Remember the concept of Work From Home before 2020? It was often a privilege granted to a few. But with the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, WFH has become our ‘new normal’. While it seemed like a great thing at the beginning, for many it has turned out to be a tiresome thing to manage work and family, especially in nuclear families with infants and toddlers around.
Many of us have managed to strike a balance with this arrangement with several trial and error methods. For those who still find it difficult to manage work alongside taking care of their children, here is a list of things you can do to make things easier at home.
1. Fix a family routine
Break your day down into work time and family time
- Spend quality time with children during your work-breaks, meal times, and post-work hours
- Try not to bring work during your allocated family time, as it sends a wrong message to children about mixing work and family and they might think it’s fine to ask for your attention during work
2. Allot specific space for each family member (working v/s non-working)
- Create a workspace for yourself and set boundaries for toddlers and older children.
- Designate similar spaces for children based on their age – An older kid can be given a separate room for her studies and co-curricular work while a younger child can be given space near you if she needs constant supervision.
- The designated spaces for kids should be exciting and engaging (with activity books, colours, crafts, etc.) so that they remain occupied while you focus on your work.
3. Have an afternoon nap schedule for kids
Afternoons are the most productive time for busy parents as super active children tend to calm down after their filling lunch. It is a great idea to have a nap routine at least for a couple of hours every afternoon. This will leave parents with the much needed time to work in silence.
4. Take breaks at regular intervals to pay attention to the kids
No matter how taxing your work is, give yourself short breaks at regular intervals so attend to the kids. You can take small breaks ranging from 5 to 10 minutes every 2 hours and get back to work easily. When children get attention every now and then, they tend to be less fussy and more understanding.
5. Seek help from family members
Managing infants and toddlers all by yourself with a full-time job can be very taxing and stressful.
- Feel free to ask for help from other family members like your parents, in-laws etc
- Appointing a daytime babysitter can prove to be very helpful to take care of little children
- Divide responsibilities between your spouse and yourself, so that one person is not loaded with all the childcare responsibilities.
6. Spend quality time with kids at least once a day
- You must ensure that you are spending quality time with your kids every day, no matter how short it is.
- Listen to them, play with them and give them your complete attention during this time
- Even if you have to work for long hours someday, make sure that you get some time to spend with the kids or family members to unwind at the end of the day
7. Give children undivided attention during your off days
Children are more understanding than we give them credit for. If you give them enough attention during your free time and off-days, they will learn to give you the peace you need during your workdays. Here’s what you can do for kids during non-working days:
- Take children out for fun activities – You can take them to a park, a long drive, an amusement zone, a zoo, or anywhere away from the regular ‘everyday’ ambience
- Have little family rituals like baking a cake on weekends, watching a movie together, having ice-creams or eating out once a month etc.
Looking for WFH or Part-Time Jobs?
If you follow these tips, you will not only be able to work & family efficiently, but will also have a healthy work-life balance. And if you are looking for a suitable work-from-home job, or part-time jobs try apna app.
