Whether you run a business from home or do housework at home, there is going to come a time when you need to work and the kids want to be entertained. How can you successfully manage to work at home with kids around? Hopefully, this post can help with that!
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The Problem
Here we are at the last point of our series Creating Meaningful Moments. We’ve discussed staying present with our kids, making use of all the downtime naturally built into our days, how to involve our kids in daily tasks, and keeping ourselves under control when everything else is out of control.
How often do you wonder how to get your work done without feeling guilty for neglecting your kids? I know I do almost daily. Today, we’re going to discuss some ideas for how to work at home with kids around.
So often I fall prey to one of two things. Either I focus on all the many to-dos of adulting and leave my kids to self-entertain (i.e., watch tv, make a big mess, and/or fight with one another) or I “postpone” – read “never do” – many of my important tasks to spend quality time with my kids.
Each of these scenarios leave me feeling dissatisfied, stressed, and guilty. I spent the afternoon playing and now my to-do list is even longer. I accomplished a lot but turned down chances to play with my all-too-quickly growing children. I wish there were more hours in the day!
Did you know that it is possible to accomplish your tasks and spend quality time with your kids at the same time? It is! It may require a little creativity. It may be out-of-the-box. It may take a little longer to do certain things. But in the end, it will leave everyone feeling much better about time well spent. Here are a few ideas of things kids can do while parents work.
*Please keep in mind that not all suggestions will work for everyone. We all have our own particular family situations. Feel free to adapt or completely discard any of these ideas that will not work for you.*
Computer work
- Sit near an open window while the kids play outside.
Sometimes I pull up the blinds, open a window, and sit on the couch or chair next to the window while my kids play in the yard. They love coming to the window and talking to me. They play drive thru, post office, restaurant, messenger, or ask me to watch their tricks. My eyes and ears are on them at all times, and I am able to get some work done. This idea won’t really work with toddlers or if you live on a busy street.
- Plant yourself at the kitchen/dining room table.
If you’re not doing anything that requires extreme concentration, then let the kids play restaurant or tea party or play dough or cooking competition (a favorite of my kids!). You can pretend to eat food or drink tea while you work, they’re occupied, and you are getting your work done.
Household Chores
- Put the baby in a bouncy seat or Bumbo and sit him/her near you while you work. Sing, play peekaboo, and/or provide toys while you work.
- Toddlers and preschoolers love to “help.” Give them a spray bottle of water and a cloth and let them wipe windows or counters. Let them splash in the sink and “wash” dishes while you do.
- Use cleaning as an opportunity to teach your elementary kids how to do certain tasks like washing dishes, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher or cleaning the bathroom. At this age, they still love to be with you and will be learning important life skills while actually helping to ease your load.
Yard Work
- Give kids a tool similar to yours and let them have at it. I have found kid-sized rakes, shovels, etc. at my local dollar store!
- Build up how much you need their help/how important the task is, and let them be your runner to take sticks to the fire pit or bring seeds and bulbs to you.
- If you’re brave enough, give them the garden hose and let them water plants. Be sure that you are in a good enough mood to laugh when they ultimately end up spraying you!
Cooking
- Babies and young toddlers love to play with bowls and spoons. The noisier the better!
I have always left a low cabinet or drawer (even when I lived in an apartment with a super tiny kitchen) un-childproofed so that my crawlers and toddlers could open it up and play with some unbreakable dishes. I fill it with plastic storage containers, rarely used utensils, etc. so that they can play to their little hearts’ content.
- Older toddlers and preschoolers can stir foods, pour ingredients, and set the table.
- Elementary kids can follow simple instructions, measure ingredients, or be in charge of a specific dish.
Other tasks
- Welcome kids near you and explain what you are doing and why you are doing it. Let them watch and ask questions.
- Give them pretend objects like yours and let them role play “working” like mom or dad.
- If it’s a mindless task, tell them a story, made up or true.
- Have them read to you or tell you a story.
- Swap jokes.
These are just a few ideas for engaging your little people when you work at home with kids around. If you use your imagination and think outside-of-the-box, you can come up with all sorts of creative ways to chase those moments with your kids while still getting your work done.
For more ideas on things kids can do while parents work, check out the post A Spoon Full of Sugar or any of the posts over on the Moments page. Also, look here for more inspiration for why engaging in our kids is worth the effort. There are tons of activity ideas for keeping little (and big!) hands and minds busy listed out by age and category on the Activities page.
The Chasing Those Moments Shop is full of resources for your family – printables, lessons, craft kits, and more! It also gives you access to purchase my books Jesse Tree Moments and Resurrection Moments for making deep, meaningful holiday traditions.
Do you find it hard to balance getting your tasks done and spending enough time with your kids? Do you struggle coming up with ways to engage them productively? Or does incorporating your kids into the tasks of the day come naturally to you? Do you have any activities to add to these lists? I’d love to hear some of your ideas!
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