As a WAHM, I am well aware that sometimes children can be tricky when combined with the whole working from home thing. However, there are 4 things I’ve found that can make the whole experience much better. Here are my top 4 tips for working at home with children:
1. Have an office. Whether you just partition off the back part of the family room, or whether you have your own room, it is important to have an office. This gets the idea across that you are working when you are in your office, and it creates a space for you that is your home office, rather than a mere part of your home.
2. Figure out a steady work schedule. I have a general work schedule. I work in the mornings. This schedule is pretty regular. This schedule not only keeps me sane, but it also helps my son — he knows exactly when I’ll be working, and when he might need to amuse himself.
3. Take a break to play with your kids. I’ve found that if I take 20 to 30 minutes to play with my son, he’s much happier for the next hour and a half to two hours. Before he gets to the pestering stage, I suggest that we play a game together or go for a walk together. That way he feels loved and attended to, and I have more peace to work with.
4. Train them in phone etiquette. I schedule my calls and interviews. If I need to interview someone, I explain to my son that I will be on the phone, and that he needs to wait until I am off. We shut the office door (which is usually open), and he plays by himself. If he has been very good while I am on the phone, I make sure to praise him.
Do you have any tips for working at home with children?
Great idea!
I like to use 12-14 year olds, since they are always happy for a little extra spending cash.
And, since you are right there, you can take care of any problems that might arise.
If your kids are young enough, bring in the occasional neighborhood teenager to hang out with them so they're occupied and not hanging on you.