Life, as of Late

Thanks to Covid, remote work is here to stay for many. Since 2022, I began working from home full-time, shortly after the birth of my second child. I’ve now been a work from home Mom of 3 for 2.5 years. In this time, I’ve tried and perfect numerous methods for boosting productivity and maintaining a healthy work life balance. Here are a few strategies you can implement today –

1. Create and Stick to a Schedule

Working from home with kids is essentially like working two full-time jobs simultaneously. In order to manage your workload and perform well on the clock, it’s best to maintain a schedule for you and your children to adhere to. Children thrive off of routine, and I like to believe we, as adults, do also.

Craft your schedule to account for yours and your children’s needs. Factor in your daily work hours and breaks, as well as your children’s wake hours (depending on their age). I try to include set times for play, reading, naps, and snacks.

When planning for the week ahead, if I’m anticipating to be in meetings or on calls for a specific time period, I occasionally utilize our TV for reprieve. Knowing this ahead of time, I’m able to set a limit for overall screen time for the week, and base it around the blocks of time I’ll need focus and quiet.

With schedules, I’ve found that you’ll have more success if you’re consistent and you and your little ones become accustomed to your daily routines.

2. Try to Get Outside Every Day

Spending some time outside of the house can improve your mental health drastically if you’re working remotely, especially full-time. To manage your stress, it can be beneficial to go outside at least once a day. This has been proven to be helpful for my kids as well, who can quickly, and understandably, become restless from the long hours indoors.

Utilize any breaks you have for work to accomplish this, or schedule some time before or after work to do so. I like to take my kids for a brief walk around the block on my 30-minute lunch break, where we’ll sometimes see horses in our neighborhood.

3. Take Advantage of Nap Time

If your children still take a nap, utilize that time to complete as much work as possible. As one can imagine, it can be difficult to focus on your work, while also providing quality care to your little ones. That is why it’s crucial to take advantage of nap time(s) and maximize the amount you accomplish during this window.

4. Encourage Independent Play

Play is the most efficient way in which babies and toddlers learn. This provides an excellent opportunity to encourage their development, while also completing work of your own, through independent play.

Independent play can be encouraged by allowing your children to play however they see fit and refraining from correction or suggestion. Allow your little ones to explore with their toys or activities freely (under supervision) without interference, and this should result in an affinity for individual play that will offer you the chance to focus on your job.

5. Plan Engaging Activities

It can be incredibly helpful and proactive to plan activities for your kids ahead of time. I try to always have several unique toys and activities available at any given time. The more engaging, and often new, the activity, the more better.

Oftentimes, I’ll swap out my children’s toys week to week so that they don’t get bored with them. This rotation of toys keeps them from getting restless and gives me more distraction-free time from my work.

Engaging activities can also be incredibly affordable. I find many creative activities from The Dollar Tree that don’t break the bank.

For example, I pick up play doh, paint and canvases, as well as ingredients for sensory bins.

6. Practice Self-Care

Balancing work and life as a Mom can be a feat, especially when done at the same time in the same space. Give yourself grace and seek support wherever you can.

Try to include time in your day to care for yourself so that you don’t become excessively stressed or over-stimulated. I’ve found that prioritizing and taking care of myself when I can has made the largest difference in my performance, both as an employee, and as a Mom.

I hope these tips help you in your journey as a work from home Mom. Please share any additional tips that you’ve found useful in your own life.