How Do You Keep Kids Busy While You Freelance?
My wife and I decided a long time ago that we like children but don’t really want any of our own. Luckily, the rest of my family appear to be breeders, and now we have seven nieces with another on the way. I suppose there’s a chance that this one could be a nephew, but it’s pretty unlikely.
One of the things that we like to do in the summer is to grab one or two of the girls, and let them hang out with us. It’s funny how quickly the parents are willing to share their “pride and joy,” especially if it’s with an out-of-town relative!
Now that I’m a full time freelancer, I am trying to think of ways to entertain the girls, while still managing to get some of my work done.
Here are a few of the ideas I have to keep them entertained in the daytime – without resorting to them watching the TV all day. Can you add any for me?
- Toss a handful of green jellybeans on the lawn – should keep them busy for a while
- Craft projects – stopping at Office Depot to pick up lots of supplies
- My favourite game – “Who can be Quietest the Longest?”
- Wii Sports Resort
Or, is it just better to get your work done in the evening, after they’ve been entertained all day?
How do real parents manage working from home?
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The green jellybeans on the lawn trick is awesome! How about Sugar Babies at the beach? Just bring your laptop, you’ll be fine for awhiiiiiile.
Here are some more ideas to keep your kids busy while you work:
http://www.themogulmom.com/2010/06/educational-activities/
My friend and designer, James Chartrand, just told me about your site – love it!
Thanks,
Heather
We’re pretty fond of James around here too! Thanks for coming by.
Thanks Heather – excellent link as well!
James is fantastic writer – I’m happy to hide in his shadow!
This is an interesting post – I’d definitely like to see how others handle it.
I have one school-aged child (he’ll be starting 1st grade in September) and one pre-school child. I’ve been doing this since before either of them were born. This is the big reason I like to freelance out of my home office. I have LOTS of interruptions during my work hours – I never plan to sit for a full 8-hour day without emerging from my office. I typically work in spurts – and my office hours generally run from an hour before my posted times until the kidlets go to bed. I get a respite to focus close to the end of the day, between dinnertime and bedtime, when my husband comes home and plays with them. I also work a lot of weekends. This is one of the BIG reasons I always have my clients schedule visits and phone calls – I can never handle spur-of-the-moment stuff because I’m usually breaking up fights, helping to potty-train someone, playing a game of Chutes & Ladders, or reading Dr. Seuss – nothing a client wants to participate in!
It’s not optimal, but then again, I’d much rather be here, dealing with all of this, than working for someone else and hiring a sitter to raise my kids
When both of them are in school, it’ll definitely be a lot easier!
love the visual – sorry, can’t get that project done right away, as my little guy is just learning how to use the potty!
Do you think you are more productive working in spurts? Sometimes for me, the looming deadline creates the urgency that is missing on those days that could be spent writing all day – but rarely are…
thanks for commenting
I can fully identify with this method. I also homeschool my 7yr old son, so life is pretty much a balancing act. It’s also about finding your ‘normal’ and realizing that life has it’s seasons.
I also find I’m most productive when everyone is in bed. My clients are based in another timezone and most of my client communication is via email. I’ve also been blessed not to have the type of clients that want everything yesterday.
What a great idea–to have clients schedule their phonecalls. I’m going to try that.
I homeschooled for a year, but am thankful they’re both going to be in school in the fall. I’ll miss them, but it will mean I’ll end my workday when they come home–I’m anticipating family time being much more focused.
Are books totally out of date? Stock up on some educational ones with big pictures, like the Eyewitness Visual Dictionary series, or get some books on photographic composition (again with the big juicy pictures) and a couple of disposable cameras (if they even still make those?) and send the kids out to take pictures in the backyard. You could even take breaks to go on a photo walk together so they’re not just doing it on their own…
Kids are often eager to learn as long as it doesn’t look like school, so I’d try to find something that covers both fun time and learning. They’d probably love to be involved in a kid-version of whatever you’re working on (building design- or writing-related skills, for example).
Sad that I claim to be a writer, but didn’t even think to include books on the list.
Thanks for the suggestions – love the photowalk idea. that is something that will likely become a regular activity here at casa Finnerty every time the girls come over.
I would say if you are looking for ways to keep them out of your hair (jellybeans, the “quiet game”) then you really shouldn’t have them over…
Probably best, for the time being to get your work done in the evening as this isn’t fair to the kids.
I have mine at daycare during the day so she is active and has other kids to play with and isn’t bored. This is of course a necessity as a parent, as I couldn’t get work done with constant interruptions from the little one (who’s not so little anymore).
I’m ok to give up some work to spend quality time with them – but if there are some tips and tricks (and from the comments so far – there are many!) i figured i might accidentally get some work done this week.
We looked into a few day camps, but we missed the registration for them. Apparently the good ones fill up fast
LOL I loved the idea of tossing jelly beans… Of course it’s as entertaining to the children as watching paint dry… The activity I found depending on their age is to entertain them with craft projects sitting with you while you work. By sitting with you they will feel like they’re helping and kids love to help, oh yeah and be prepared to answer lots of questions!
well, instead of searching for jelly beans, we baked cupcakes. It’s pretty easy to explain to a client why the deadline was stretched a bit when you’ve got a belly full of cake and icing…
How about using them to help you brainstorm?
Word association?
Like what adam sandler does in “click” except don’t yell at them if you get candy houses
This is a problem that many of us just starting out run into. Currently, I have my wife and kids staying at home while I work. Unfortunately, even though my wife really tries hard, I get interrupted on a pretty constant basis. The only “realistic” solution is daycare. Especially now that my wife landed her job. Its really not right to try and make unfair, and probably boring, games for them to play when you can’t dedicate the right amount of attention to them.
not sure how you can manage to get your wife into daycare – but congrats!
My wife and I don’t have kids yet, but we also watch our nieces and nephews every now and then. Only once have I tried to work while they spent the night and after that sleepless weekend I decided that I would take “vacation” when we watch them now! …I am a night and weekend warrior freelancer (for the most part) so once we have kids of our own I will probably have to start work after bedtime…or try the jelly bean trick, but will have to put white ones in the rotation for winter!
We chose to do a similar tactic this week as well – my wife took a few days off so she can entertain the girls for a few hours.
good thinking with the white beans – but keep them away from the yellow snow!
Seriously? Spend all the time you can with (your) kids! I have a 4-month old baby boy… my wife is a say at home mom… and I’m a freelancer working from home. We’re all here. All the time. And there’s no chance I would trade that for anything.
I figure, when my life is over, my family and I will be much better off for the time spent together. I’m pretty sure I won’t care about a single project or deadline. That’s what I have to wake up thinking every morning.
In my life, I get more than enough work done to cover our living expenses, pay for my wife’s masters classes, and raise our boy. I work maybe 5 or 6 hours a day, but I’ve learned not to procrastinate… and I’ve learned how to run a business so that I’m earning the income that I need and deserve.
If you’re really that busy, hire some help… but don’t miss out on your family or it will be a sad day when it passes you by.
(I’m speaking in generalities, not specifically to the author who I’m sure was just joking about the jelly beans
That’s awesome you have that ability.
I’m a single parent raising my daughter alone – the money earned from working keeps us in home, food and tons of fun on the weekends and evening during the week.
I don’t have a stay-at-home spouse to do all the work of keeping her occupied; daycare (for me) is a great option as she’s with other kids her age during the day and getting the mental stimulation that she wouldn’t get having to keep herself busy at home.
Thanks Ben – and yes, the jelly beans were just a joke (checking over shoulder for Child Protection Services…)
We agree – but we think it is good that they understand that life is about balance. Work needs to get done in order to spend quality time with them. You can’t live only on love…
Don’t kid yourself. You’re not going to get work done if you have young kids around. I speak from experience. My wife and I freelance from home – at least, we try to. We have two 15 month old twins and it’s impossible to achieve any sort of serious productivity while they’re up and about. Generally, in a good week I get perhaps 5-8 hours of solid daytime work done (when the kids are asleep). Most serious work has to be done after they go to bed.
In August, our kids will start attending daycare two days of the week and I’m very much looking forward to it.
Young kids + freelancing do not mix well, unless there is some kind of care-provider involved.
two 15month twins – do you remember what sleep is?
hoping you have a fantastic – and restful – August!
I don’t freelance, but I do work from home full time for a company in a different state. I keep my six-month-old home with me whilc I am working while his older sister is in daycare. I manage to do fine with my infant as he naps quite a bit during the day. The rest of the time, he plays with his toys in my office with interaction from me. I end up working in the evening some to make up for any time I didn’t spend working during the day. So far this has worked all right, but it has been a challenge when he is fussy.
good example of balance Aaron – thanks for sharing
The quiet game doesn’t work in our house. Now that my girls are getting older, they are much more independant. I give work at home parents a lot of credit. Working at home is not as easy as everyone thinks, for several reasons!
My best tips for working at home with kids is to set a timer and break up your time between work and children (when you can). The kids seem to give me more time dedicated to working if they know they will have some mommy time.
That seems like a very fair solution – great suggestion
We have an 8 months old kid and it isn’t an easy task to handle everything, i think that when you got kids, the smaller they are the hardest to keep your workflow i’d suggest saving lots of money when you’re having a kid soon since in my case the money didn’t flow as supossed; anyways my advice is that save lots so you don’t feel bad if you work less and don’t get enough money that way you can be more time with your family and the money will be there
.
another plan that we considered was to win the lottery. we probably would have increased our chances by buying tickets – but not that much…
I’m a freelancer, hubby works from home. We have two kids. Next week we’ll have a nephew and a niece over for the whole week, because my sister and her hubby have regular jobs and it’s vacation time (a teen, two 2nd graders and a preechoolers). So: books, Legos, role playing toys, a puppet theatre – they will make the puppets by themselves, crayons, watercolors and tons of scrap paper; it’s hot outside, hence water guns (we have no pool, but we do have a yard), bycicles when we take them down the hill, some TV and some computer time and I’m pretty sure I’ll mostly notice them every couple of hours when I’ll have to fix meals.
Nice Kitty – actually, that’s very much the same as our situation (minus the kids of our own) – fun crafts and a safe yard seem to be the right choice – and I can squirt them with the hose if I’m getting frustrated.
no squirt guns near the computers –
I just had to comment on this one. I have two girls 7 and 5, plus two Wheaten Terriers. The harsh reality is the only chance — repeat, chance — for uninterrupted time is after 11 pm and before 6 am. I have one night owl and one early riser.
Your ideas really forced me to implant my tongue firmly in cheek as I respond.
Yep…green jelly beans on the lawn will keep them busy. Interrupting you for jars and cans to keep the array of insects and worms they uncover in the grass as pets.
Craft projects are wonderful. I never knew how many different ways glue and paint and glitter could be spilled or misapplied, and how many fights over who gets to use the blue paint could be generated in just one hour. guess who gets called?
Who can be quietest the longest? Why that’s the child who rats on the one who whispered something I wasn’t meant to hear? The outcome of this game is almost always a very loud argument requiring my intervention.
Wii sports anything is by definition loud. They cheer when they score, they groan on every near miss, they fight over who gets which controller, and sooner or later they hit each other and draw blood. Sometimes they really didn’t mean to hit the other one…but the blood and bruises look the same.
Multiply everything by 50 when they have playmates over. And by 100 when only one has a playmate over, especially when he or she is only 6. Sharing one playmate is even harder than sharing the blue paint.
I love my daughters dearly and enjoy being with them. But quiet, productive work time at home doesn’t happen when they’re around. That’s why I rent a small office outside the house, and why day camps were invented.
Thank you for this comment! I finally feel like someone has the same family as we do. No WAY can I work in any way productively at home, for the perfectly described reasons you gave. Maybe it’s just my two highly energetic and talkative boys, but unless I’m doing some mindless touching up work, I can’t hold a sustained thought for more than ten minutes. I do my freelancing at night, when they’re at school, or when I can get a babysitter (or my husband).
spoken like an experienced parent – very well said Michael – thanks for the laughs!
I full time freelance at home with a 6 and 10 year old, my wife works full time (outside the house). It’s not easy, especially in the summer when there’s no school. We’ve never used daycare or babysitters, just a choice we made before we had any kids – she stayed home at first, then worked part time, now full time that they’re older.
For keeping them occupied, save all your hand me down laptops and computers; Toontown, Club Penguin and Webkinz are your friends! A Wii is another definite investment, as is all kinds of craft stuff, a good swing set, and a cheap above ground pool as long as you take your laptop outside to supervise.
Ya, ya, shouldn’t let computers and video games be the babysitter, I know, but in real life sometimes you just gotta get some work done… Besides, because I freelance, I take my time off when my wife does and we do family stuff then.
Again – excellent balance – thanks for sharing.
I agree – the TV isnt a great babysitter, but i find that the Wii and some of the more interactive options online can help them be a bit less sedentary. They enjoy it, it stimulates their minds and bodies, and like the saying goes – everything in moderation.
The Mindstorms from Lego robot takes a lot of time to build. My daughter spent a lot of time fascinated by it. The programming once it is built is not something the average child (under 12) could do alone, even though the package says 10 and up. Building it is something possible by an interested child 10 or older. (My daughter is 12.)
Once it is built, the programming gives the opportunity for quality daddy-daughter (or mommy-daughter) time.
very cool idea AnnMaria – and with one of the girls struggling with reading but awesome in science, this could be a great tool to help her.
thanks for sharing
(the only problem I see with this concept is a very interested uncle might not let the girls play with their creations
You gotta be kidding me! Kids aren’t stupid. They are uninitiated and perhaps gullible, but they would see through your busywork “games” in a heartbeat. People, young and old, know when they are being ignored.
If they are old enough to understand, explain that you need some time to work, and that if they can entertain themselves for a while (books, playing in the sprinkler, drawing, etc) you will take them somewhere or do something with them that they really want to do with you. Even if they understand, there is no guarantee they will leave you alone for the whole time you make the deal for.
If they are younger, just give it up. You need to abandon the idea of getting anything substantial done. If you are shipping things or need to buy supplies, go ahead and take the girls with you, but don’t try to do anything that takes your full focus.
Good luck – to you and to your nieces.
thanks Joey
“Who can be Quietest the Longest?” – Our record when playing this game is 1 minute
Yes, odd how this game isn’t as popular as one would hope
OMG! That’s so funny… I also wrote a blog entry yesterday about working in the summer when the kids are home. I say let’s all rent a place and leave the kids to fend for themselves. OK, that wouldn’t win us parents of the year awards.
My kids are 7, 11 and 16. The youngest goes to a daycamp, but it doesn’t open until 9am. 16 handles herself and can drive plus she works. Middle one: No TV downstairs during the day. No electronics until 12pm. He has to do 20 mins of reading and one worksheet page to get electronics.
It works for the most part. I’ll be glad when school starts again!
we’ve got 4 children – 15, 7, 4 years and 1 at 4 months, and we homeschool the oldest 3 (the 4 year old pretty much colors and draws and reads for school). it’s a balancing act, and thankfully, my wife takes care of most of the child care and interaction.
we’ve tried a little bit of everything, and we’ve found that television and video games work the best. being that we really can’t do that in good conscience, we’ve found that books, pencils and crayons, play-doh, sandboxes and trampolines, bug traps and sidewalk chalk keep them occupied most of the day.
the one problem is that they’re kids, and kids have a huge amount of energy, so any sort of sit-down activity wears thin very, very quickly. so, we try to insert frequent trips to the park in between at-home activities. that gets their wiggles out and lets their little brains focus on more quiet activity for longer.
so – take the little buggers out and about. then, they’ll be more likely to sit down and be quiet while you get a little bit of work done.
the beauty of being a full-time freelancer is that you can take a break – even for a half hour, to be with the littles. wear them out, make ‘em sweat and run, and you’ll be rewarded with more quiet time.
oh – and work after they’re in bed or when they’re napping or while they’re out with friends. you’ll be a lot more productive while the place is calm.
and, lest i lead anyone astray, if you have kids in the house/office while you work, you WILL be distracted. that’s just what kids do.
Thanks James – I’m guessing that you are in much better shape than I am!
I suffer from that condition that many uncles have – play with them until you’re tired – the problem is, they seem to have boundless energy.
oh well – kinda wrote this week off to enjoy it with them anyways – but the suggestions have been fantastic!
Jason — thanks for the laugh. Brave man to take on this task!
I feel like a veteran of the child wars whose victory is almost at hand; after 21 years as a freelancer, my youngest goes to college next month!
Kids think they own you and, pretty much — if you’re a good parent — they are right. If you can swing it financially, just PLAN to work less when they are younger and ramp your biz up as they get older. There are techniques for different ages/stages. The only thing consistent is change.
I’m putting the finishing touches on a blog post on this myself. I’d love to have you visit at. http://www.BlackUmbrellaCommunications.com I’d love to help anyone wrestling with the topic — because being a good parent is WORTH IT. Just drop me a line.
One of the things you probably learned quickly about freelancing, is that you don’t really need 8 hours a day to get a full day’s work in. If you can get 5-6 hours in, that’s probably enough. My kids are 6 and 2. Here’s a few things I do.
1. Enjoy it. I love my work, but I love my kids more. I never saw my folks when I was growing up, I’m glad my family gets the chance to hang out more.
2. I have a network of friends with kids. We take turns taking the kids for the day. This gives me a full day without interruptions at least once a week.
3. Be disciplined about working nights and weekends. It’s not always fun, but sometimes it’s what needs to be done. Make sure you’re still getting enough sleep, but stop watching TV at night and get some work done.
4. My 2 year old takes a nap every day. When she’s napping, I let my 6 year old play video games (during summer break). A couple hours of video games isn’t going to ruin him for life, and he enjoys it.
5. There are a lot of things that need done besides work (shopping, cleaning, cooking). These are things the kids like to help with. Granted, having your kid help you cook turns a dinner with a 30 minute prep time into a dinner with a 60 minute prep time, but who cares? They need to learn how to cook anyway. This frees up time later for other things.
6. Once my wife gets home from work, she takes 100% control of the kids and I put my headphones on. Barring a fire, I’m pretty much not there.
What about to involve them into the projects. Sometimes Kids have just great phantasie and they inspire me always. And if it is not a projects where you can actively need their help you can build another project for them. Kids really like it when they can get involved with our work – especially if it is drawing or handicraft something…
My son learn how to play by himself.
But I gave him a color circle and lots of color pencils
I began freelancing when my oldest daughter was 4 months old, she is now 9. I also have a 6 yr old daughter. When they were toddler and preschool age, I learned that it is more productive to just focus on work by hiring a sitter or exhausting myself by working evenings and weekends. Now that they are mostly self-directed and don’t need constant hands-on assistance, I have refigured my office into a shared “studio.” Along one wall is a small desk with my desktop surrounded by my reference books and their art projects. The other wall has a flat exterior door supported by 2 file cabinets. This is their art space for creating and displaying. I have a rolling art supply cart beside their table, which is long enough for 3 kids to stand at. The only thing on the table are 2 metal flat files for paper, a shoe box of crayons, and a shoe box of water colors and Elmers Paintastics paint pens (they can paint from that box anytime, no need to ask me if it’s ok to paint). They also can play on the lap top on the desk. If i need to spread out manuscripts, I use the art desk. I reserve shelf and wall space for their projects, which encourages them to keep creating, and they must clear the desk and wipe it off every night, also need food or drinks allowed in office. I will admit that getting to this great, collaborative, creative set up took weeks of decluttering and I really thinned out by book collection and got my CDs out by finally putting all music into iTunes (which the kids can also use because they have lots of music they like in it). At night my older daughter enjoys the quiet time of listening to mellow music and reading in the office while i work. BTW, I have a 90 yr old house and the space is rather small, so don’t think you don’t have the space.
I freelance from home and I have a son who is two and half years old. Until last month, he was home with me while I worked. Now, he goes to daycare three days a week.
I keep him engaged with books, crayons, play dough and some interactive toys. Last week I gave him some glitter glue pens which kept him busy for a long time.
When I have a dead line coming up, I work in the evenings and at night. Now, since he goes to day care three days a week, I get most of my work done on those days and spend a little more time with him when he is home. I still work during nights and weekends. I communicate with my clients mostly through email and if I have to talk to one, I usually schedule it during nap times. If I have to talk to a client while my son is awake, I let him watch a cartoon while I finish my phone call.
I am hoping as he gets older, keeping him engaged would be easier.
I’m a part-time father and this is my first summer w/ my son while freelancing from home. While trying to save money to make sure I don’t have to hit Monster ever again, my son has stayed with me throughout.
While I have given him the occasional TV/video game/movie out, I’ve also maid deals with him. I’ll play a board game or video game with him for about an hour or so. I will also cut off work early every day (5 or 6 as opposed to the late-night hours before) and not work weekends unless absolutely necessary (and, thankfully, it hasn’t). In return, he is to learn independence.
Thankfully, my girlfriend and I bought a house on a cul de sac and my office faces the street. So, he can go play outside and be within sight without me wondering what he is doing. In that, I am fortunate.
But, on days like today when it is raining, I now have a bag of jelly beans nearby. Just in case.
Considering my 2.5 yr old son literally climbs on top of me while I’m trying to work and the infant whines when I’m not holding him I generally can’t get a whole lot more than reading emails done while he is around. Those times I do things that don’t really take much effort but like some of the other comments I usually have to work in spurts. Otherwise I work while my wife is able to take them somewhere out of the house and when they are sleeping. (Early bed times can be nice for that!) Luckily the baby is still young enough he sleeps quite often and there are lots of toys for the elder boy.
I try to limit TV/movies to only a couple hours a day, but those two hours can be pretty productive too. Some days things just can’t seem to get done at all though and it is definitely necessary to understand that that will happen.
Having a laptop and being able to work out in the yard while they run around would be great (especially with earphones if you don’t have to watch too closely or if you can manage the inevitable noise), alas I don’t currently have a laptop.
Good luck!
My wife and I both work from home, plus we have 2 very energetic boys (4 and (nearly) 6)…. AND we home educate!
I do find the constant chatter, interruptions etc a challenge at times, and I know I don’t get as much work done compared to working elsewhere.
When one of us needs to concentrate on something like a client phone call, or a particularly tricky bit of work, or when there’s a big deadline on, we’ll make extra effort to get the kids out the house to get em running around a park just to burn off energy… but by and large, we try to just let the kids get on with their thing.
One of the good things about having the kids around us is they can see what we do for a living, how we work, and so on. The eldest already has his own “business” making cakes for a coffee shop that earns him extra money, so he’s already getting the business mindset.
Not really a help in terms of how to keep them occupied while your neices are over, but maybe try and involve them in stuff you’re doing so they can understand what your work is all about – you almost definitely won’t be able to work at your normal productivity level, but finding ways to incorporate what you do into their time with you may be pretty fun.
Plus they can often see problems in a very different light – our kids can often come up with some half-decent, creative solutions to things.
That said, I have managed to build up a tolerance to noise that most people would find impressive… plus, having a second monitor for the kid to sit with you and watch cartoons on is pretty effective when all else fails!
Funnily enough I just write a blog post myself about this. Luckily (for me) I work from home and my kids are now teenagers so tend to lurk in the dark corners of their bedrooms for most of the day.
My plans are to get up around my usual time and get in the office for a storming 3 – 4 hours before the little darlings emerge foraging for food. If they then need my attention I can give it them knowing I have put in a good few hours of work. Usually though it’s just money, food or a taxi service they need
I would probably get a couple more hours in if necessary once they are tended to.
Of course, there may be sunny days (though not holding out much hope at the moment) in which case to heck with work and let’s go out and enjoy ourselves.
I have three kids, and I also work from home. I laughed at some of the solutions provided above (especially the jellybeans). There are some times where it’s less about getting the kids “out of your hair” and more about just finding something for them to do every once in a while when you just need 30 minutes. Kids need attention and love, and pacifying them isn’t a good solution, obviously, but at the same time, there are certain times that it’s appropriate to have to say, “I’m going to be busy for 30 minutes, please respect that” in some manner, and kids need to do that.
However, a healthy relationship with them will make that statement easy: the kids will simply want to accommodate if you’ve got a right relationship with them, because they know you’re putting time and effort into them as well. This shouldn’t be how they’re treated 8 hours a day, but it’s reasonable to have to pull out that card once in a while when you really need it. A healthy relationship should make that easy.
That said, although I have by no means perfected the home office gig, these are 10 thoughts that really help:
1) Try doing family meal planning. Include the kids. Plan for a week. Meal planning ensures that whoever does the cooking knows in advance, and can involve the kids appropriately, rather than stressing and trying to cook while the kids go crazy during “witching hour.” I don’t know about anyone else, but it seems that 4pm to 5:30pm is awful.. it’s the end of the work day, the kids had a nap, they’re hungry, they smell dinner, they turn into carnivorous wolves. Meal planning also means that the home-office spouse knows what’s required close to meal time, and whether the person cooking needs help, or needs the kids looked after. End of the day is the worst time to have random fits of kids going crazy when you’re trying to wrap things up before dinner.
2) Eat with them. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. When they recognize you’re there during food time, they respect your work time more.
3) Plan your work week with your spouse. Identify what days you’re going to need some “peace and quiet” and what days you can be flexible. Help to plan the kids’ activities during the peace and quiet times. That’s a good time to schedule park days.
4) Be just as willing to leave the home office as you expect the kids to leave when you need to work. If you have a laptop or iPad and can work from a Starbucks or some other wifi hotspot, schedule those times during the times when you know the kids are going to be at home and having fun. For every hour the kids are expected to leave, be willing to do the same. Let them get their sillies out. Schedule your activities according to that, so that you can focus and uni-task when you’re off-site, such as using a two-hour stretch to simply make phone calls from a mobile phone in a park if you don’t need your computer; or taking 1.5 hours at Starbucks to write a project report.
5) Be willing to make your day a little more flexible. If you’re an 8 to 5 type person, make sure there’s give and take in the quiet times. If you need an hour of quiet, allow an hour when they can go nuts. If you can handle doing 2 hours here and there, make use of the off-time effectively. If you can do 4 hours in the morning, and 4 at night, have your spouse take the kids out for the morning, you spend time with them in the afternoon, and then work again at night.
6) Buy noise-cancelling ear protectors, like those meant for construction workers. It’s a little uncomfortable to wear while sitting in front of a computer, but it’s also uncomfortable to try to work when kids are yelling. Combine the large ear protectors with a small pair of earbuds that can go underneath, and you can listen to music of your choice, at a very quiet level without hearing any outside noise and without being distracting.
7) Drink lots of water. Seriously. Lots of water does two things: first, it keeps your body fresh and alert (more than coffee does), and second, it means semi-frequent bathroom trips. Each bathroom trip is an opportunity to invest 5 minutes with the kids on the way by. In a normal office, you’d stop to chat with someone on the way to the bathroom or the water cooler, so why not simply do that with the kids? They get some personal time, and you’re not disrupting a normal workflow.
8) Try a 50-10 rule. 50 minutes of work, 10 minutes of time with the kids. At the end of 10 minutes, let them know you’ll be back in 50 minutes. In an office, interruptions easily suck up 10 minutes every hour, so why not plan for it and give that time to the kids?
9) Every two weeks, leave the “office” early on Friday. Stop at noon. Spend the entire afternoon just with the kids.
10) Allow the kids to see that your home office and the rest of the home are different. Employ a “closed door” policy, or some other do not disturb concept. If you have two phone lines, allow the kids to “call you at work” once in a while (just like they would at an office). Let them visit your office, but treat it like a visit. They can’t walk in freely, they need to respect business rules there. Kids enjoy that challenge, and are pretty respectful when they know the boundaries. Tell them they need to knock, to ask to “meet” with you, let them sit down across from your desk and talk to you like a client would. It’s not to treat them like a client, but rather to help them understand the work environment, and that it’s different from the home environment. But then show them the right affection before they leave; hugs and kisses, and proper “goodbye” so that they know you’re getting back to work. Kids are surprisingly receptive and respectful of that when they know the rules.
Thanks for this post. I’m expecting our first baby next month and after maternity leave, I plan to continue freelancing at least part time.
One of my clients runs a multi-million dollar company from her home office with two little children. She hired a part-time mother’s helper to come to her house. The kids are secure in the knowledge that their mother is nearby, and she gets more time to focus on projects.
If a professional nanny isn’t in your budget, you could still hire a high school student for a few hours after school. Also, my friends highly recommend hiring home school students for childcare, as their schedules tend to be more flexible.
As for keeping kids busy, consider hiring a babysitter who will do more than keep the kids from killing each other – their job description could include planning activities, crafts and outings for the kids.
If anyone has more resources or knows of online communities for parents who freelance, please post them. Thanks!
The majority of these comments are letting me know I better enjoy the baby stage! I just started freelancing full time and am staying at home with my 6 month old daughter.
Like any baby she needs attention but she is actually pretty low maintenance .. so I do get some solid work done at times. But like everyone else, it is at night when I can truly buckle down.
The lawn… good idea, But…What else is green in the lawn that has legs?!?! lol
This has been a fascinating discussion.
I think most would agree that how you work in your home office with kids “underfoot” varies quite a bit from season to season and year to year. When my children were babies, getting work done during naps worked well. When they got to the stage where they wanted my attention all of the time, working at the computer became more challenging, so we had to devise ways for them to be near me without being on top of me. As my kids have progressed in school, I’ve gradually had more and more focus time, time to myself.
When the kids arrive home from school, my attention often has to shift to help them with homework and class projects and to review paperwork.
Working in the early morning or late evening just doesn’t work for us. If I manage to get up early, they seem to get up early, too. And I’m just too tired to get anything creative or constructive done after dinner (even though I used to be a night owl). When I do have some morning time, I take advantage of the quiet to concentrate and catch up on business reading, not client projects.
Over the summer, art projects are great (as are books and educational video games), but there have been few I’ve been able to set the kids off to do by themselves. My son is pretty good at entertaining himself most of them time, but my Type A daughter quickly goes from happy to bored. It takes everything I have just to keep her away from the television.
There’s also, of course, the issue of taking time off to handle doctor appointments, parent-teacher conferences, etc.
The only things that seem to work year-round are outside play on the enclosed balcony (where they can see and talk to neighborhood friends without getting into danger) and TV time when I need quiet to make a phone call.
Off-site meetings and networking have been the biggest challenge, but I am lucky enough to have a friend who helps out when I need the kids to be dropped off or picked up from school mid-day (and when the kids get to see her during the day, it’s a special treat). When she’s not available, my husband often takes a vacation day (another bonus for the kids).
I have worked weekends, and sometimes drop everything into a bag and take it to the library to concentrate more completely. But I try not to do that unless I absolutely have to. Weekends are the only time the whole family is together.
Despite it’s challenges, I think working with kids around is a blessing. I make sure to get them (and me) dressed, fed, outdoors, and moving for at least part of the day. If it weren’t for them, I’d likely focus on projects for longer periods of time and probably not be able to stand up when I’m done. I’d have more headaches from looking at the screen all of the time. And I’d also be far more isolated. At some point, we all need to speak to an adult, but having my kids (+ their hugs and kisses) around is a great stress reliever. No two days are different, and since I thrive on variety, that helps ensure I never get bored.
As my kids grow older, I have also been able to witness how my work has influenced their dreams of the future, their values, and their talents. My daughter is learning about work (and money management) by helping me with select projects, like office filing. She’s learned never to answer the phone. She knows the names of all of my clients and the kind of work that they do (how they benefit the community), and she delights in doing community service.
Though we may often get on each others’ nerves, and I get rather tired of cleaning up the house at the end of the day, working from home and teaching my children the values I feel are so important make every challenge worthwhile. As much as I’m looking forward to both kids being in school full-time next year (and finally having a chance to put some expansion plans in action), I am grateful for having so much time with them in their early years. They are secure in knowing their parents love them, and they have experienced the importance of rules in keeping a household (and a business running).
These are life skills that go far beyond the classroom.
My best advice: plan to grow your business a little at a time, with greater expansion after your kids are in school full-time. Having great relationships with our children makes us far wealthy than any client.
Best of luck to you all!
I was reading on how to keep the kids busy while I work from home, indeed, it is hard!
So far, the Wii does the trick BUT wait till they want to ask you to join in the game (e.g. Wii boxing). You may end of distracted
And now, we’re thinking to hire a baby sitter once in a while or let the parents come to take over some things.