace remote and virtual ways of connecting, how do you successfully look after small children while maintaining face-to-face liaison with work colleagues?
Aside from childcare and home schooling, you’ll need to balance being proactive and reactive in your role, and pre-empting issues before they happen in case you’re not available at short notice. This is where your team can play a key role.
Here are some top tips for making the most of this new way of working...
Make a plan
Your time management skills will truly be put to the test! It's a challenge balancing time effectively, so try to block time out of your day with designated hours for specific tasks. Try creating a schedule for you and your children to follow throughout the week and allocating time for playtime, learning and your availability for working. This may mean altering the hours you're ‘in the office’, but work this into your outlook calendar so your team can see when you’re contactable. Transparency and communication with your team are key.
Keep your children entertained while you try to work and don’t be too harsh on yourself for resorting to the ‘box’. BBC Bitesize is producing daily content while schools are closed, Josh Gad is reading bedtime stories to children via twitter, and Joe Wicks is streaming PE lessons into your home via YouTube. A few other suggestions include TedEd, small education Ted Talks for Kids, or Reading Eggs.
If you live in a two-parent household, discuss how you are going to manage both your workloads so that you can establish how to effectively run your working days while taking care of your children. For example, at the start of each week when you’re allocating childcare and home schooling, build in your work time and if you both need to be working aim to have activities that keep the children occupied for this time.
Empathy and understanding
All of us are facing unusual challenges, either facing complete isolation or having to live and work within the same four walls as partners, family members, siblings and children. This takes empathy and understanding on all our parts and we must accept that we will all work and play differently over the coming weeks. And this doesn’t just apply to working parents. Some of us having caring responsibilities for siblings or parents.
Make the most of nap time
If your children still take naps during the day, then see this as an opportunity of uninterrupted time to focus. Try to schedule your work round these times. Alternatively, nap time can also be a good opportunity to engage in some self-care during stressful periods, doing things such as meditation or mindfulness or getting outside for some fresh air.
Have a designated workspace
This is recommended for anyone with or without children. Having a designated workspace can help boost productivity and focus. Having this separate space allows you to transition between work and school or home 'minds'. Understandably, not everyone has this option, so if you can't keep your workspace to a dedicated area try finding somewhere away from communal family areas.
Honesty
Maintain honesty with your team, and most importantly, with yourself. It takes a while to establish a schedule that works so don’t be afraid to discuss this with your boss and team to let them know that you are keen to find a way for this to work for you all. Transparency is important for everyone. If you know you are not going to be able to take video calls at a certain time, make sure your colleagues know. One of the reasons the BBC interview where Professor Robert Kelly’s children crashed his teleconference was so popular was that it showed unexpected things can happen - and that's ok!
Focus on the positives
It can be easy for work to seep into home life and vice versa, so it’s important that you endeavor to master a work-life balance. It is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and fully enjoy the parenting experience as much as possible. Finding that balance can take time, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel that you're not performing at peak right now, or that your kids are watching too much tv!
We are living through extraordinary times and are all learning how best to adapt. The important thing is your mental health so stay positive and share an optimistic outlook with your colleagues and family.
This will be a challenging time but together we can do it!
We'd love to hear your best work-life balance tips or ideas, so do please share them in the comment section below.