Home Office: Keeping the Kids Happy When Working From Home

Should you need to work from home, either on a temporary or permanent basis, this can come with some great benefits. You may be able to save a significant amount of money that could have otherwise been spent on the daily commute. You may also get a bit of a lie-in each morning. However, you might also need to consider how you will be able to get your work done if your children are at home. Considering some great ideas could allow you to still keep them safe, and be present when required, but also fulfil your career obligations.

Get Them Age-Appropriate Toys 

Having something to play with can be important for children. Whether you have one child or several, giving them their own toys, especially those that they haven’t used before, could help to fill out the time. You may be able to use a dedicated provider of children’s toys, such as Wicked Uncle, to filter the results based on gender, age, or even the budget available. When you need to work from home, you may want to focus on only looking at items that may not require your supervision or support. 

Provide Snacks

If you know you have an important meeting that can’t have any interruptions, or you have a deadline rapidly approaching, you may want to try and negate the likelihood of your children needing assistance as much as possible. To accomplish this, you might want to consider their basic needs. Something as simple as ensuring that safe, healthy snacks are available and within reach could aid with this. You may also want to consider liaising with your children’s other parent so that they can explain to the children that, while you would love to spend time with them, that moment may not necessarily be appropriate. You could then make up for that time on a break during your workday, or when you take over as the parent in charge while your partner gets on with their own tasks.

Utilize Technology

While many parents hate the thought of using the television or games consoles as an alternative to a babysitter, sometimes it cannot be avoided. If you need to do your work, but your child wants to watch TV, you may need to think before you say yes. Some media providers may have a number of different series or movies available, and not all of them may be suitable for children. Before handing them the remote, it could be a good idea to ensure that parental controls are in place, so your child only has access to content appropriate for them. This can enable you to get on with your work knowing that the content they are viewing is child friendly.

Working from home could allow you to save money on childcare and fuel for your car. To make things even easier, you may want to consider the ways you can keep your children happy and healthy, even if you can’t spend time with them.