Parents Need "School" Schedules Too!!!
The AirFit Air Conditioning Family, Forrest, Andrew, Olivia, and Max!
Our guest blogger today is Olivia DeCocq – she is the Mom of two littles, runs a small business with her husband, works from home, and is a former teacher. She provides us some simple, down-to-earth tips to help make workdays and school days run smoother for everyone in your household (more important than ever in these crazy quarantine times!). Thanks, Olivia, for sharing your tricks with us!
Please join the discussion by adding your tips/tricks to the comments below, we would love to hear from you!!!
Work at Home Tips for Mom (and Dad!) by Olivia DeCocq
We have all seen the schedules floating around Facebook of what your child’s daily structure should look like, but what about you - the working Mom (and Dad!)? That schedule really only works if you are able to give your child complete and undivided attention all day. What about the meetings that you HAVE to take? What about the never-ending to-do list that you need to conquer? Fortunately for my family, my business is considered “essential”, so the show must go on, but I also have an infant and a 5-year-old that is no longer in school for the foreseeable future. Here are some of my recommendations on how to make the day more successful and more productive that won’t leave everyone in tears (most days!).
1. Start with self-care
First and foremost, I truly believe that every adult has that *ONE THING* that makes them feel like they are ready to take on the world. For me, it’s showering. On the days where I don’t shower, I just don’t feel like I have accomplished anything. Take that into consideration. While my kiddos are eating breakfast, I usually like to take time to go shower, because let’s face it… I COULD wake up before everyone else in the house, but sleeping in is one of the greatest parts about working from home!
2. Prep. Prep. Prep!
This the most important thing you can do. Just like you would meal prep Sunday before, I lesson plan for my son. When he starts moping around, I have a stack of worksheets already printed for him to work on. My favorite websites to get worksheets from are listed at the end of this article.
3. Use timers as a “second adult”
I set timers all day long, and I have been using them even before schools closed. In the morning, my son knows that when the first timer goes off, it’s time to get dressed and brush his teeth. He loves it, because he can boss Alexa around, and I love it, because he doesn’t feel like I am nagging him to get things done.
4. Make a realistic to-do list for yourself
I am a list maker; they just help me stay on track all day long! All day long, I write down what I’m doing, even if it is a task that I think I can complete immediately. I do this because then I can cross it off (and who doesn’t love that feeling?), and if I do get sidetracked, it reminds me that I still need to finish it. At the end of the day, I like to review my daily list, and my pending action items go onto tomorrows list. It also helps to color coordinate my list: red items need to get done first, yellow are a bit more important, and green means that I have time to work on them… yes, I am the pen girl. I really love office supplies!
5. Talk to your children about what YOU need
I tend to be up front with my son that I have work that needs to be done. As I am going through my day, I tell my son “Ok, I need to do ‘XYZ’, and then we can go take a walk to get the mail”. This makes him feel included and it also gives him and end sight that I won’t be glued to my phone and computer all day long. My oldest’s love language is undoubtedly “quality time”, so I give my son the option of when I have to take a call, “would you rather play on your tablet quietly, or go to your room?”. That makes him feel like he’s not being punished, and makes me not feel guilty.
6. Use the older children to help out with the younger children
I am not above bribing… with stickers, with quality time, with fruit snacks, you name it! If I know I need to take a call and my baby is acting fussy, I ask my oldest to help with him. Sure, sometimes it does take bribing, but it also makes him feel important and needed.
7. Don’t be afraid to tell your child to go play in his/her room
Sometimes, for everyone’s sake, you need a break. My oldest no longer takes naps, but when my youngest does, he knows that he has to have quiet time. He can read books, he can play outside (from my desk, I can watch him in the backyard), he can even have tablet time. Realistically, this is my only time of the day that I have for uninterrupted work time.
8. Be upfront if you DO have to take calls/get some work done
I’m sure that when some of our customers call us sometimes, they have to double check to make sure they called an air conditioning company and not a zoo. I usually have the TV on (GASP! The horror!) and kids WILL be kids, even if they are playing in their rooms. I just explain to our customers that we are a small, family owned business, and they typically are grateful that they are speaking to a live person. The majority of our customers are or have been in the same boat as we are.
9. Give yourself… and your babies grace.
Remember, this too shall pass. It’s hard work wearing all of the hats at the same time! Start off by making small adjustments and set age appropriate time limits for activities and “time outs” (experts recommend a minute per age), and before you know it, this quarantine will be over and we will all be back to our normal grind!
Websites/resources to find activities for your littles:
Activities and worksheets:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
Pinterest is also great to get craft and activities from! I like to have small crafty things ready to go for the week.
I love Kwik Stix – no mess painting (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CXBRWSG/ref=twister_B07Q7TC462?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1),
Wikki Stix (https://www.amazon.com/WikkiStix-WIK804-Craft-Assorted-Package/dp/B0011E2S7C/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=wikki+stix&qid=1585259834&sr=8-5 https://www.amazon.com/WikkiStix-WIK804-Craft-Assorted-Package/dp/B0011E2S7C/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=wikki+stix&qid=1585259834&sr=8-5)
Playdoh, slime, beads, chalk… even just a bucket of water is a ton of fun!