It is June and kids are out of school, they are excited to be out and parents everywhere now have to figure out what to do these next few months with the kids home. If you are a work-from-home parent, you have it even more challenging since you now have to share your house / home office with kids who are now without a school schedule to follow. Here are 10 tips that can help you navigate these next few months if you are planning on keeping them home this summer.
- Give them a schedule. It does not have to be completely full for the whole day (unless your kid thrives by having a full planned day.) Most kids do enjoy having a routine and knowing what to expect. By having this guide they can follow, there are less times they will have to figure out what to do and come to tell you for the 10th time today that they are bored. You can leave some “free time” on different spots in the schedule so they can do their favorite activity.
2. Schedule time for them. I know most of the days 24 hours do not seem to be enough for all we have to get accomplished, but if you are able to schedule even 5-10 minutes to just chat with them during the day they will know when that time is coming so they can add it to their schedule as well and maybe they can save those questions they want to ask you during the time you are working for those minutes you can meet. Just remember if you are going to give your kids that time, treat it like an appointment and do not get distracted with your phone or go back to work 2 minutes into your time. Many times just 5 minutes here and there throughout the day can make a big difference for them.
3. Eat lunch together if possible. This is another time they can count on you being able to chat and help them or answer any questions that could avoid interruptions while you are working. Plus having lunch together can be fun. Depending on your kid’s age you can even ask them to get things ready for your lunch, and do some prep work, set the table, clean up afterwards etc. And since we are in the food subject, a quick extra tip regarding snacks. Have some pre-approved snacks ready for them to grab when they are supposed to have snack time. If you prep them ahead of time and show them where to get them, this will allow your child to have the freedom to get a snack without having to interrupt you.
4. Give them chores and responsibilities. Just because they are out of school does not mean they cannot help around the house. This is the perfect opportunity to learn new chores and other ways they can contribute to the home. Some parents do a point system for chores, others do allowance, or a combination of both. Other parents just explain these are part of the duties of being part of the family. Whichever way that works for you and your family is the right way, so look into those possible ways or come up with one for your family! Chores will keep them occupied for some time, give them the experience of feeling pride for a job well done, and makes them a contributing member of the family.
5. Have code words or rules to avoid interruptions. If you know you will have to be in absolute silence for a phone conference, then let your kids know if they see you have gone into a certain room, or if you have a specific sign stuck on your door ( sign that you have come up with together) If they see this sign it means that they cannot interrupt at all unless it is a true emergency. If possible before your meeting let them know what is going on: “hey kids I’m going to a code red meeting, it should take 30 minutes” that way they know you cannot be interrupted at all, and they know what to expect. This works wonders in our family (both my husband and I work from home) so we tell each other and the kids when we will be having one of those meetings, so we can be more aware of other possible distractions like the door bell, a dog barking etc. We know during that time we have to do our best to keep it quiet. For smaller children I also suggest having pre-drawn cards that you have come up with the kids that they can show you to communicate in case you are on the phone instead of them talking over your call.
6. Schedule stretch time. A couple times a week, schedule 5- 10 minutes for you and the kids to have a time to stretch and do breathing exercises and hydrate. This will help you as well as the kids. It helps break the schedule a bit, and allows them to get their blood circulating a little better in case they have been sitting for too long. Once again this is a simple activity that they can look forward to, and they know if there is something they want to tell you, they can do so during that time.
7. Allow screen time if within your family’s rules. I know many parents get a lot of backlash from other parents for allowing their kids to use a device like a tablet, a phone or video games, but the truth is you have to do what works for your family. I would still suggest coming up with guidelines your kids can follow in regards of time allowed so they too can have the chance to do other activities. But having a little bit of screen time especially during the summer while your parents are working should be ok. There are many educational apps and games that they can use to learn, maybe even work on a new language over the summer! Take some time to choose the apps they can use or videos they are allowed to watch. Once again please do as it works best for your family.
8. If possible adjust your schedule. This may not be possible for some people, but if your job allows you to move the work hours a little, try working earlier or later at night when there are less distractions or noise. Allow your kids to wake up late y’all! they can adjust to school schedule again when it gets closer to school session, but if on vacation sleeping in is one of those things kids look forward to (at least most.) Maybe you will even get a little of “me time” that you also need to keep your sanity!
9. Allow them to sit in. If your schedule allows, invite your kid to sit in while you work so they can see what it is you do! If not too busy explain why you do certain tasks or what the purpose of your next meeting will be. It is a great opportunity for them to learn about your career and it helps them value and understand why sometimes they cannot come in if you are on a call. Again, it may not be much time but just being able to come into your space invited, will give them a break from their routine and it gives them something new to look forward to. If you have more than one child, maybe call it “be my assistant for 10 minutes”, and invite one of them (take turns later with other kids the next time) Have some easy tasks they can do. They will be entertained, and may learn a thing or two!
10. Cut them and yourself some slack. After all they are kids, and even if you have a full schedule for them things do come up. They may not feel well, or feel lonely ( my kids are 10 years apart so both technically grew up as only children so I know they could get bored being by themselves). Sometimes all they need is a big hug and a reminder of something fun you will do later. Be patient with them, and remember that even if something frustrating is happening at work, your kids are not involved with that so they should not get the bad end of the deal. Another way to think about it is that you only get a handful more of summers like this. They grow up and start doing their own thing and later you will find yourself going to their rooms and interrupting their work because you miss them and they have not come out of their room all day! Trust me I have a 20 year old and I go look for him many times so we can chat or just so that I can see him. Do your best, and I am sure your kids will do theirs. Summer vacation is just 3 months long, but the memories you make during that time can last a lifetime!
I hope these tips helped! Let me know if you have any other suggestions you want to share! Happy Summer everyone!
