After the World Health Organization declared coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Things are changing quickly every day, and most of us have seen our typical routines turned upside down. As the coronavirus continues to spread, most people who are used to working in an office environment suddenly face the reality of a new workspace More and more workplaces are allowing or requiring remote work, while school and daycare closings. These restrictions mean that whole families are suddenly spending a whole lot more time at home together.
That means many working parents are facing a first-time situation while working from home with kids. Without access to camps, daycares, babysitters that you normally rely on, parents are facing a tough time managing work and family.
Even if you’ve worked from home for years and have the perfect work-at-home setup, it won’t be smooth or perfect, but there are a few strategies you can use to make your new situation a little easier.
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Communicate
Communication is, of course, an essential part of any job especially when you are working from home. By letting your boss and your team know what you are working on and what you are struggling with at home, it can help make your job a little easier. Make sure you remind your employer that you’ve got kids at home and that you cannot guarantee every conversation will be interruption-free. Request your employer to allow you to work flexibly so you can help your kids when they need it and work when they are occupied.
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Ask for support
If you do not have anyone who can help with your kids in your home like a partner, older kids, family or trusted neighbors, call your friends, aunts, uncles or grandparents. These people are amazing resources because you can use them to arrange to keep your kids busy while you work. They can talk, read stories, play games, sing, and much more.
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Plan activities that don’t require supervision
You can get your kids involved in some task or some form of entertainment while you work. Different activities will apply to different age groups of kids, depending on your schedule and the age of your children, you can plan something fun for your kids. If you have a baby, naps, swings, musical songs, and bouncy chairs would be a good idea. For toddlers, you can hand them a tablet or put on their favorite cartoon shows on television. At this time, you can also allow your teenage kids to play video games and socialize online without any restrictions as they need something to pass their time. In return, you will get some time to finish your work.
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Prioritize your schedule
Creating and maintaining a schedule can help you a lot in managing work and home. Look at what is important at that time and make a schedule out of it. Try to schedule the most engaging activities for the kids so that they can be on their own during that time. If you have a partner, he/she can help you get through the day but if you both are working, you’ve both got the same problem. Depending on your flexibility and your partner’s flexibility, you can consider dividing work hours. One of you can work for four hours in the morning while your partner watches the kids, then you switch. If you’re a single parent, communicate with your employer and let him know that you will need some flexibility to address the needs of your children.
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Set boundaries
Once you have told your employer that you are working, you will need to tell that to your kids too, that means you must set boundaries. You can also have a family conversation and explain to your kids how work works. Let your kids know that you have certain tasks that you must accomplish, and you can’t take frequent breaks to help them. You can ask your kids to not disturb you while you are working. Explain that when the door to your office is closed, they have to knock before they come in. Also, tell them that once you are done with your work, you will treat them with something special.
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Reward good behavior
If you want your kids to leave you alone while you work, you also need to acknowledge and reward them for good behavior. If your kids interrupt you, tell them you’ll be down in a few minutes and ask them to go away. After you have finished your work, have another discussion with your kids and tell them they will be rewarded for good behavior. As a reward, praise them, play with them or allow them to play video games for some time.
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Take breaks
Last but not the least, start scheduling frequent breaks in your day as it can get monotonous. Instead of sitting down and working on a task for three hours, break up your day a bit more. Work for 30 minutes or 1 hour, then take a 15 minutes break to hang out with your kids. You can help your kids with their tasks, or joke around to energize yourself.
Managing work and childcare can be intense to at least some degree but it can be done. You can build a temporary structure for your temporary circumstances with a little bit of planning, discussion, and an adaptable attitude. While managing your kids, you must also follow the prevention measures of COVID-19.
It is during these 21 days of quarantine period that you have to be more aware of the things you use at home. As plastic is more prone to hosting this virus, try to store away the plastic kitchen products and tableware. Keep your children away from plastic products are opt for eco-friendly biodegradable products from Ecoware.
Ecoware has a wide range of products from eco-friendly disposable bowls, eco-friendly disposable cutlery to biodegradable disposable glasses and sugarcane pulp plates. To know more about biodegradable food packaging and eco-friendly disposable tableware visit www.ecoware.in.
