Working from home with kids: advice from Wirelab’s parents
For all of us working at Wirelab, these past few weeks have been spent adjusting to the oddities of relocating from the office to our homes. And as for Wirelab’s parents, they now know what it’s like to try to work with kids tugging at their hair. After taking some time to find their flow, our parents have got some tricks up their sleeves — and we’d love to share them with you!
We asked Wirelab’s mommies and daddies to give their winning piece of advice on how to stay productive (and sane) while working at home with kids. They also shared some of their funny experiences and moments that surprised them, in hopes that other work-from-home parents around the globe can relate.
Tip #1: Make sure your partner doesn’t need to work at the same time and you’ll be good to go
Stefan kip, Wirelab’s .NET developer
“I’ll admit, this one is more of a privilege than a piece of advice. My girlfriend and I are lucky because she works outside office hours, so we’re able to share the responsibility of looking after our two-year-old daughter Lani.”
What’s her cutest moment?
“Whenever I’m video calling, Lani is curious about what’s happening and crawls over to say ‘Hi’ to the attendees, which is really cute if you ask me.”
Tip #2: Having a 9 to 5 is for people without kids. Find your rhythm and try to enjoy the company
Mark Reinderink, Wirelab’s creative director
“Our house has been one big playground. While I dislike having clay on my laptop and apologizing for Barbie’s cameo appearances in my video calls, I’ve accepted that this is just how working at home with kids is going to be. Other than that, I’ve also learned that I can be a creative director and a piece of playground equipment at the same time.”
Any funny stories from the past few weeks?
“Don’t get me started. I have two kids, so it’s double the trouble. My son Bodhi (7) had a Zoom call with twenty classmates in which he and all the others said ‘Hi’ to everyone individually (that's 20 x 20 screaming ‘Hi’s).
When I was having lunch, Mia (3) found a way to write two lines in my concept for a new client that just said: rwdgsdfgsdfgasdfvastzdgzdfgasdvb.
Bodhi also thinks he is an art director and constantly criticizes my designs for not being pretty enough or not having enough dinos (according to Mia the designs need more unicorns).”
Tip #3: If your child is making noises on your conference call, just embrace it — or use it to your advantage
Niek Pots, Wirelab’s managing director
“My daughter Juul is two months old and has started making a lot of noises. Recently I had a rather difficult conversation with a client, but the moment he heard Juul’s sounds I turned the camera over to show her in her crib. Our conversation instantly took an upwards turn.”
What’s it like to be a new father right now?
“I have no prior experience with taking care of kids, so this whole thing has been a learning journey for me. I’m lucky that Juul is still at the age where she sleeps for most of the day, so I manage to get most of my work done during her naps. But I do notice that my work life and private life are starting to blend together, which means I’m often sitting behind my laptop in the evenings. You just have to adjust and accept that you can’t always manage your day perfectly.”
Tip #4: Cuddles are necessary to replenish your energy
Samantha Bodamèr, Wirelab’s financial manager
“Even if you don’t have a lot of time, take some time to cuddle your kids every few hours. It does so much to boost my energy levels — sometimes it even works better than coffee.”
What has surprised you about working from home with your kids?
“How much it hurts to see the disappointment on their faces when I tell them that I’m busy and can’t play with them. Fortunately, they’re becoming more understanding and patient. We always catch up with some cuddles later.”
Tip #5: Put your headphones on and blast some beats
Tudor Barbu, Wirelab’s full-stack developer
“I find the easiest way to stay focused and get some respite from your kids’ noise is to drown it out with even louder noise. For me, that comes in the form of some deep, dark techno beats.”
How do you keep your productivity levels up?
“I practice the art of ‘Deep Work,’ which is the skill of remaining focused on a cognitively demanding task whilst working in a distraction-filled environment. It’s a skill you have to train over time, by working to transform your mind and your habits. If you want to learn more about it, I highly recommend the book by Cal Newport.”
And there you have it! Conventional or anecdotal, we think that there’s something for every parent in here. Of course, we’d love to hear your winning piece of advice, so we can learn from you too! Share it with us below.
From the parents of Wirelab to all the parents who are new to this situation too: hang in there, you got this!
