Make Learning and Working from Home More Comfortable
Wow! What a year it’s been, and it’s not over yet! I’ve already put my Christmas tree up and have gone full on Christmas Story at my house. It’s been an exhausting year so far and I needed some early holiday cheer. So let’s get into this week’s post. What’s working while working from home?
The first few weeks of being home with family - the kids, the pets, the partner, was probably a dream come true for the whole family. Plans for breakfast together and all that extra family time can be amazing. However, if the time is not planned out well, it can turn into an unorganized nightmare - with pajamas until 3pm, forgotten lunches and no one noticing the kids have turned the camera off on their Zoom class, and are now playing with their cell phones.
The best way I’ve learned to combat this is to create a schedule. Plan the day for the family and leave the schedule posted on the fridge or somewhere else where the entire family can see it. Setting reminders on your phone helps, but believe me - the kids will come over and tap you on the shoulder when it’s time for their lunch break. If you’re working from home, be sure to speak with your employer about adjusting your schedule on days when your child has class, so that your lunch break is at the same time as your kid’s lunch break. This ensures that even though you are all working, there is still quality family time being worked into the day.
It’s a good idea to be sure your child is kept busy while you’re still working until 5pm or beyond. Work on a schedule with your child. They will love having some ownership of their day and being a part of how they will spend their time. Barnes and Nobles has great agendas of all sizes that your child can use to fill their day. You can also just use a printable agenda you find online. Add in fun activities as well as tasks that may be needed around the house, just present them as a “mommy’s helper” task rather than a chore. Lots of people are on the fence about rewards, however, a reward can be as simple as going to the park together afterwards. Rewards don’t have to be monetary or food related. Going to the park gets kids out and exercising since traditional gym class is a thing of the past. If you have pets, walking them and feeding them can also be worked into your child’s schedule for the day. What does your pet need to stay healthy and how can your kids help?
Make sure your child is dressed for class, whether the camera is on or not. Think about this - do you feel ready for a work meeting if you’re not put together, wearing sweats, hair askew? Even the simplest effort can make a big difference in productivity. Ask your child the night before what they would like to wear tomorrow, let them be a part of their wardrobe selection and model doing the same. Outfits can be simple - a sweater over a T-shirt and jeans works just as well as a Polo shirt and trousers or shorts. The point is that mentally and psychologically - your body knows you are preparing for the day ahead.
Rearranging closets and drawers with your kids so that seasonal things are handy and ready for your children to grab on their own can be a huge time saver in the mornings. You can minimize choices by getting rid of kids’ clothes that don’t fit anymore in the process! For girls, accessories might be a big deal, select the next day’s accessories and keep them in a basket or bowl nearby. Things like headbands, hairclips and earrings can all go in the basket. The same goes with breakfast. Have a selection of choices that you can realistically manage with your kids before you are all off to work and school. Are your kids early risers? In that case, you may have time for blueberry pancakes with all the trimmings. Do you struggle to get kids up in the morning? Then, oatmeal and fruit or yogurt might be a better, quicker and hassle-free breakfast for all parties.
Preparing for how meals will go is essential. Whether you are ordering groceries online or going out to the supermarket, setting the week up right with a grocery haul that will adequately cover every meal and snack time will make for a much smoother week. Include your child in the snack selection. Yes, it might take longer, but it shows your child you value their input. All healthy all the time may not be too much fun, but you can get around this with compromise, and moderation when selecting snacks that will go a long way toward keeping your child from getting lethargic while sitting in class.
Sitting for a Google class for a long periods of time can be difficult if you’re kid is hungry. Have a pantry full of pre-selected snacks that can also be pre-portioned into ziplock bags or reusable snack bags - grab-and-go style. Bento boxes are also a great idea for pre-portioned sized snacks that won’t keep your child from over-eating before lunch or dinner. I wouldn’t recommend leaving the snacks on your child’s desk for easy access, as this can create unnecessary and prolonged snacking throughout the day. Your child can grab the snack during a break or bathroom run, the movement can help your kids stay mobile and gather some much needed energy to return to class refreshed.
Ask your child to throw in a good stretch while they’re at it! Watch some videos of good stretches together on YouTube during down time to show your child how to stretch appropriately without getting hurt. Optimize your child’s space for stretch breaks by reducing clutter. I found Marie Kondo’s book - “The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up,” to be a game changer in our home. I followed every step in decluttering our home, and wow! What a difference in our peace of mind, air flow in our home, and overall spaciousness. There’s an overall sense of well-being when there’s less stuff to slog through in closets and kitchen cabinets. You can teach your children to go through their own things once a month and organize or minimize based on their needs. This is an activity that can be added to their schedule when class is over but you’re still working. Tidying up can be as simple as throwing away non-essential items accumulated during class at the end of each school day, to a monthly walk through of closets, drawers, and toys for a refresh.
Use these tips to sit down and think about what’s working while working from home. This will give you and your children peace of mind and a more balanced life day-today. I hope these tips have been helpful to get a jump-start on a more balanced life for your kids and you.
Below are links to some of the ideas mentioned above, as well as some comfy work-from-home accessories that may make being at home more comfortable.
Ergonomic under desk foot rest
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Stress-free Family Meal Planning
With lots of love for your little one’s learning - Lexx