7 Habits of Highly Effective Work-from-home Mamas:
Managing While Quarantined
Mamas, if you don’t know, now you know.
Working remotely when your kids are home from school ain’t exactly a cakewalk. Whether you’re in school, or have a desk job, there’s work to be done and if you have one kid or many, it can feel batsh*t crazy trying to get anything done with them in the house.
I know. I’ve been there.
I’ve learned a thing or two having worked on multiple public health initiatives via remote teams over many years. I’ve worked from home with an infant, with a toddler, with a preschooler and now with 2 school aged children in the age of Coronavirus quarantine.
Here are 7 habits that I’ve found make my days infinitely more manageable:
- Your day starts the night before. You know this already, but when you’re working from home with kids, this is next level important. A little planning will go a long, long way. Here are 3 things to think about:
- What do you need to get done for work tomorrow? Write that sh*t down. Make a “things that will get done” list.
- What do kids absolutely need to do tomorrow? Whether they have homeschooling activities or the goal is simply to have them fed and teeth brushed (in any order… haha). Name it.
- What are other things you’d like to see happen? Here is where you fantasize about all the top notch activities you’d like to provide but usually can’t because you’re busy hustling. Here are some I would love to do: playing basketball, a board game, or doing some craft project that looks like fun from far, far away).
2. Set ’em all up on a schedule. I know as well as any mama that if they’re home, it’s easier to just let them sleep when they want and wake up when they want. But if you need to get sh*t done, let me be the first to tell you, it won’t happen if they’re not on some type of schedule or routine. Now, don’t get it twisted — there’s no need to be a hard ass about it — be flexible, but be firm.
I’ve learned that before I start my day, I need them to be awake, dressed, teeth brushed, hair done and eating breakfast. Once I make that happen, everything else seems to fall in place a little bit better.
3. Let your team in. Listen, your job is lucky to have you because if you’re a mama and holding it down in the workplace, you’re already the cream of the crop. For real.
And in times like this, if anyone knows how to deal with uncertainty and roll with the punches, it’s working mamas.
Let your team know what’s up: kids are home, you’ll need some flexibility, a lunch break and probably a few minutes away from your computer each hour to support their needs. It is what it is. The more upfront you are, the more everyone will go with the flow.
4. Use your breaks to recharge the whole family. Let’s not forget you have needs too. Use the bathroom. Eat a snack. S-T-R-E-T-C-H your body. Do some push ups (LOL jk).
Check on the kiddos. Is it time to switch out their activity for a new one? Do you have a second to participate in what they’re doing?
Let them know what they need to be doing for the next hour (or until your next break), set them up with a snack and off you go to work again.
For lunch, if you can, turn off all the devices. Take a couple of minutes to set up the food, sit down and eat together. This part is important.
I can tell you that when I give my kids some attention throughout the day and during lunch, they’re less likely to dance around in the background of my Zoom meetings. Just sayin.
5. Be kind with your expectations. You can prepare for the day to the fullest. You can plan for educational activities, art projects, healthy snacks and the whole nine. Just know that the day may go smoothly and it may all happen. Or, it may not. Either way it’ll be alright. And you’ll be back at it again tomorrow.
6. Be unafraid of boredom. When my kids get bored, they get needy. They want to have a conversation with me, or argue with each other, or mess with the dog, etc, etc. It’s at these moments when I buckle and put them in front of a screen — which instantly turns them into zombies. And lets me get right back to what I was doing.
It works, and it’s an option.
But what is clear is that when I encourage them to create their own activities out of all the things available to them (LEGOs, journals, books, puzzles, art supplies), they come up with cool and interesting sh*t. And they don’t get as mentally tapped out or cranky as they do when they watch TV or get on a device.
7. Celebrate the end of the day, each day. They may not say it or act like it, but they’re relieved once you’re done with work for the day. Celebrate together. If you can, take a walk, let them run, throw a ball around. Call family/friends and talk together. Do some dance videos on YouTube. Set up dinner, eat together. Cuddle up for popcorn and a movie, play that board game, do that craft project. Or just have a good ol’ fashioned conversation.
We’re in uncertain times. There’s no doubt about it. But we do have each other and that’s all we need to get us to the other side of this. There’s going to be tough days ahead, but if anyone can make a dollar out of 15 cent, it’s us working mamas.
