OK, so you’re now working from home. It’s amazing and the responsible thing to do — except for the fact that your partner and kids are there too. Whether you’ve got a big living space or not, when you’re trying to work from home, no space is big enough when you’re not alone. Truth is, it’s hard enough to be a productive mom — what with all the snacks needed and missing shoes to be found. Add into that, mom has deadlines and a real work schedule to complete, and it’s a recipe for completely losing one’s mind.
I’ve spent almost my entire professional career working from home, so I’ve had to figure out how to get my work done when my kids and husband are in my space. It’s not just that they’re in my space, it’s that they seem to have endless needs and wants that they’ve decided can only be fulfilled by me.
So, in effort not to totally lose my mind, I’ve figured out a few hacks to get me through my at-home workday without losing my mind. Feel free to print, laminate, write it on your hand, and adopt any or all of these hacks to help you work from home when the family’s in your space.
Make a schedule
No, not for you. Make a schedule for the family. This let’s them know what they can expect from their day and what you expect from their day. It also may save you from getting asked the same question 200 times.
Don’t be afraid to throw screen-time rules out the window
Girl, it’s great that you’ve raised your kids with less screen time than Laura Ingalls Wilder, but when it comes to protecting your workday, make the iPad your best friend. Seriously, your kid will still go to college and be the genius that they are, but you’ll also get more work done if your little one is nestled in with Paw Patrol while you take that call or finish that project.
Make your office/desk area a safe space (for you)
Even if you don’t have walls around your desk or workspace, that doesn’t mean the space can’t be protected as sacred. Let the fam know that when you’re working or on a call, your area is quiet. That means they don’t scream “Mom!” at you from across the house or sit within earshot of you while blasting their favorite YouTube channel.
Snack boards are your new BFF
No scientist can figure out why children are only hungry when their mothers are busy, but it happens to all of us. So, bring out a large platter or board, fill it with a wide variety of non-perishable healthy snacks, easy-to-take tidbits, and a few treats for fun. It can sit out for hours and save you a few rounds of “Mom, I’m hungry!” that totally destroy a gal’s workday. Oh, and since snack boards also mean no dishes, you’re saving the time of washing those endless rounds of snack plates that the kids leave all around the house.
Don't forget: Dad is a parent, too
Just because the house is technically your domain doesn’t mean you have to be the only adult making food, entertaining kids, helping with Netflix passwords, and overall parenting during the workday. So, if you’ve got work to do, don’t feel guilty telling the kids to ask their father. Don’t be afraid to remind dad that he’s on duty, too. He may be working from home, but so are you.
Do what you have to do
This means hide in the bathroom for some alone time if needed. The real problem with everyone being home while you’re working from home is … they’re always there. The minute you get done with work , the kids want your full attention, leaving you no time to do something other than work and parent. So, if you have to hide in the bathroom, sneak a snack in the laundry room or seek refuge in your closet, do it. And don’t feel guilty about it one bit!
Prioritize your own work
To be honest, dads do it all the time. They prioritize their work and let kids be bored, hungry, or moderately annoyed all the time. We moms tend to have a harder time putting our work ahead of the kids. But when the kids are home during a full workday — and then some — prioritizing your work is a good skill to practice. It’ll save you being up all night finishing that project you didn’t get to because one of the kids needed your undivided attention during the workday.
You can get a lot more done if you put AirPods in your ears
Don’t tell my family, but I’ve been known to wear AirPods and not turn them on — just so my family thinks I can’t hear them. Earbuds/headphones make me seem a little less available, so I can focus on the work that pays for all those toys they keep asking me to buy.
Give the family some of your chores — even when they groan
Of course, it would be nice if mom weren’t the default housekeeper, organizer, and chef, but in most households, mom is the CEO of all things. With everyone in your workday space, it can be challenging to also fold laundry, pick up those socks left around the house, and make the beds. But, truthfully, unless you have a toddler, your family is fully capable of pitching in on chores. There’s no reason why you should have to do it all, when you’re also trying to take care of business.
So, even though the thought of the whole family being under one roof during the workday is enough to drive a mom to stress eat and grind her teeth down to sandstone, it doesn’t have to be all that bad. Just get organized and take care of yourself and your work first. Your family will be just fine. And, if they’re not, they’ve always got dad on hand to pick up the slack.
