It never fails. You head to your laptop with coffee in hand ready to tackle your work for the day. You're in your zone, working away and all of a sudden you hear "poop-ie!". Then, you turn around to see your other toddler has taken all of her clothes off and is opening and closing the tabs on her diaper as if she's catching a breeze. Welcome to working at home with small children.
Remote work is awesome. It allows you the freedom to spend more time with your family and your days are more flexible than they would be if you had to sit at a desk for 8 hours or whatever you were required to do at the onsite job you used to have. Some people choose to avoid daycare and babysitter costs so they work in between caring for kids and taking care of the house. If you've had to do it, you know this is no small task. Here are some things you can do to ensure you get your work finished in peace.
Introduce them to something new: Often times, small children are easily distracted by the introduction of a new coloring book, DIY project, interactive TV program, or a toy they forgot they had.
Make work time for you, family time for them: When you have something that requires focus, schedule a call with your child's grandparents, aunts and uncles, or cousins. Family members will be happy to have a conversation with the little ones leaving you a nice chunk of time to get work done.
Give them chores: Even small children love to help around the house. When you need to work on tasks you're being paid to do, this is the perfect time to have them pitch in. This will keep them busy for quite some time. Some things my kids love to do are sort laundry, sweep, and organize their toys.
Let them work on puzzles: This will keep them engaged and could take hours. Thank me later.
Teach them a card game: One of my favorite card games growing up was War. I've been involved in games of War that took what seemed like an hour. Any card game will do though, and no one ever plays just one round. Your kiddos will be entertained for a while.
Get their creative juices flowing: Encourage your child to come up with a surprise for you. Give them a few clues(ex: something made out of paper that's red with circles and can be worn on your wrist, or something along those lines). Your kid will certainly be up for the challenge and this will require planning and execution, giving you plenty of time for work.
Change the scenery: It's important to get fresh air regularly so take advantage when weather permits. Try working at a park, family fun center, or community pool. You'll be able to sit back and work while they have a fun day out.
So, there are several ways we can have some distraction free time dedicated to work. There won't ever be a perfect system but we can create opportunities to be more productive during the day. You'll get more sleep, be less stressed, and become more efficient. Distractions will happen and kids will be kids but you've got a plan in place so all is well. Keep rockin' it as a kick ass mompreneur!
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