Whether your nanny had to cancel on you or your little one is home sick from daycare or preschool, there will be days when you’re stuck working from home while parenting. Working from home with baby is a whole new challenge that every parent eventually has to navigate. If you’re wondering how you can stay productive while caring for your little one, here are our top 5 tips for working from home with kids. 

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5 Tips For Working From Home With Kids

Whether you have a newborn or a toddler, there’s a lot of creative ways to manage parenting while working from home with kids. There will be times when you find yourself without childcare support but still need to keep up with work responsibilities. We hope these tips inspire you to find a balance between work and parenting when you’re working from home with baby!

Here are our top 5 tips for how to manage working from home with littles:

1. Create a flexible schedule with your employer. Working from home with baby means you will have moments when you suddenly have to attend to your little one’s needs (like diaper changes, when you need to nurse or during mealtime). On days when you have to be at home with your little one, ask your employer if you can shift your schedule to accommodate their routine. Schedule meetings for when your little one is their calmest (right after eating or when they first wake up!). Alert your colleagues as soon as you can and make a plan that works for everyone so you feel supported while working from home with kids. 
2. Work while they sleep. If your little one is under a year, take advantage of all the daytime sleep they need. Try to accomplish as much as you can during naptime and know that they will need a lot more rest than usual if they aren’t feeling well. To start the day off with structure and consistency, try finding your morning routine with littles. Waking up early in the morning before your little one gets up or trying to be as productive as possible after bedtime can help you squeeze in a few hours of uninterrupted work when you don’t have other options. 
3. Build a support team. If your partner is a work-from-home parent, you can take shifts tending to your little one’s needs so you both get the time you need to focus on work. Whether it’s your partner, family members or hiring a temporary babysitter for some moments of the day, you need to hand off some childcare duties to others so you have enough time to dedicate to work hours. 
4. Take breaks throughout the day. Whether it’s a short walk around the block with your baby in tow or a few minutes of storytime, having these moments with your little during the work day is really rewarding. This time to recharge allows for quality moments of bonding - especially when they are under the weather and may be feeling some separation anxiety. While you prepare to return to work after baby, make the transition as smooth as possible for your family and have a plan in mind for days when you have to work with your little one at home with you. Taking frequent breaks can actually make you more productive and increase your ability to focus. Try the pomodoro technique: work in 25-minute cycles and take a 5 minute break when the timer goes off. 
5. Create a space for babies and toddlers next to you. If your little one needs to be close to you and likes contact napping, baby wearing while you stand up at your desk is a great option. A moses basket with organic cotton swaddles, a play yard with cozy quilted blankets or a rocker are all great places to park your little one safely while working from home with baby. Set up a play mat for tummy time right next to your desk. Create a Montessori room for babies and toddlers to explore independently (keep this designated space well-organized with pom pom storage). Since toddlers are in search of independence and love to copycat, set up a workstation with a keyboard so they can mimic you along with art supplies, blocks and play dough. 

Pom Pom Bin

Takeaways

Though some days everything will go according to plan, expect there to be times when your only choice is to work remotely while caring for your little one. There will be moments where you need another set of hands or have to temporarily put work on the backburner to tend to your baby or toddler. With some preparation and adjustments along the way, you can find a balance between parenting and working from home with kids!