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After the global spread of COVID-19, working from home has become the new normal for many of us which is very challenging for any mother with kids around all day long. As a mother of two and new to the work-from-home lifestyle due to coronavirus lockdown, I realized that I needed to change some of my habits and routines to make working from home a success.
In this article, I’ll share with you my own work-from-home strategies to help you become more productive.
Setting a daily routine is your new best friend
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You need to create a map that you will follow, prioritize and schedule your tasks. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a strict schedule which turns into a source of additional stresses as staying home with kids needs to be flexible.
The main point of a daily routine chart is that it will help you divide your day into clear blocks of work time, family time, and a few hours when you can do both. When you wake up knowing exactly what needs to get done at what time, you will set the pace of your day.
Set up your workspace
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A workspace is a great way to get into the work mode as if you were going to the office. Having your work stuff and laptop at a certain spot at home encourages you to go back to work easily after interruptions without having to waste time rearranging your stuff.
Create your own flexible working hours
With little ones at home, you need to think of your working hours in a flexible untraditional way. You will have to divide your working hours into segments during the whole day and distribute your work across the day. This helps you get your tasks done but also be available for your kids throughout the day.
Your golden working hours will be two hours before your kids wake up or two hours after they go to bed or both. You can get one hour in the middle of the day to finish work that needs more concentration while they are napping or playing. It all depends on how old your kids are and your daily routine.
Accept interruptions
Photo Credit: Rana Hany
Now you need to get used to being interrupted multiple times while working from home with your kids. Respond to your little one kindly, hug them, and try to engage them in an interesting activity until you are done with work. Believe me, even if it means fewer working hours, it also means the world to your little one.
Rotate shifts with your partner
If your partner is also working from home, communicate with him about your daily expectations. For example, agree on who will take care of kids after lunch, who will work for one or two hours, and who will take kids to the bed while the other is working. Then put your working plan together and be flexible. Give him a chance to choose his working shifts and use a shared calendar to minimize arguments.
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