If you are like (pretty much) everyone else in the world, we are all trying to navigate these uncharted waters. But the biggest struggle is figuring out the balance of working from home with kids.
And doing it without going crazy!
In just a few weeks we went from “everything is fine-ish”, to “life has been cancelled.”
It was a big shift for a lot of us, and adjusting to having kids at home makes it even more so.
Especially if you’re like Virginia, where schools have been closed for the rest of the year.
So now, not only are you running a business, but you’ve also got kids home… oh yeah, and you have to homeschool them as well.
This shit ain’t for the faint of heart y’all!
Luckily, we’ve got a plan for how you can keep all your marbles AND kick-ass in your business!
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Working From Home with Kids
Create a Schedule
Make a schedule so that everyone knows what’s going on/when.
It seems like such a little thing, but kids (and adults) thrive on consistency and routine.
We made a weekday schedule, each of the kids have one, and there is one hanging on the fridge.
I’ll be honest, we don’t follow it to the letter every single day.
However, it gives everyone an idea of what they should be doing throughout the day.
The kids have scheduled school time, and lots of free play/outside time so they don’t go crazy.
Or is it so I don’t go crazy 🤔
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Set An Alarm and Get Up Early
It can be super tempting to hit snooze and snuggle under the blankets a bit longer.
However, some of the most productive time you’ll get is in the morning, before the house is awake.
There are no distractions, no kids asking for anything, and it gives you the space to work, uninterrupted.
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Have a Designated Work Area
Even though most of us have the ability to work from anywhere (hello couch potato!), set a work space.
Since I primarily work from home, I already have a home office.
But since I need to help kids while they are doing schoolwork, I have moved everything down to the kitchen table.
From here, all three of my kids and I work on our respective laptops in (relative) peace.
If someone needs help, then I stop what I’m doing and help out.
It’s working well so far, because again – we are providing structure and giving everyone a sense of normalcy.
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Write a To-Do List for Each Day
It doesn’t have to be long, or have a million things on it.
But writing a daily list of things you need to complete each day can help keep everyone on task.
(and yes, I fully give you permission to write “keep kids alive” on the list)
Try and prioritize your goals.
Start with the largest, most pressing task that needs to get done, and make sure to accomplish it.
Then work your way down, and make sure to put the smaller, more easily accomplished things, lower on the prioirities.
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Start Now on Future Projects
Use this as a time to check in on your 2020 goals and see what can be accomplished now.
Some of these tasks could include:
- Updating Website Gallery Images
- Reaching out to Fellow Vendors to Check on Them
- Assess Marketing Efforts ROI, get Rid of Anything Unproductive
- Blog Past Sessions/Weddings
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Now that you’ve got all this newfound knowledge for working from home with kids, go forth and be awesome!
If you ever need someone to help cheer you on in your photography journey, don’t hesitate to reach out by hitting the “Contact Us” button!
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