How To Work From Home And Take Care Of Your Child At The Same Time

Working from home and caring for your child at the same time can seem like an impossible task; however, this is an increasingly common reality today. As the number of freelancers increases, offices move – in a way – to the home.

Although it is true that working from home can be very comfortable, since commuting, traffic, among other daily adversities are avoided, the truth is that when you have children, the question worries us because we believe we do not know how to divide ourselves between the one and other. 

The importance of good communication

Keep in mind is that we are not alone, so we have to inform the other people we live with about our working hours.

We are cured in health if we notify in advance what our schedule is going to do and thus avoid being interrupted or distracted. In turn, other people are aware that it is better if they do not count on us during that time, and they can organize themselves without having to wait for us.

Whether we have a month-old baby or a young child, it is important to be able to have support. If there is another person in the home who can care (if necessary) for the child while we work, we can be more at ease.

For example, if from 9am to 12pm we know that our mother will be at home, the ideal is to take advantage of her presence by leaving the child in safe company while we work.

In the event that we are alone, the best we can do is evaluate our time based on the baby’s age and habits. On the other hand, if it is a small child, we can include it in an activity that keeps it distracted, put on a movie, and so on.

It’s about being crafty… and creative!

Basic strategies for working from home

1. Be honest with yourself and set your daily priorities well.
2. Try to be disciplined. This will help you carry out your activities better.
3. Find a comfortable physical space to be your fixed place of work. Evaluate that it is appropriate.
4. Distribute your time wisely : assign each activity a specific duration.
5. Give yourself a practical and realistic work schedule.
6. Keep an agenda with your daily planning. You can make it more flexible depending on how you are meeting your stipulated goals.
7. Remember to stay well hydrated. It is scientifically proven that drinking a liter of water while you work helps you stay active and focused.
8. Set your phone to block non-urgent pop-up notifications. Likewise, if possible it is recommended to avoid distractions.
9. Keep your work area clean and orderly. This will help you considerably since it will allow you to better visualize each thing and speed up procedures.
10. Set a time to pause briefly. Take care of yourself!
11. Take a moment to remind yourself why you work. Motivation is essential to be able to renew our energies and continue in good spirits throughout the day. In this aspect, motivation can arise from reading a letter, seeing a beautiful drawing or photograph, placing a post-it with a motivational phrase, and so on.
12. In an emergency, break the glass. That is, in case difficulties arise at home, have a list of alternative workplaces.

An example to follow: Amy Leach

Amy Leach is a renowned North American author of non-fiction books  . She is also a poet, bluegrass musician,  and  distance teacher of English and creative writing at her alma mater, the University of Iowa. Her office is in the basement of her own home and since becoming a mother she has had to organize her time between work and taking care of your daughter.

Thanks to a good organization, a disciplined attitude and honest with herself, Amy has managed to combine her role as a mother with her work under the same roof. She herself confesses that although this can be difficult at times, the important thing is to be creative and always look for solutions instead of focusing on the difficulties only.

Like Professor Amy, today there are many examples of mothers who work from home even with small children or even babies. For the most part, they think that it is not as hard as it may seem at first glance and that everything is about overcoming the prejudices that we create ourselves. Besides, they confess that one of the magic ingredients for working from home is having a good disposition.

Work to live, don’t live to work

Remember that while you must be responsible (for your own good), work should not become the center of your life. It is very important that you learn to disconnect from work and live in an organized way but also be flexible with yourself. Even if you have your “office” at home, once you have fulfilled your work schedule, you must turn the page. Why? Because this way you can rest better mentally and simply because you deserve it.

We know that it can be difficult at first to rigorously handle all these issues, but with patience and perseverance you will achieve it. Like almost everything in life,  it is about going step by step, relearning what it takes and being consistent. Cheer up, its possible!