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Is working at home with kids possible?

I often ask myself if I can really make working at home with kids, well, work. There are times when the minis become so difficult that I start thinking of quitting my work at home career and be a SAHM instead — perhaps I’d be less stressed if I don’t need to split my time among my kids, my work, and house chores.

Of course, I stop the thought of quitting even before I start to seriously consider it. I’d like to keep our simple yet comfortable lifestyle. And to do that, I have to continue working from home. So, what do I do if working from home becomes difficult?

Tips On Working At Home With Kids Around

Before anything else, try to find a work schedule you are comfortable with. I like working early in the morning (before the minis wake up) and in the afternoon while the big kids are in school and the little kids are taking a nap. When they’re all home, I work when all the kids are playing together. If in case, they refuse to take a nap or play on their own, I usually just give in and drop my work so I can play with them. It always works to give them the time they want with you so later on, they’d give you the time you need for work.

On days when I need to get a lot of work done, I call for backup. I either ask Daddy A to bring one of the minis with him to the office or we get the help of a babysitter or a relative. That usually buys me enough time to get things done at work. If you do this, make sure you remove all distractions so you’re only focused on work!

If I need to work, but there is no need for backup, I often just bring the kids to their playroom or outside and I work nearby where I can see them. Sometimes, kids just want to have you with them so it works to either work in their playroom (if they have one) or give them a corner in your home office.

Play Room Fun
Kelly and Caleb in their playroom in our previous apartment.

It is also very helpful to have a set of activities to keep the kids busy every day. I usually give the minis art supplies and let them get creative. I also have blocks and balls for building and sports. These things will keep them busy for an hour or two — just enough time to squeeze in some work.

I won’t lie because there are some days that the minis would not let me work at all. During these days, I just let go and go with the flow. Because really, I’m working from home because I want to be more present to my family — the money I get is just a consolation prize. 😉 Important Note: Just make sure this does not happen every day, though, because you’d definitely lose clients. 😀

Are you a work at home mom/dad, too? What do you do to make working at home with kids more productive and less stressful?

Kimberley Reyes

Kimberley Reyes is an Online Business Manager for entrepreneurs who are ready to get off the hamster wheel and step into their CEO shoes. On top of helping her clients get organized and scale their businesses, she is also happily busy raising her five kids with her firefighter husband.

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. I have been working from home since 2008. I am a bit handicapped (metal plate on my left ankle) and gave up working in the office as it has become difficult to travel. I was doing okay working full time from home until we finally had our blessing. After a miscarriage (blighted ovum) and complete bed rest during the first trimester, we now have a 28 month old tot.

    I gave up working full time from home when our nanny had to leave. My sister is helping me take care of him but his separation anxiety is making it impossible to work as at least a part time telesales agent (3 hours – day shift) hence, I am starting to try my luck blogging. Time management is really a challenge now so I have been reading around finding tips from other moms like you.

    Even if i work in the room with all his toys in the same room, he would still insist on sitting on my lap anyway and do everything to get under my shirt to “doodie” (breastfeed). He would hit me/throw a toy at me/jump on me if I say no. So I end up giving in.

    Any more tips from you or other moms would be highly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance. 🙂

    1. Kimberley Reyes

      Hi Karen! My son is almost the same age as your little one so I can totally relate about the child wanting to always be with you. My son is like that sometimes. He’d sit on my lap while I work or ask to “drink Mommy’s milk” in the middle of a call. He used to be super persistent about this. As in he’d cry if I don’t give in. But every time he does that, I would just calmly say, “Give mommy a minute to finish her work.”

      At first he’d still demand that I stop right away…but I let him wait. Eventually, he stopped being so demanding and learned to wait quietly until I am done. He is now 30 months old.

      His 4-year old sister is the same way. I can have them around me when I work without problems. They pretend that they’re working din while I’m working.

      Hope this helps!

  2. joy | chemist2writer

    haha in our house, my office is in our bedroom but we had it walled so that the little guy can’t get inside but still see me working..we’re lucky that my mom’s living with us for the moment but i can’t imagine what happens when our little princess enters the picture 🙂 i think i like the idea of a playroom in the office – we actually had a playroom in our bedroom, too, but moved it to the living area when we bought a second bed so we would all fit in 😀 good luck to me next year 😀

    1. Mom On Duty

      I do have a work/blogging table in the living room, but working in their playroom works best for me since they’re calmer when they see me. I’m also lucky because we can get our neighbor to babysit for us when there is a work emergency — so it’s good that you have your mom with you. Most days, though, I handle the work-kids-house balance on my own. I’m sure you’ll be able to find balance when your youngest is born. Just give yourself some time to figure things out. After that, you’ll be fine. 🙂

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