How to work from home with kids

When I first told people I was working one day a week from home with my then one year old son, quite a few people told me I was mad. And actually they had a point. Working from home with your children can be tricky, which is why I have put together this guide on how to work from home with kids, which is full of useful tips and advice.

As lovely as it sounds, typing away on the laptop, a large mug of coffee on the go, whilst your little one happily plays at your feet, the reality isn’t quite the same. Picture said little one, red in the face screaming for you at a decibel you didn’t know humans could reach, whilst you try to frantically tackle your ever growing inbox. 

Working from home with kids isn’t necessarily easy and that is a fact. However, it is entirely possible and it can also be incredibly rewarding too. 

How to work from home with kids, by mums and dads who are doing it

I asked some working from home mum and dad bloggers to share their top tips and advice on how to work from home with kids. Here’s what they had to say:

Prioritise

“Prioritising is a must! And work out a schedule, especially if your work involves repetitive tasks. Work out when you will do these tasks and how long for. This way everyone knows that this is Mummy (or daddy’s) working time for xx amount of time.” Rebecca, Living with Peas.

“Take it one job at a time. Babies aren’t very good at following a plan for the whole day and I used to find it frustrating that I couldn’t get done what I’d planned. So, I choose the most important job that needs doing, get that done when I can, and then move onto the next.” Amy, Mum Full of Dreams.

“Separate your jobs into things you can do while the kids are around but ‘occupied’ and jobs that need your full focus. Save the full focus jobs for when you can be child free… and at that point make sure that you have blinkers on and can ignore the washing/ dishwasher/ other home tasks!” Jodie, Maidenhead Mum.

Be Organised and have To Do Lists

“Being organised is key. Having activities ready to go so you can sit and do work is essential. We also work on the weekends when there are other people free to help manage the household. It’s all about making it work for you!” Kelly, Our Transitional Life.

“Being organised really helps. Having a plan of exactly what you want to achieve that day. I find having a to do list really helps and motivates me. I then fit it in where I can each day like during nap times.” Chantelle, The English Family.

“Make a list of tasks you can do if you have a spare few minutes,” advises Victoria, The Growing Mum, “You then have a ready to-do list for quick reference rather than trying to think of what to do and losing time.”

Set Boundaries

Sarah of Boo Roo and Tigger Too advises it’s all about setting boundaries. Having set office hours, creating a designated space to work and scheduling breaks for family time.

Go where the WiFi is

Frances of Whinge Whinge Wine recommends going where the WiFi (and coffee) is in her blog post about keeping the kids entertained in the school holidays whilst freelancing. Finding a soft play with good WiFi can give you a few hours solid work time whilst your kids are entertained.

Get up early or stay up late

“Wake up earlier or stay up late.” says Jade, Live a Blissful Life, “It’s better for your sanity when you don’t expect children to conform to the plan you set for the day, especially when they’re very young and have no impulse control. I used to get angry because I was getting interrupted all the time. I finally started waking up at 4am, 3 hours before anyone wakes up and lo and behold, my most important blogging tasks are over before anyone wakes up. And I even have time to enjoy a hot cup of coffee.”

“I work from home and have done since my son was a baby.” Says Michelle of Time and Pence. “There are so many ways you can make money from home with flexible hours to fit around babies and small children and I now share all these ways on my blog. Working in the evenings while they are sleeping gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with them whilst they are awake. Enjoy your daytimes with them because it’s such a short time, they will soon be at school giving you more time to work during the day.”

“I get up 1 hour before everyone else and have my To Do list written out the night before. I do think that you have to have realistic expectations on how much work you can expect to do!!” Lynne, Around the World in 18 Years.

Have a back up plan

“Generally, babies are much easier to work with than toddlers. However, both can cause a few problems. I’d advise having a very clear back up plan as things are rarely straightforward. It can work well though. You’ve just got to find a solution that works for you.” Vicki, Blossom Education

In his blog post about working from home with a baby, Stuart of Fatherhood recommends getting the baby out of the house if you’re working from home – be it grandparents, a playgroup or nursery.

Kate, from Refined Prose, works from home and is also a full time carer for her two children. Kate advises the one thing you need to do to be successful when working from home is work! As such you need to ask your nearest and dearest to offer proper help and support because working from home parents still have deadlines and clients to impress.

Use nap times wisely

Katy of Katy Kicker recommends using nap times wisely. There’s a lot that you can fit in when your little one is having a two hour nap.

Be Honest

“Be honest about the challenges you face. Lots of mums are doing this and we all pretend that phone calls or whatever are easy when they are not with a little one. Yet if we all said what was really going on people would work round our challenges and it would not be a huge deal if a little one called out when you were on the phone or came into shot during a vlog/FB Live or whatever. Tell it like it is – it is not a sin to be a mum who also is trying to work.” Kate, Kate On Thin Ice.

My tips for working at home with kids

There’s some amazing advice and I couldn’t agree more with what the working parents have shared above.

I’ve now been working from home for one day a week since just before my son turned one. He’s now almost four and I can honestly say for the most part it has worked really well.

I have activities planned for him to do during the day. He understands that mummy has to sit down and do work in order for us to be together and at home. I’m not saying there haven’t been moments when it’s been difficult. Believe me there has – when he’s tired and grumpy because he’s not slept well or when I’m tired and grumpy because I haven’t slept well either! That’s when I call in for support and help, be it Grandparents or friends to come to the rescue and keep him entertained.

Top tip: Take your little ones out to play before you start working. That way they can burn off some energy and be more chilled out at home afterwards. I used to take my son for swimming lessons in the morning, which then made him have a longer nap than normal. Perfect to get some quiet time to concentrate on any projects that you’re working on.

Rowena, My Balancing Act, Working Mum Life

Working from home parents: You are not alone!

I would also like to add that it’s important to remember you are not alone. There are lots of other working parents who work from home with their kids, all facing the same challenges. I’ve recently created a Facebook Group, The Balancing Act, for working parents to chat to each other and share tips and advice. Please feel free to join the group and support each other. The Group is brand new and will hopefully be a helpful resource and community for working parents.

Do you work from home with your kids? If so I would love to hear your top tips and advice in the comments below.

For more working mum advice visit: Working Mum Life