Remote Work Digest: JUne 20, 2019

FRESNO, Calif. - June 20, 2019 - PRLog -- 5 Tips For Working From Home With Kids | Anthony Caruana, Lifehacker.com.au

In this era where working from home and freelancing from a home office is common, there's a new challenge to overcome. While working from home can help with the work/life balance, there are times when the kids can tip the scales away from work at exactly the wrong moment. After almost a decade of working from home with kids around, and after speaking with a few similarly challenged friends and colleagues, here are some of our favourite tips.

Establish some ground rules
Set some ground rules and stick to them. For example, if the kids see you with headphones on, they need to know that means you're on a call and can't be disturbed unless it's urgent.

Communicate
Firm communication that teaches them about your work day and commitments is key. For example, while I was working yesterday, both my step-sons were home from school. I explained to them that I had an important call and that for those 30 minutes I needed them to keep a little quieter than usual.

Schedule time for work and kids
It may be a work day but if the kids are around you need to make time for them. Plan your day so there's a mix between work, play and other activities. For example, schedule meal breaks and allow for time every hour to chat, organise an activity or to join in with play time.

Be creative
If you're planning to work from home, have a list of different activities you can use to keep the kids busy. Mix up the indoor and outdoor play - six hours of iPad time is not a good way to encourage healthy life habits.

On the work side, if you need an escape hatch with some quiet, why not take calls and process email in the car, where it's quiet, while it's parked in the driveway and the kids are playing outside.

Involve the kids in your work
When you plan your work day, look for opportunities to involve kids in your work. For example, when I think about story ideas I sometimes ask the kids what stories they think are most interesting and why. I get them to read some of my work and ask them to write about things that interest them. That way, we're working together.

Read more: https://blog.worksnaps.com/2019/06/20/remote-work-digest-june-20-2019/