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Thank you to Eric Schultz for giving his insight for this post on remote work with kids at home! Eric is the director of global communications at Soul Publishing, a company that has been remote for 5 years.
Soul Publishing is the force behind viral Youtube Channels, 5-Minute Crafts and Slick Slime Sam.
He offered some words of wisdom to the parents reading Purposeful Mommy about balancing a work from home life while your kids are home.
What Eric Says About Balancing Remote Work with Kids at Home
Tip #1 Parents must realize that for them, working a consistent 9-5 schedule may not be feasible, and should find ways to adapt.
Everyone’s productivity peaks at different times and most managers will know that. If you’re in a role that can be done remotely, there’s a good chance your hours can be flexible and that signing on early, taking a break mid-day, and then signing off later could work.
Speak with your manager candidly and find a system that works for you to get your job done well while also balancing responsibilities that could come up with home life and parenting.
Lunch breaks and check-ins to make sure your children are handling virtual school can be quick while also effective.
Tip #2 If your kids are in virtual school either every day or some days, create a separate space that they can work from.
Getting your kids involved in setting up their space is a great way to make it fun and engaging for them.
For example, one of The Soul Publishing’s popular YouTube channels Slick Slime Sam has this video (below) with ideas for fun ways younger kids can keep their school supplies organized.
Beyond getting creative and colorful, setting up a classroom experience that feels as normal as possible is also crucial. Not only should your child be at a desk or table, but putting a screen up in front of them can be helpful in order to mimic the feeling of looking up at a teacher or chalkboard.
Make sure there isn’t a TV or other obvious distraction nearby if you can.
Tip #3 Learn to embrace screen time for your kids.
Learning can go beyond the classroom, and especially without art class, kids need a way to express their creativity.
Get involved in your kids’ day-to-day education and assign art projects to keep their creative juices flowing.
Fun craft ideas can be found everywhere from The Soul Publishing’s 5 Minute Crafts YouTube channel to Pinterest or Instagram.
A note from Purposeful Mommy: With homeschooling, we use Outschool to supplement our classes. Virtual and homeschool means that kids don’t have their normal music, art, P.E. and computer classes as before.
You can find all sorts of classes to add to your kids’ education on Outschool!
Find things that interest your child! You can even come join me in one of my CODING CLASSES!
Tip #4 Align your lunch hour with your kids’ breaks to make the most of your time together.
Not only is this helpful for you to decompress, but it’s also a great way to speak with your kids about what they’re learning.
With gym class canceled, you can consider going for a walk together or taking an online workout class to keep your kids - and yourself - active and moving.
Remote Work with Kids at Home is POSSIBLE
Many people choose to work remotely. Many of us moms decided to work from home so that we could stay home with our kids.
However, that’s not everyone’s ideal situation. It’s also not ideal when it was SPRUNG on you with no plan.
Just know that it is possible to juggle remote work with kids at home. It just takes some figuring out.
Whatever your situation, you are probably doing better than you think! Keep your chin up and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Talk to parents who do this already. Chances are they have a good system if they are WILLINGLY doing it.
