Now we’ve hit another lockdown , which we all knew was coming , I wanted to share with you some tips and that I use generally as I work from home anyway whilst I look after my youngest Nila who is 3 but also which might help anyone now that is working from home and also having to homeschool.
I work from home generally even before the pandemic so thankfully I am able to stick to working the way I usually do and not have to worry about childcare .
Working from home whilst looking after children can be a tough , especially if there are deadlines to meet , I have definitely found myself pulling at my hair and heading for another cup of coffee before the morning is over sometimes .
I’ve got a few tips that definitely see me through when working from home with the children now being off of school and nursery and finding that new routine and balance with work , homeschooling and running a household kind of life :).
Prepare the night before .Charge everything you need before bed. Laptops for you, for the kids , power banks . Get everything charged up and ready for the next day.
This might sound like an obvious one , but get as much as you can prepared the night before . Clothes are laid out ready so we get dressed and come down for breakfast so that’s half the job done straight away.
Make beds , open blinds , straighten up the bedrooms before going downstairs so then you know upstairs is all all tidy and done with and that can be ticked off the list.
Alessia has lessons online throughout the day and is 11 so she gets on with her work with her teachers and doesn’t need me for most of her lessons, but I am there if she does .
Nila is 3, and has just started Nursery this past September .She gets set a few tasks each day from her teacher - cosmic yoga for Pe , phonics, maths challenges and reading.
We spend the morning with the tasks that need a bit more concentration on as toddlers tend to sit and concentrate more in the morning , plus by the afternoon even Nila looks like she needs a coffee. Ha!
If you are having to work from home then work from your phone when and if you can . I have been doing this for a few years since having Nila and honestly, it is a life saver!. Whilst we are having a break on the sofa from school work or having our lunch watching a film , I can write up any work on my phone or answer emails and send them out.
I have all the apps I need in my phone so I can edit photos to be added to a post at a later date and anything that needs doing on the Mac I can transfer it for later .
Don’t try and get away to work in ‘peace’. I definitely find with a 3 year old , if they can’t see you that’s when they are constantly looking for you and want you. If you set them up some colouring or tracing whilst you sit next to them , I can guarantee you a good half hours peace to work :)
Don’t panic - if you can’t get things done in the day and have to wait until the evening , that’s ok. We are all juggling 50 million things at the minute .
I set an alarm for an hour in the evening if I need to work or catch up and do as much as I can in that hour and then shut the Mac and call it a day- we are only human .
Get a slow cooker , they are a god send!. Whack all your ingredients in first thing and your dinner is ready for tea time , we use ours at least 3 times a week , you can thank me later.
Housework can be kept on top of in little doses . I put washing away every morning which takes minutes because I do it every morning , rather than leaving it looking like Mount Everest like I did before the pandemic hit , that took days to sort through!.
I set Friday mornings aside to do a run around with the hoover and polish , strip beds and clean the bathroom. I’m no Mrs Hinch people :) this gets the job done and is ready for the weekend.
Be kind to yourself. Don’t put to much pressure on your shoulders and also the children’s .
Take a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself or the kiddies . Take a break , take an afternoon off and go and get some fresh air , it will do you all the world of good and will definitely help you feeling recouperated .
Have fun - don’t forget that part .Make it fun too. I am so grateful I get to spend more quality time with the children , however long that might be . Make some bath bombs on your break or get the slime out - keep your home a happy one ..
I really hope these tips help you out and remember you are doing the best you can , and that is good enough :)
This is great advice! It’s such a hard balance but when it gets a bit overwhelming I do have a hinch half hour and that helps on the housework side.
ReplyDeleteThankfully mine is almost 13 so he does get on mainly alone but as he’s a boy I do feel
Like I have to be close by to keep him concentrating!
These tips will really help x
Some great tips, definitely preparing the night before is the best tip ever! Working from home is great when you get in your stride.
ReplyDeleteWhen my youngest first started doing online school when we shutdown I did really feel a bit overwhelmed. Then I figured out exactly what you said and stopped being hard on myself, online schooling was new to the teachers too so I wasn't alone.
ReplyDeleteI do a lot of work from my phone. I try and walk every day and this helps with my mental health at the moment too.
ReplyDeleteLoving all your tips here! The slowcooker is a life saver for me as well and having apps on the phone is such a great idea, as I can do this while kids are on my table and computer
ReplyDeleteI admire parents who are homeschooling and trying to work because it can't be easy balancing it, but I totally agree with you about being kind to yourself and not putting unnecessary pressure on yourself x
ReplyDeletePreparation is key, I work from home full time and though I don't have kids I know that when I prepare the night before my days often go well.
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