Story by Kellie Gunderman

While working from home has become Covid-19's safest solution to keeping our families safe while still earning a living, we are all learning that it calls for a very tricky balance when it comes to parenting. These tips will help you reduce the pressure that you are experiencing while trying to juggle work and kids at home.

Wake up early or sleep late.

Have you considered sacrificing and maximizing your morning and late-night time to do most of your work? Focusing on your main tasks during this time, when the kids are asleep, can really increase your productivity.

Establish your workspace.

Kids are curious and want to explore your workspace, but selecting a room or dedicated desk that is just for you will help to minimize interruptions. Just be sure to avoid common area spaces like livingrooms or kitchens.

Make good use of day naps.

Kids, especially toddlers, are likely to take naps during the day. Nap time can free up time to get some serious work done. Feeling fatiqued from too much screen time? This can also be a great opportunitiy to rest your eyes and releax.

Have a working plan.

If you're not taking your remote work seriously or lack a strategy you may find that meeting your deadlines can be a challenging task with the kids around. Make a schedule, set daily goals and draft a plan on how to accomplish them. This simple schedule will help you to feel less guilty when it's time to work rather than play.

Set clear boundaries.

Let older, independent children know that they should not disturb you when you work. Teach themt to prepare lunches for themselves and younger siblings, as well as what situations constitute an emergency situation. This will help them reduce their dependence on you.

Give your kids a little quality time.

If you give your kids an interactive portion of your daytime, they will typially let you do your work peacefully. Try taking a short walk around the neighborhood, playing with your kids, before feeding them lunch or a snack.. This will also help you relax your mind before you get back to work.

Look for assistance.

Don't be afraid to ask for help or lean on a partne to help with the kids. This will help reduce your workload, improving the quality of your virtual work.

With the above tips, getting the most out of working from home is possible while still maintaining a great relationship with your kids.

Be sure to check out our Parenting + Virtual Work Survivial Kit!