Home Solutions for Balancing Work and Parenting

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Updated on December 14th, 2020

If you thought never in a million years you’d be sharing your office space with your children, think again. The spread of COVID-19 is forcing parents to work from home while helping their oldest manage remote school and coordinating who has diaper duty for the youngest.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the around-the-clock attention your kids demand and the never-ending emails, you’re not alone. Parents all over the country, from New York to Portland, are feeling the same struggle. We’ve gathered tips to help you find creative home solutions for working from home and parenting, so you can make life a little more simple.

Family cooking together in the kitchen

Establish your home office space

Let your little ones be “mini me’s”

If you have little ones underfoot while you are working from home, try to keep them busy while you are capitalizing on their imagination. Let them help using child-sized props if you are doing chores. If you are in Zoom meeting, furnish them with a pretend computer made from a box and let them pretend to have a meeting too. – Child Care Lounge

Embrace being a parent

One of the first things I realized was the importance of embracing being a parent. I tell my clients in advance if my children are likely to be making some noise in the background so that they’re not surprised by the sounds. Most of the time they appreciate not only the warning but also the personalization of the experience of working with us. It doesn’t feel like we’re a faceless, robotic company. Instead, it feels like we’re people like they are. – Great Leap Studios

Set clear boundaries

First, get rid of the expectation you are going to master working from home and parenting. Instead, set realistic boundaries. For example, when the bedroom door is closed, this means your littles cannot disturb you unless it’s an emergency. Set aside a few snacks and a lunch for your child so they are not tempted to eat throughout the day. Be kind to yourself, laugh about the funny things, and accept you cannot master or control the current situation that we are all in. – Kiddie Up Nannies

Incorporate visual cues for quiet time

Have a designated workspace and set clear boundaries and expectations for your children so they know what to expect and what is appropriate behavior while you are working. Fun visual cues can be helpful when you need quiet time. We find the Red light/Green light signs to work well. Red light when you need quiet time and a green light when interruptions are okay. If possible hire a babysitter or nanny to assist with the children even if for a couple of hours a day or week so you can really focus on work. – The Nanny Joynt

Home solutions for managing work from home and parenting

Create a successful learning environment

Adjust your expectations

Know your child’s learning style. Are they an auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learner? Setup your environment according to your child’s learning style. Children cannot sit for long periods of time doing work on a screen. Take frequent breaks for playtime and they will get more accomplished. Play is how children explore and learn about the world around them and how they acquire the skills to live in the world. – Alpha’s Discovery Club

Avoid boredom with activities and snacks

We quickly discovered the key to eliminating disruptions and staying on task revolved around keeping kids out of our offices and engaged in their own activities. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is to give children the ability to choose their own activities. They are bound to get bored during the day, right? A predetermined list of activities or snacks they can choose from anytime during the day will help keep them preoccupied while also giving them a sense of independence.  – Jackrabbit Technologies

Find distractions for the children through online courses

Make sure your children feel entertained and educated enough throughout the day with online schooling, online tutoring, and entertainment with online classes. Plan moments where it’s only you and your children and moments where the children know that it’s your moment to work. – The Nanny Line

Student attending online classes from her dining table at home

Home solutions to balance parenting and work

Find a space to breathe

Closets are great spaces for cozy conference calls. Bathrooms are a parent’s oasis for an impromptu 15-minute spa retreat. Kids’ tents can double as a hideaway to watch that last 15 minutes of Million Dollar Listing and dream. – Bundle Benefits

Hire a babysitter or nanny

Consider hiring a nanny to come and care for your children while you work. The beauty of hiring a nanny is that you’re able to hire someone who follows your parenting style in the safety of your own home. Can’t afford a professional nanny? Hire a college student majoring in education who is currently taking online classes. – Sabrina N. Jenkins, Founder of Elite Nannies of Nashville

Make time for you

To parents who are feeling overwhelmed with working from home, distance learning, and childcare- nobody can do it all, and that’s ok! Remember to schedule time for self-care so you can recharge and mitigate stress. Ask for help if you need it, because we are all in this together. – Nanny Parent Connection

Give quality attention to work and your kids

Luckily, my children are old enough to entertain themselves for small amounts of time now. So I find we are most efficient when we do everything intentionally. If it’s time for meals, snacks, or school work, I make sure to dedicate time to that. I don’t try to blend the children’s activities with work. This way, when I do sit down to work, the kids’ needs have been met and they know to interrupt me as little as possible. If they get sufficient and quality attention from me, they are more respectful of my time when I am working. – Hello Sitter

Plan ahead for each day

Structure, consistency, and clear expectations are critical for navigating times when both parents and children have complex schedules and needs. One helpful strategy is to print out your own and your child’s daily schedules, identify the likely bottlenecks and tension points, and preview the master schedule the day before. Previewing gives you all the chance to share your expectations and worries, visualize challenging transitions, find opportunities to spend time together, and agree upon plans for making everyone’s day a success. – Mommyhood101

Consider building a boredom box

Try finding your most productive times of the day and have your partner do the same. Make 2 to 3-hour shifts that work best for each of you, while taking into account your kids’ school hours to ensure they are covered by the appropriate parent for that subject or concern. Build a boredom box and fill it with fun, safe activities for the kids including stickers, paint, crayons, some books, bubble blowers, puzzles,  pipe cleaners, and chalk. You can even have a rewards system with a treat box. – Parenting in Real Life

Baby and mom hugging

Make time for family

Coordinate with your partner

From a working mother’s perspective, get your partner involved as much as possible. Try to tag-team the childcare and household chores. Plan the day ahead the night before with your partner. Designate who will do drop off, pick up, and who will manage bath time. Coordinate who is running to pick up groceries, and who needs to take a work call. Take 5-10 minutes to schedule out the day ahead eases stress and prevents resentment towards your partner, and still makes you feel you are killing it at work! – Bell Family Company

We’re all in this together

Let go of the image you see on the screen. Right now, everyone is on video calls and in every meeting, you are seeing only the window of their lives that they want you to see. We tend to look at this small window and think they have it all together. The reality is that they have either pushed all the “mess” (emotionally and physically) to the side or that they have a lot of help to accomplish that image. There is no shame in hiring someone to help ease your stress. A professional nanny can help support your children through virtual, hybrid, or in-person school as well as keep the household running smoothly. – International Nanny Association

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Parents working at home right now are experiencing a new level of normal. It is a daily struggle, balancing giving your kids what they need emotionally and academically, and giving your career the attention and time it requires. We work with families to provide not only safe and reliable, in-home childcare, but a resource in private education support. These are unprecedented times where both families and companies are looking for ways to incorporate solutions at home. We like to believe we are part of the solution. – Stacie Steelman, CEO and founder of Crunch Care, Executive Board Member of the International Nanny Association

Julia is a part of the content marketing team and enjoys writing about real estate and design trends. Her dream home be a charming beachside home with lots of light.
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