With Britons being advised to stay at home for a week even if they have mild Coronavirus symptoms and many firms telling staff to work from home as a precautionary measure, Lizzie Catt, Parent Advisor at the bubble app, is sharing her tips on how to work from home (when the kids are there too).
“Set up a work area you can sneak off to, but accept that this will become the most fascinating part of your home.
Your children will want to touch every inch of it, steal your Sellotape, rub your blu tack into the carpet and make a den under your desk. Most work can be done on a slyly opened laptop while the kids are watching telly or playing.
Saving work for the evenings is great idea – in theory.
In practice, a day of work-parenting will have fried your brain by bath time. If your children still nap, it’s worth getting your head down too so you’re still functioning by 7.30pm and can get a couple of hours in if you need to. Establishing set times to work will probably end in tears (yours). Instead, wait til kids are occupied and crack on for as long as you can. If you live with a partner, however, scheduling set work times with them is really helpful. If they’re still going into the office, ask them to do mornings and/or come home early so you know you have a handful of guaranteed child-free hours. If your partner is working from home too, take turns.
Be honest with yourself and the people you work with.
Kids interrupt, need tummies topped up, bums wiped, cuddles, stories read to them, arguments umpired and constant attention… usually all of these things simultaneously about five seconds after you’ve got onto a conference call. Accepting that it’s going to be a juggle and making sure colleagues know that yep, you may need to step away from a call to wipe a tiny butt makes life way less stressful.
Enjoy your new temporary colleagues.
Working from home with kids is bonkers but there are many, many good points. Breaking off for a game of skittles or LEGO beats drifting around Boots during your lunch-break, you can eat umpteen fish fingers instead of claggy supermarket sandwiches, plus your children’s little faces and silly chat make a pleasant change from glum colleagues and office politics. Oh, and the commute is a dream…”
Working from home can be challenging for parents who have children at home too, who need to juggle work and childcare. You’ve read Lizzie’s tips but what are yours? Let us know by commenting down below or over on Facebook and Twitter @UKMumstv.