Keeping the Kids Busy When Working from Home
Working from home with kids can feel like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle. It’s a challenge many parents face, especially in today’s remote work environment. Keeping the little ones entertained while you tackle your to-do list isn’t just about maintaining your sanity—it’s about creating a balanced, productive household.
When kids are engaged, they’re less likely to interrupt, allowing you to focus on your work and meet those deadlines. Plus, finding creative ways to keep kids busy at home can turn into quality bonding time, making the most of your work-from-home experience.
If you have the opportunity to work from home but it comes around the school holidays, you might be wondering what you’re to do with the kids. If you don’t have the luxury of childcare or holiday clubs, then you need to think about how to keep the kids busy while you still attend your meetings or get your tasks done.
Daycare may not be a viable option in your situation, and while yes, you could put the kids in front of a tablet or a TV so that you have the chance to be productive, it’s not always conducive to them being able to work and play appropriately. So here we have some tips for keeping the kids busy while you work from home.
Establish a Routine For The Kids
Creating a structured daily routine is essential for both parents and kids when working from home. It helps set clear expectations, reduces stress, and ensures everyone knows what to expect throughout the day. A well-planned routine can make the difference between a chaotic household and a smoothly running one.
Morning Routines
Starting the day with a consistent morning routine can set a positive tone for the rest of the day. Here are some benefits of having a structured morning:
- Getting Dressed: Even though you’re at home, getting dressed as if you’re going out can boost everyone’s mood and productivity. It signals that it’s time to start the day and get things done.
- Having Breakfast: A healthy breakfast fuels the body and mind. It gives kids the energy they need to focus on their activities and helps parents kickstart their workday.
- Setting Expectations: Discuss the day’s schedule with your kids. Let them know what activities are planned, when you’ll be working, and when you’ll be available for breaks. This helps manage their expectations and reduces interruptions.
A typical morning routine might look like this:
- Wake Up: Set a consistent wake-up time for everyone.
- Get Dressed: Change out of pajamas to signal the start of the day.
- Breakfast: Enjoy a nutritious meal together.
- Discuss the Day: Go over the day’s schedule and set expectations.
Scheduled Breaks
Scheduling regular breaks throughout the day is crucial for maintaining focus and energy levels. Both parents and kids need time to relax and recharge. Here’s why breaks are important:
- Mental Breaks: Short breaks help prevent burnout and keep everyone refreshed. They provide a mental reset, making it easier to return to tasks with renewed focus.
- Physical Activity: Kids need to move around to burn off energy. Scheduled playtime can help them stay active and healthy.
- Snacks and Meals: Regular snack and meal times keep everyone fueled and prevent hunger-related crankiness.
Consider incorporating the following breaks into your daily routine:
- Morning Snack Break: A quick snack and some playtime mid-morning.
- Lunch Break: A longer break for lunch and some outdoor play if possible.
- Afternoon Snack Break: Another short break for a snack and a chance to stretch.
By establishing a routine with consistent morning activities and scheduled breaks, you create a balanced schedule that benefits both parents and kids. This structure helps everyone stay on track and makes the work-from-home experience more manageable and enjoyable.
Create a Kid-Friendly Workspace
Balancing work and parenting from home can be tricky, but creating a kid-friendly workspace can make a world of difference. By setting up areas where kids can play safely and engage in educational activities, you can keep them entertained while you focus on your tasks.
Safe and Accessible Play Areas
One of the first steps in creating a kid-friendly workspace is to set up safe and accessible play areas. These spaces should be close enough for you to keep an eye on your kids while you work, but also designed to keep them entertained and engaged.
Here are some tips for creating these play areas:
- Soft Flooring: Use rugs or foam mats to create a soft play area. This helps prevent injuries if your child takes a tumble.
- Toy Storage: Keep toys in bins or shelves that are easy for kids to reach. This encourages them to play independently and clean up after themselves.
- Safety First: Make sure the play area is free from sharp objects, small parts, and other hazards. Use safety gates if necessary to keep younger children contained.
- Comfortable Seating: Provide small chairs or cushions where kids can sit comfortably while playing or reading.
By setting up a safe and accessible play area, you create a space where your kids can entertain themselves, giving you the peace of mind to focus on your work.
Incorporating Educational Activities
Keeping kids busy with educational activities not only entertains them but also helps them learn and grow. Here are some ideas for activities that kids can do independently:
- Puzzles: Puzzles are great for developing problem-solving skills and can keep kids occupied for a long time. Choose age-appropriate puzzles with fun themes.
- Reading Books: Create a mini-library with a variety of books. Encourage your kids to spend time reading or looking at picture books. This can be a quiet activity that allows you to work without interruptions.
- Simple Science Experiments: Set up a small science station with easy experiments. For example, you can provide materials for making a baking soda and vinegar volcano or growing crystals. These activities are fun and educational.
- Art Supplies: Keep a stash of coloring books, crayons, markers, and paper. Art projects can be a great way for kids to express their creativity and stay busy.
By incorporating these educational activities into your kid-friendly workspace, you can ensure that your children are not only entertained but also learning and developing new skills.
Creating a kid-friendly workspace involves setting up safe play areas and providing educational activities. This approach helps keep your kids engaged and allows you to focus on your work, making the work-from-home experience smoother for everyone.
Incorporating Creative Play
Keeping kids busy while working from home can be a challenge, but incorporating creative play into their day can make a big difference. Creative play not only keeps kids entertained but also helps them develop important skills like problem-solving, creativity, and independence. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts are a fantastic way to keep kids engaged with minimal supervision. They can express their creativity and have fun while you get some work done. Here are some easy and engaging projects:
Put together a sensory bin.
If you’ve got younger children, a sensory bin or two is going to really help to keep them busy. Think about child safe objects that they can dig around in like pom poms, beans and macaroni. If your kids are old enough, you can choose to put together some busy books and make sure that you get some custom stickers to show them that they have done well, and add that to their reward chart. Stickers are reward charts while you try to work from home. It is a great motivator to keep the kids quiet while you get some work done.
Break out the crayons.
Kids can have a great time with coloring pens or crayons, but crayons are often the best option because they’re not permanent if they draw somewhere other than paper. If you buy a couple of cheap white wallpaper rolls, you can simply roll out a long line of paper and tell the kids to fill it in. Give them a topic or a theme and tell them to decorate an entire strip of paper for you. They can spend hours going backward and forward to 100 crayons and these wallpaper rolls and build you something amazing.
Create your own DIY ball pit.
A plastic kids pool and a ton of plastic balls from the local toy shop will give your kids somewhere to play that isn’t a soft play center. If you have a slide you can add it as well, and you can add couch cushions and pillows and blankets to make their own soft play area. Ball pits are brilliant for younger children too, because you can keep them contained and within sight while you focus on work and know that they’re not going to get into too much trouble again when they play nicely together. Give them a sticker for their reward chart.
Make some homemade play dough.
If you don’t want to spend lots of money on the official play dough, you can make your own homemade playdough with flour, water, and corn flour. There are so many different recipes out there and if you get them to put their handprints in the dough, they can bake the dough and paint it and it becomes a whole activity. Flour, salt, cream of tartar, water and oil can give you the play dough feel and you can even add food coloring to it to colour it different colors.
These projects are simple to set up and can keep kids busy for hours, giving you the time you need to focus on your work.
Conclusion
Balancing work and parenting from home is no small feat, but with a bit of planning and creativity, it’s entirely possible to keep your kids happy and engaged. Establishing a routine helps set clear expectations and reduces stress. Creating a kid-friendly workspace ensures they have a safe and stimulating environment. By integrating these strategies, you can create a harmonious home where both work and play thrive.
