Top tips to help you work from home as a parent

*collaborative post*

Since the pandemic began last year a whole load of parents have experienced the absolute chaos of working from home with kids around. I am a bit of a old school work from home mum, by that I mean I have been working with the kids around for years. I will put my hands in the air and admit I am not very organised, working from home for me is very much a juggling act. After several years I still haven’t nailed a routine that doesn’t leave me feeling guilty for not spending enough time with the kids or not spending enough time working! Maybe you’re new to the work from home life or maybe you’re like me and need to be more organised, today’s guest post is full of useful tips on how to work from home successfully. I do have one very important tip before you start reading: a work from home mum needs a whooole load of coffee!

Top tips to help you work from home as a parent – how to ‘work around’ the kids.

The task of fitting work around your children is something that we’ve all struggled with during the pandemic. But what about those mothers who are trying to fit a job around the kids? Schools have opened back up, which means that many mothers are now finding themselves struggling to find a job that suits their working hours. At least when the lockdown was going on, everybody had to stay at home, but now with life slowly returning to normal, we’ve got to find some way of working around our children’s schedules. What can we do? 

 

Working Around Your Children’s Schedule

You know what your children’s schedule is, and whether they are at breakfast club from 7:30 or not, you know your certain time limit. This means that you have a lot of opportunities at your disposal. For example, you could start dropping delivery loads through companies like Shiply. If you are looking for loads to deliver, you start to bid on the load you want, and if you get it, you need to deliver it. The great thing about being a delivery driver is that there is a lot of flexibility and freedom, not to mention the fact that you are working by yourself. The other approach would be to get freelance roles based at home. There are many opportunities these days, including websites like Pactera and Appen which gives you the luxury of doing as much as you physically can. This is a lifesaver when you have a very specific time limit to do your work. The typical working day is hard for many parents to maintain, which is why many parents go for part-time jobs. But doing this gives you the opportunity to do as much as you physically can get paid per task, which means that you could potentially earn a lot more than other part-time workers would.

 

Working Earlier 

This is another aspect of working around your kids’ schedules. Every person who goes to work has a strict set of hours, and you can do the same. If you prioritise your workday and get up early to do a lot of tasks before the kids wake up can help you. This is a perfect opportunity if you want to start freelancing or setting up a business. When you start earlier before the children get up, it gives you more peace and quiet and allows you to tackle the bigger tasks. Because if the children wake up, and you find that you’re not able to work for hours on end, you may have the opportunity to squeeze in smaller tasks with the children around, such as emails or other tasks that require less focus. 

Making Sure That You Prioritise Well-Being

It’s also important to remember that if you are trying to fit work around your children, that you look after yourself properly. Fitting work around the children is not an easy thing. This is why many parents find that getting a job is more than a hassle and is more expensive due to excessive nursery costs. But the modern way of working gives you a lot more flexibility than you realise.

***

Do you have any advice for parents struggling to work from home? It is so difficult so I am sure you’re advice will be gratefully received!