5 Remote Work Tips for Parents of Young Children
by Thomas Walker
Parenting a toddler and a newborn can be chaotic—and if you’re trying to balance childcare with remote work, you might feel like you never get a break. Rather than having a separation between your personal and professional life, it can seem like you’re constantly juggling both at once. Thankfully, you can find lots of helpful, realistic parenting advice from Texarkana Parent. In the meantime, here are a few workable tips on making the most of remote work while raising young children.
Manage Breastfeeding and Pumping
Even if you’re working from home, keeping up with your job while breastfeeding and pumping can be very challenging – especially if you’re raising a toddler and caring for a newborn at the same time! By getting on a regular feeding schedule with your baby, you can ensure that you’re booking phone and video meetings at convenient times.
Furthermore, you could benefit from investing in a comfortable, hands-free nursing bra. A hands-free pumping and nursing bra allows you to pump easily and leaves your hands unoccupied so that you can focus on other tasks, too! If you’re looking for other nursing bra options, consider checking out the available selection on an online storefront like Amazon. They offer selections from brands like KindredBravely and others. Plus, you can shop on your own time, compare prices and find the best solution for you.
Keeping Your Home Tidy
When your children are young, keeping your entire house clean can feel like a losing battle. You don’t need to put pressure on yourself to ensure that every room is sparkling. But it doesn’t hurt to take a few minutes at the end of each day to put away any clutter and wipe down surfaces. It doesn’t hurt to add some greenery with a few houseplants, and an aromatherapy diffuser in your home office can contribute to the ambiance.
As you clean up, it’s also a good idea to take stock of what’s in your fridge. Make sure to keep plenty of healthy snacks, like fruits and veggies, as well as a pitcher of filtered water on hand.
Delegate to Your Support System
Parenting is not a solo endeavor. If you’re at home by yourself with your kids for much of the day, you might feel like you have to tackle all of these responsibilities alone. Rather than trying to take care of everything as one person, reach out to your support system. You may want to adjust the way you and your partner currently delegate responsibilities, or you might have family members who live nearby and can provide childcare for you during the workday.
To split domestic duties fairly, Martha Stewart recommends considering your individual schedules – for example, if your partner commutes to an office, they might be able to help out with chores in the morning before they leave, since they’ll probably be tired upon arriving home.
Coordinate With Other Parents
Do you have any friends with young children who also work from home? You might be able to provide childcare for each other if you don’t share the exact same schedules. This can help you all lighten your individual loads. If you’re interested in setting up an informal parenting “co-op,” Motherhood the Real Deal recommends starting out by scheduling a few play dates to ensure that your children all get along.
Practice Simple Self-Care
Self-care does not have to be out of your reach. Putting on a catchy playlist during the workday, wearing clothes that make you feel comfortable and happy, and even decorating your home office with cute items that you love all qualify!
As the parent of young children, you probably feel like your to-do list simply never ends. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when you have a toddler and a newborn, especially if you’re also working from home. But by taking advantage of your flexible career, you can attend to all of your responsibilities and find some downtime!
