Summer is here! It’s a little hesitant in my area, unseasonably cold, in fact, but the days are glorious. Seems like a shame to be indoors working, doesn’t it? The children are out of school and driving you mad with their constant demands, and it is so much more difficult to have a quiet work environment (required for phone work). Here are some ideas:
- Hire a “mother’s helper” to come in and entertain the children while you work. In my area, there are 10-13 year old girls who are not quite mature enough for babysitting, but they are great for minding children while Mom or Dad are trying to get something else done. You still need to pay them something, but far less than you would a day care or full-fledged babysitter!
- Swap babysitting with a friend. Or two. Or three. Do you have any friends that will exchange babysitting for another favor? Any friends with kids the same age as yours that will enjoy playing together? Be very careful not to take advantage of your friends, though. I use this solution, but I use it sparingly and I make sure to do something nice in return.
- Wear them out! Especially good for little ones. Schedule short shifts and then take them to the park to play in between!
- Teach them how you expect them to behave and have some quiet toys for work hours. My four year old loves her Leap Pad and will work with it for hours – and for her, having a headset on to listen to it makes it better.
- Have a “wreck” room. Ours is the children’s room. They’ll play quite a while if they are occupied. I also rotate their toys so they don’t get bored later.
- Schedule kid time. I occasionally forget that my children need my attention. I try to work early mornings and spend the afternoons playing with them. I also will occasionally schedule an hour on, an hour off – so I don’t feel like I am depriving the children. They really need your attention to behave well. It also helps when they know that we will get to do something they want to do before long.
- Do you homeschool? Try arranging your schedule so that your children are involved in other things while you work.
- Make sure you have a noise canceling mic on your headset. I have been told that if you run a small fan, in addition, virtually all background noise can be cancelled out. Test it with a trusted friend. – it would be awful to lose a contract because of background noise.
- Consider day care. I know, I know – that is why you decided to work at home, isn’t it? To avoid day care? But remember – you are a professional, and you are expected to sound professional on the phone. It is not my choice – after all, the top reason I chose to work at home is to be close to my precious children.
I am interested in hearing others’ ideas of dealing with children during work hours. Send your ideas to info@realworkathomesolutions.com with “Kids” in the subject, and I’ll post your ideas to the website.
Donna Vazquez is the owner of www.realworkathomesolutions.com. She is the mother of 5 children, works in her home, and stays busy with the women’s organization of her church. She can be reached at donna@realworkathomesolutions.com. You have permission to use this article in your ezine, so long as the information block is included. You have permission to forward to a friend.Webmaster: Donna Vazquez webmaster@vazquezwebdesign.com
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