Social distancing has created a new dynamic for people working across all industries. Many people find themselves working from home with children of various ages who are home from school, daycare or practicing distance learning. Family, work and school are now melting together, and parents must adapt and adjust to this new normal. We want to 3 tips on how to balance it all.
1. Set a Schedule
Keeping a schedule for both your work and family, including engaging activities and boundaries, assists with the balance necessary when working from home. Team Herr agents Heather Herr, Katie McCarty, Wendy Ruehlmann, and Pamela Thomas constantly juggle their family and business on a daily basis. Each family has a different process but we recommend coming up with a plan that works for your household and post it where everyone can see it. Here is an example we found online created by Anne Miller.
Heather a mother of 3 girls, ranging ages 12-17, starts her morning with breakfast, afterwards girls independently complete their school assignments while balancing social time and exercise during breaks. Her kids love social media/ Tik Tok time at the end of the day. Her girls are independent on technology courses which is helpful for balancing work. Heather does admit she works longer hours lately and has mom guilt if she cannot balance.
Katie, has 4 her children ages 4-14, they also follow a daily schedule, having chores that they must complete. Her husband is also active about taking the kids out for exercise and sports while she catches up on work. The kids also help each other with homework when needed. Katie is known to lock herself in the bathroom for phone calls.
Wendy, a mother of teenagers, ages 16 & 19 also expects her kids to be on task. They assist in the home around their daily school work schedule. Wendy has a fantastic terrace that is her escape room for fresh air when needed.
Pamela, a furry baby mama is caring for her aging dog while still actively working with clients too. She is a great team player by helping the rest of the team deal with kids at home too.
2. Create Fun Activities
We suggest you take time for fun activities for the kids. If you plan ahead you can order supplies online and set this as part of your schedule. Ideas include creating art, painting, scavenger hunts both indoor/outdoor. Other outdoor activities involving water guns, sport equipment, bikes and gardening. Make it a game to teach pets new tricks, create a read at home bingo, watch the Zoo live-streaming, make holiday craft cards, and handwritten notes to family. It is also important to have stimulating mental activities on hand such as puzzles and board games. Kids of any age can help with cooking.
Katie recommends ABCmouse.com for her 4 year old son while learning during times she needs to do work. Wendy’s son home from college loves using video editing apps and takes courses to learn more. You Tube is an excellent place to learn more about teaching a new trick at any age.
Have Your Kids Work With You
If it’s feasible, you can have your kids work with you on your business tasks. Team Herr agents engage their family to be influencers for their business. When they drive or walk by a house they ask their kids to saying something about the house or community and then posts to social media pages. They also ask their clients to send them videos inside their home to share.
To see more….Please follow all of the social media channels:
Instagram:Team Herr Cincinnati
Facebook: Team Herr on Facebook
Linkedin: Linkedin
Tik Tok: Team Herr Tik Tok
YouTube: Team Herr on YouTube
Ann Miller noted above also posted this article on parents who are working at home.