Working From Home Whilst Homeschooling: A Survival Guide for Working Parents.

April 2, 2020 momentumva

Coronavirus has hit, and we are in lock down. Parents now face the unmitigated pressure of working from home whilst homeschooling their children. Considering the task of entertaining kids whilst ensuring the house survives is impossible most days, this is indeed a scary prospect. Grandparents of course are self-isolating, so parents are out of options.

Keeping the kids from burning down the house or flooding the kitchen whilst on a Skype call with a client is a challenge on the best of days. The latter has actually happened to me this week…

Don’t panic. This is our area. We are the experts.

We have been working remotely around our hordes of offspring since Momentum VA began in 2017. So, here is our gift to you: Working from home whilst homeschooling: A parents survival guide.

Create a day-plan

We use them to guide the time spent between client meetings, ensuring we are as efficient as we can be. They are the most important way to start the day, being as detailed or brief as you like. But you absolutely need one.

‘Fail to prepare and prepare to fail’ could not be more relevant here.

Prior planning is important for a number of reasons;

  1. You will be able to gauge which hat you are wearing and when: Parent or Employee.
  2. You can ensure you are allocating enough time to occupy your children with lots of indoor/outdoor activities.
  3. It will guide snack time. If you don’t include this into your ‘regime’, they will eat you out of house and home!
  4. Make sure you let the children help create the plan. They will feel in control over their day which will make them feel more content. (Which could mean an easier day for you!)

There are many examples of day planners. I particularly like the ones on the Shining Mom website, which are both colourful and engaging for your children.

Set yourself realistic work targets

There is nothing worse than the anxiety chills you experience when you have over promised. The guilt aligned with not providing as promised is just not worth it. I refer you back to point 1: The day planner. By prior planning you can ensure adequate sections of your day are allocated to those time sensitive projects.

Don’t forget that we are all in the same boat. If you are open and honest with your manager about realistic goals, you will find yourself calmer. And let’s face it, being calm is the only way parents will get through the next few months!

Be flexible with the times you work

At Momentum VA we generally work in the evenings and when the children are at school. Considering the school closures and lock down, we have amended our office hours to mostly evenings and weekends. Whilst not for everyone, remember this situation won’t last forever and a change of hours is a quick fix. By allocating your work in small chunks you will be able to balance work alongside entertaining your children. This careful management of time is key to your success and more importantly, sanity!

Don’t be frightened of technology

No-one is judging you. Working from home whilst homeschooling, which is essentially working two jobs, is an enormous ask for anyone. So if you are struggling, don’t feel bad about utilising the electronic babysitter for an hour or two. You are only human.

If you are struggling with your workload, or how to work remotely, contact our lovely Virtual Assistants who will be happy to help you. We are already set up to work remotely.

Adhoc, temporary or long term; our Virtual Assistants work by the minute and only charge for the time it takes to complete each task. This is what makes us a truly affordable resource. See our pricing structure, find out more about our team, or see what our clients have to say.