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Next week marks the end of the school year in the Elf household. This time of year is always a bit bittersweet cause on the one hand there are no lunches to make, no needing to rush out the door first thing in the morning, and a little bit more laid back lifestyle. On the other hand, there is still work to be done and a child to entertain. Today I would like to share my 7 Work at Home Summer Survival Tips.
- Have a plan. It is so tempting to do nothing all summer after that first week of relaxation when school ends (come on, I know you do it too), but then the week before school rolls around and you try to cram in all that you had planned to do last minute. It is much better to sit down now and loosely structure your summer with field trips, art projects, and scheduling in time each day to sit down and get some work done.
- Keep a busy box. How exactly are you supposed to get work done with kids asking for snacks and saying they are bored a hundred times a minute? Stock a box full of craft projects they can do themselves and put snacks on shelves low enough that your kids can get to them by themselves. Don’t pull out the box until you have everything ready to work though, because they will whip through that craft faster than you anticipated and then you are back to square one.
- Hire some help. Sometimes it is not possible to finish all the work that you need to do with kids underfoot. This is when it is necessary to bring in reinforcements. Whether it is hiring a mother’s helper or bringing in a full time nanny, you need to find the solution that works for you and your family.
- Strike where it counts. Having reduced work hours and focus means it is time to take stock on what is really important. Create a list of the must dos and the want to dos. Focus most of your time and energy on the must dos and then work on the want to dos when you get a spare moment.
- Enroll them in Summer Camp. My daughter will be going to summer camp three full weeks this summer at her school. I’m planning on getting the bulk of my summer work done when she is there. Look around for ones in your area either at Zoos, Museums, private schools, and gyms.
- Work at the Park. Pack a picnic lunch, some sunscreen, your laptop and a broadband card. Let the kids play til they are pooped and have some snacks and ice water waiting. If you don’t have a laptop or a broadband card, then go old school with a notebook to do some writing and planning in. This is also a good time to knock some things off your reading list.
- Have fun. It is summer after all. Your kids are only going to be young once and the one of the main points of working from home is to be there for them. Build in some hours each day to play or take full days off. You deserve a vacation from all your hard work too.
What are your work at home summer survival tips? Share them in the comments below.
Please share
I’m lucky that my wife is home with the kids, but it’s still distracting knowing that they’re in the pool, or even when I hear them around the house.
My office is on it’s own floor of the house, and I have a door to the stairway, with a lock. I also have a set of Bose noise cancelling headphones, which I can either use for quiet, or to listen to my music (or podcasts).
In any event, whether the kids are at home or in school, a good plan is a must! And, if you have to, you can get a couple of hours of work done once the kids have gone to bed.
Good tips Eric. I definitely was burning the midnight oil last night and find a quiet house is sometimes the most productive.
I wish I could lock myself in my study with noise cancelling earphones and get some work done. Unfortunately I’m way too paranoid about the house burning down or burglars breaking in or some other improbable fantasy to sequester myself in the middle of the day.
Working late into the night after everyone has gone to bed, on the other hand, is ideal. I’m more relaxed and not worried about the world around me. I find late nights to be my most productive time.
Before Child Protective Services are called on me, I should mention my wife is watching the kids while I’m locked up. We don’t simply recreate Lord of the Flies daily 🙂
But, Alex, I also agree… there’s a certain mindset about working at night that I seem to get a lot done.