On New Normal: Here Are Ways To Work From Home When Your Kids Are Around

COVID-19 forces parents to work from home, and perhaps some struggle to remain productive when working remotely. Here are strategies that might help.

Many of those who are already used to work in an office environment have had to get used to working from home, trying to set up home offices as well as adapting to a very different setting during the coronavirus pandemic.

This implies that far too many working parents experience an impossible situation: working with children in their homes with no access to daycares, schools, child care workers, or even grandmothers who you could usually count on to get through a school vacation or a snow holiday.

So, what can you do to better avoid unpleasant things such as this from unfolding? This is not going to be easy or flawless; however, you can use a variety of strategies to get your new normal a little easier.

READ: Canceled Spring Break Plans? Here Are Staycation Ideas for You and Your Family

Things you could do while working from home

Make Use of Naptimes

Enjoy the benefits of naptime when working from home to continue to function. Erin O'Donnell, a mother of two and an online editor and writer in Milwaukee, who also makes the schedule of work-related phone conversations throughout her 20-month-old Jonas's naps, suggests that if your child rests for one hour or three, use this opportunity to complete tasks that involve your full concentration and attention.

Establish a routine

A creator of 40 Quick, Fun, and Easy Activities to Do at Home, as well as a parental blogger who goes by the name of "The Dad Lab," Sergei Urban, claims that your schedule does not have to be very refined.

Urban had this to say: "Just make sure you are adding plenty of free play and reading time. If you have a garden, make sure you take advantage of that and spend at least one hour there a day." 

Adults and children alike had flourished on routines; thus, it is essential that some kind of schedule is set for each day. Establishing a usual schedule will help you keep busy and control some of the pressure that this huge shift creates. Go and post a routine and attach this to the fridge or the walls so that it can be applied to by children during the day.

ALSO READ: Almost All U.S. Children Live in "Red Zones" According to CDC's School Reopening Guidance

Be honest with your boss

In order to watch your kids, you would need to implement changes to your working hours. Speak to your manager or HR before you do so.

By describing the situation, begin to start the conversation. Know that this is not only your personal problem. It is a problem that some also deal with. Express this argument politely in a straightforward manner by speaking the truth. It also is often important to promptly come into this form of discussion with a concrete plan of action, Muse career coach Melody Godfred states.

Have a designated workspace

Many parents do not have the choice of a separate room, but it can help improve efficiency and concentration for those who make a designated place to spend their busy day.

Parenting blogger Emma Conway had this to say: "We are lucky enough to have a space in our garage that is an office. So whilst one of us is with the children the other can go down their to focus on work." 

READ MORE: Almost All U.S. Children Live in "Red Zones" According to CDC's School Reopening Guidance