With more people working from home than ever, many parents are asking the question, how can I stay productive? The age of your children will largely determine how much they will impact your work from home productivity. Older children can often dress and feed themselves, allowing you to get on with work for longer periods. Whereas, young children require far more attention.
Here are four fool-proof ways to maximize your productivity while working from home with children.
Make a Schedule
Making a schedule that you can stick to is arguably one of the most important steps to take when trying to balance working from home and engaging with your children. Within your schedule, try to prioritize strict working hours and set aside designated times for kids' activities.
For example, identify your lunch break and take time to engage in kids' activities that are fun and mentally stimulating. If you're struggling to think of activities, you could invest in a world map play mat or a kids teepee tent.
Prepare Lunches the Day Before
Another thing to consider is meal preparation. Making meals for yourself and your children can be a time-consuming task and will take valuable time out of your lunch break. To use your time efficiently, consider making lunches the night before so that when your lunch break comes around, you can take a well-earned rest and spend quality time with your children.
If you want to go a step further, you could even consider making breakfasts the night before. Overnight oats are a great option for pre-prepared breakfasts.
Make the Most of Nap Time
Working from home with children can be unpredictable. You never know when they might need you or your help, and even the most well-planned schedules can go awry. That's why making the most of your child's nap time is a great way to maximize your working productivity.
Once you know your child is sound asleep, you should be able to focus your mind entirely on work and really get stuff done.
Stay Active
Staying active is beneficial for you and your children, regardless of whether you're working from home. However, when trying to work from home with children, staying active is a great way to bond, release some endorphins, and help dispel some hyperactivity in the home.
Going for a walk or doing yoga as a family is not only a healthy bonding experience but will also help your children stay calm at home, allowing you to work efficiently.
These tips may help you strike a better work-life balance when working from home. However, striking that fine balance can be tricky, so remember not to be too hard on yourself.
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