We’re only 2 days in and if you already feel like you’re
losing your mind, here are some tips from someone who has worked from home for
seven odd years, three of those with a kid – all in a small apartment.
Start your day early - If you can get up and get some work down before your kid or kids get up, it will be a big help. Even 30 minutes of uninterrupted time will make a huge difference.
Create a flexible work schedule - My husbands and sat down and tried to create a schedule because we have a 3-year-old and he doesn’t entertain himself for long. We realise that we have to be flexible around meetings.
Special time - Schedule in a special time of 10 to 20 minutes alone with each child in which they are allowed to direct the play (but it does have to be fun and safe for both of you).
Giving them this uninterrupted time (no phones allowed) makes it easier to ask them to do this...
Play alone time - Set up a game or invitation to play of some sorts that your child enjoys. Ask your child to play alone for as long as they can or until you call them.
I was told by a parenting expert that a 3-year-old should be able to alone for 45-minutes. Um, what?! My jaw dropped when I was told this because my extroverted child doesn’t seem to like alone time.
We are working on it by using a reward system. If he plays by himself for more than 20 minutes, he moves up his reward chart. Once he reaches the goal, he gets a toy that I bought long before lockdown. So far, the longest he has played alone is 27 minutes (with playdough and dinosaurs)
This gives you and your partner time to knuckle down and work.
Quiet time - My kid naps occasionally, but we do insist on 20-30-minutes of quiet time. During this time he lies on his bed and looks at books. Thankfully he loves books and the now very overdue library books we took out are gems.
Hopefully, that gives you something to work with for now.
P.S. you might enjoy reading Into the wild - before lockdown
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