Dear WFH,

Sigh. I know it’s probably not comforting day to day, but I think every single parent who reads this blog will be sending you a virtual hug. Countless others are going through what you’re experiencing every single day, and it’s hard…really hard. There’s no handbook about working from home AND parenting because, quite frankly, the data says it’s pretty impossible.

Every single day you’re interrupted by your children who need your help with something — whether it’s school, food, entertainment, love, etc. — and every day that’s cutting into your productivity. Social science research underscores the cost of interrupted professional focus. After someone is interrupted, it can take upwards of 20 minutes for someone to get back to their task after an interruption, and the quality of their work declines.

So, what do you do? I just told you that it’s next to impossible to make it all work, but that doesn’t mean you can just quit your job or get rid of your kids. You’ve been dealt a tough hand. Here’s my advice.

Set realistic goals

Your day won’t run like it did when you were in an office. Even a year later, this can be difficult to adjust to. Some employees would head back into the office tomorrow if able. WFH isn’t for everyone, but it is something many companies are still using right now for safety reasons.  

So, when working from home, set realistic goals. What can you actually get done in a day with your kids at home? Write out your top priorities and knock those out when you first wake up (perhaps before your kids are awake) or when they are least likely to interrupt you (during class time or naptime). This way, you feel like you’re still checking off your minimum to-do list.

Try to take it in shifts 

If you and your partner are both working from home, try to take the day in shifts. Make one parent the default parent while the other is working and then switch off hourly or halfway through the day. This, of course, depends on how flexible your schedules are, but it can help give one person longer stretches of interrupted time. 

Relax the rules in place for the kids 

With summer coming up, it may be time to evaluate the rules you have in place for your kids. You may be anti-screen time during school hours (and for good reason) but letting them have an extra hour or two on the tablet or TV when they have nothing else to occupy their time may save your workday during the summer. It’s worth considering!

Remember, it’s not going to be perfect. Your WFH setup wasn’t designed for kids, and with any luck, they’ll be back in school soon enough. Godspeed for the summer! You’ve got this.

Sincerely,
Jenny