As the world is changing in terms of work organization, many working parents need to adapt their habits. Remote workers, digital nomads, freelancers, and part-time employees working solely on projects are some of the current forms of work.
While this new flexibility has brought certain benefits, there are some obvious issues, as well. For instance, businesspeople with children may find it more difficult to adapt their working habits to the new circumstances.
In this article, you’ll find some practical tips on how to organize your working hours with kids by your side.
1) Business parents working separate shifts
In a situation with two parents working from home, there are various possibilities for using that form of work in the best light possible.
If there’s no need for both of you to work in real-time all the time, make a schedule of your shifts. This will allow each of you to be with the kids while the other one is working. For instance, one day you can get up early in the morning to cover half of your shift before your kids get up. Then you can play with them or take them out. This will allow your partner to concentrate on their tasks during that time.
Likewise, your partner can do the same in the afternoon, leaving you to do perform your tasks.
Of course, such a schedule won’t cover the entire 8-hour workday for each of you. This means that you’ll have to keep working when your kids fall asleep, as well. Eliminate procrastination as much as possible to save some time during your workday and limit your screen time.
If your financial situation allows you, one partner could switch to a part-time contract while the kids are still young.
2) Plan the screen time
We’ve mentioned the screen time above. Recent stats show that an average person spends three hours and 15 minutes on their phone every day. It’s somewhat a trend of the entire generation of Millennials and younger generations.
But if you’re a busy parent with kids, it’s not a desirable habit. While it’s not possible to live your life entirely offline, parents need to reduce their screen to a minimum.
For starters, include the screen time in your daily schedule. Calculate the time you spend on your mobile, watching TV, or scrolling social media, as well.
There are some practical apps for limiting screen time that can be useful for remote workers with children at home. If both partners follow these rules, they’ll have more time for their kids and for their work tasks.
Also, you can use the coffee break at work to read the news or any other content you follow to save some time along the way.
3) Change places where you work
Kids are dynamic beings who like to change their activities as often as possible.
Knowing that, working parents should think about going places while working remotely.
For instance, you can rent a place in the country for a month or so to get some rest from the urban rush. In spring and summer, renting a house with a yard is a great option for such parents because they can keep an eye on their kids while working outdoors.
Depending on your budget and children’s age, you may want to get to know different towns and cities around the world. For longer stays, your kids might attend a local kindergarten or school.
For instance, if you decide to spend some time in London or its vicinity, you can check out the best private schools in London and let your kids learn new things while you’re working.
If you’re into more exotic destinations, make sure to check all the law and health requirements you need to fulfill before you visit such places.
4) Make deals with colleagues-parents
If any of your friends with kids work from home, as well, you can make deals regarding babysitting. For example, you can make a schedule to specify when you’re going to keep an eye on each other’s kids.
Such an arrangement will help both included families to optimize their work hours and the time they spend with their children.
What’s more, kids will benefit from such deals because they will have better socialization if they can hang out with other children.
Moreover, you can make such a deal with your colleagues, if any of them live in your neighborhood.
Of course, it goes without saying that including grandparents in babysitting activities is a wonderful option. Unfortunately, many modern families live far away from their grandparents, so this tip applies only to a limited number of business people with children.
Finding the right work-life balance isn’t easy when you work from the office, let alone when both parents and kids are at home. So, partners first need to sit down and make a clear plan on each other’s obligations. After that, they need to optimize their productivity and cut on procrastination. If possible, making babysitting arrangements with relatives, friends, and colleagues will help such parents stay productive and organized. Finally, changing work destinations from time to time will keep your spirits high to handle this lifestyle more easily.
