Embrace a Flexible Work Schedule that is Meaningful to You and your Children

It will not all be easy.  Having an adaptable work schedule, realistic expectations, a positive attitude and effective tactics will make it easier to work with children around.  With flexibility you can arrange your work schedule to match your childcare, rather than the other way around.

As an example remote workers tell us: 

I  work for a couple of hours before my children wake up, which frees up the afternoon to spend time with them.

My son is enrolled in a program that takes only two hours.  I work from my car instead of traveling back and forth.

Here's more advise from those with experience.

Being flexible doesn't mean being undisciplined.  

It's more about efficiency and work discipline. Working parents have a lot of competing demands on their time. They become efficient out of necessity because there are only so many hours in the day. Being efficient is a better option than partly doing something or pulling an all-nighter and feeling drained for both work and children.

Don’t be too slow to take the pressure off of yourself.

If things are not going as well as you had hoped on a particular day, it may be best to default to concentrate on the children and make a plan to catch up on work after bed or the following day.

Show your kids that you are truly at work even though you are home. 

Use that vanished commute time to do something pleasant with them, maybe a walk followed by a healthy breakfast, after which you go to work in your home office and they settle in to also do something constructive.

• Get dressed, don’t work in pj’s
• Have a dedicated work space that you physically enter at a designated time.
• Give them something to look forward to for the end of your day’s work.

Children require structure and a healthy home environment.  

Y our family will benefit from the routine that replicates that of a normal school day with breaks for meals, activities, fun, and quiet times. 

• Define times for lunch and snacks. Prepare healthy food ahead of time. Enjoying time with them during food breaks means they may demand less of you later. If children they are old enough, allow them to be self-sufficient with snacks when you need to maximize your time. 
• Create a safe play zone near your workspace so you can keep an eye on young ones while you work.
• Older children may be able to use headphones for some of their entertainment.
• Make sure they have fun things to do. Let them pick their own activities so they become less bored. Rotate toys to keep them interesting.
• It can be freeing to let the kids be free for thirty minutes to do something truly child-wild indoors and outdoors – dancing, banging pots, playing tag, making a mess painting the fence.
• Use teachers as a resource. They put a lot of time into schedules that help students get their school work done.  Teachers also may have suggestions for activities.
• Enlist the assistance of a spouse, family or friends to take your children on an outing when you have a particularly project or deadline.
• Find a buddy who is also a remote working parent. Once a week you take their child and next they take yours for the day.
• Hire a babysitter, part-time.

Talk to Older Children about Work-Space Boundaries

This can help you get work done while still letting them know that you are there for them when they need you.  One of our remote work respondents suggested getting the children involved in an arts and craft project to design the signs that indicate they should not disturb mommy or daddy. Tracing their hands into stop signs, finger painting a separation curtain that could be opened and closed, crafting a green door sign for “yes, you can walk in. They are more apt to pay attention to their own creation.

Transparency with Your Co-Workers

When it comes to work life, our remote workers recommended transparency with your co-workers. Let them know you are juggling the needs of your children.  You and your co-workers should discuss what is going to work best for each person. You will have days when you might have to warn colleagues that if a child walks into the room you will handle it and be right back.  Be flexible and forgiving about the life situations of your co-workers. 

Oh, and we have a separate section on Working@Home with your Significant Other. Check it out.