Occupy The Kids For Work At Home Moms
If you're a work at home mom, you know how hard it can be to get a little uninterrupted quiet time away from kids so you can get your work done. Here are 4 ways to create chunks of time each day where you can work in peace.Scheduling Naps
Structured Playtime
Most children of 4 years or older can be started on a fun activity they can enjoy while you're working. This can be a puzzle, a model, drawing or coloring, working with play-do, or any other activity you can be confident they'll find interesting and engaging. You can even place a little table right near your work desk so they can "work" right alongside you. Checking in with them and offering them assistance periodically will offer you a nice way to take those brief and frequent breaks we both know you don’t allow yourself enough of. Older kids may not need or desire to work in the same space as you, but the idea of getting them involved in a project they can work mostly on themselves still works great.
Outdoor Play
Weather permitting and provided your kids are old enough to play outside unsupervised, shoo the little ones outdoors to get a bit of fresh air for a while. This is an especially easy solution if you have a fenced-in yard. You can even ask a nearby neighbor to keep an eye out for them while you work. To keep yourself from being disturbed, give everyone a time frame. If need be, buy your kids some outdoor activities so they can be sure to keep themselves entertained until it's time to come in.
Screen Time
As long as its structured, monitored, and kept to a reasonable and defined period of time, there is nothing wrong with sticking your kids in front of the TV or computer for a little while. Moderation is the key (as with most things). The kids will certainly love you for it, and you know there is the least chance of you being interrupted when the kids are glued to a screen. TV and computers have a lot of good things to offer us and our children. As long as you are keeping an eye on what they're watching on TV or doing on the computer and on how long they spend doing either, you all can get a lot of value out of an hour or two each day this way.
Working from home and being there for your children is one of the best gifts that you can give them. However, there are always times when you will need the little ones quite while complete necessary tasks. Use these ideas to take the stress out of finding quiet time.
