If you are one of us who works from home, you understand the approach of summer vacation is one of fear and difficulty. You love the sounds of your kids home, the fun trips to the beach and of course the vacation as a family. The problem lies in how to juggle working at home with kids in summer. They want to go constantly and do something, and you need to concentrate on your work. We have come up with some great solutions to help you take care of work and your kids this summer.
HIRE A TEENAGER TO HELP OUT: If your kids are younger, you may be able to get away with an inexpensive teenage babysitter who will be there during the day with you. He or she can play games, fix their lunch and in general keep them out of your hair while you work.
SEND THEM TO VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: While not recommending you use this as a babysitter, it is a great way to have some free time while your kids are having fun. If you are a religious person and have good churches in your area, check out their summer schedule for camps and activities. This will give you a few hours a day of time to concentrate without guilt.
CHANGE YOUR SCHEDULE: If you are use to using the typical 8am-3pm school hours to do your work, it is time to start adjusting. Most kids will sleep a bit later during the summer months. Use this time to work without interruption. Perhaps even setting your alarm for a half hour to hour ahead of time.
LIGHTEN YOUR WORK LOAD: If you currently have a heavy work load, summer may be a time you can cut back. Don’t take on new projects. Tell your regular clients you’ll be doing light duty during the summer. Another option is to work double time for a few weeks to get ahead so the time off during the summer won’t be as tough.
FIND LOCAL LIBRARIES AND PLAY CENTERS WITH FREE WIFI: Sometimes the easiest way to deal is to find a place for them to play. Local play centers, libraries and even some church’s with play areas will have free WIFI for you to use while you work and fun times for the kids. Make sure if you are doing this that you are always aware of where your kids are and what they are doing. Bring along a babysitter or teen to help watch the kids while you work and they play.
SWAP DAYS WITH OTHER LOCAL MOMS: If you live in a neighborhood with lots of kids and a few moms who are at home during the summer months, you may be able to trade days. Finding even 1-2 other moms willing to take all the kids for one day each week will give each of you a much needed break for work or down time.
Working from home is a great thing for many moms and dads, but dealing with kids being home during summer months can be a real struggle. How to juggle working at home with kids in summer is a mere matter of planning ahead. Even if you are in the middle of your summer break already, you can still apply many of these tips to make your work day and your vacation time that much easier.
