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Since the start of the pandemic, more people are working from home with children in the house than ever before. Kids were home from school and navigating distance learning in many cases for the first time, while parents struggled to manage work and school at the same time. Add to that the fact that families were quarantining together for months, only leaving the house for occasional supply trips, and you start to get a different view of working from home.
For many, working from home comes with the added stress of managing kids’ activities, household chores, and daily work stresses simultaneously. There is no time-out from home duties while you go to work and focus on a professional career that makes you feel competent and successful. Every task feels like a fight, and what used to be a time you enjoyed with your children is now a continuation of the struggle to get everyone through their day so you can wake up the next morning and start again.
Working your new virtual assistant job does not have to make you feel like the pandemic will never end. Actually, working from home with kids can be an enjoyable lifestyle and a great way to build a solid relationship with your kids with these work-from-home tips.
Take time apart
One lesson we learned from the pandemic is that too much time together is, well, too much. If your children are very young, you may not understand this idea, yet, but you will. Spending the day with a toddler can be exhausting. Entertaining a toddler while trying to work might seem impossible.
You can enjoy working at home with your kids if you find ways to spend time apart. You don’t have to go to an office to accomplish distancing. You can simply designate different zones of the house for working, kid’s activities, relaxing, and adult time. Plan to spend a portion of each day in separate rooms working on your own activities.
Be a good role model
Remember that the kids in your house see everything you do and pick up on emotional clues that you might not even know you are sending. As a work-from-home parent, you have a great opportunity to be a role model for your kids as someone with a solid work ethic and overall positive attitude. Instead of getting stressed out over the kids making noise while you’re on a call, for example, remain calm and model good problem-solving skills.
When your kids see you behaving in a professional manner, something they would never witness if you worked in an office, they will internalize certain behaviors. If you are the type of person who finds humor in problems and solves them easily, your children will want to emulate you.
Communicate effectively
Good communication skills are the basic requirement for many types of success in life. If you want to enjoy working from home with kids, you need to communicate your expectations to them. Speaking at an age-appropriate level, share your ideas about how to have a good day together. Consider the kids as part of your team and your collective goals include completing some tasks and having some fun. Let them know when you need quiet time to complete an important job and when you are ready to break for lunch. You could even build some social time into your lunch break with a fun activity they can look forward to each day.
One of the most important work-from-home tools you have is your mindset. If you can decide that you will enjoy working from home with kids, you can make that happen with some special attention to detail. For the enjoyable virtual assistant job you’ve always wanted, contact Milrich Virtual Professionals.