it’s no secret 2020 was a shitshow. and that doesn’t even describe it. so many people, like myself, were forced to work from home without child care. thankfully, my mom was able to help me out so that i’d be able to keep my job, but i know that not many people were as lucky as i was.
but for those that are having to work from home with kids, i figured i would share a few things that have helped me get through those long, insane days.
if you work part time like me, i’ve had to make the sacrifice to work on the days that i wouldn’t normally work. i know that i’m not able to put my 100% focus into those days where i am working because i’m having to get up 100x to give my kids snacks, wipe their butt or put them in time-out, so if there are things that i have to get done, doing them on days that i wouldn’t normally has become something of the norm. it’s helped me get what i need to get done so i’m not extra extra stressed, just extra stressed.
separating home from work has been a struggle for me, not gonna lie. i sit at my dining room table on my computer and i’ll casually look in my kitchen and think of all of the cleaning that i need to do, so it’s hard to keep focused on just work. so in the morning i’ve been waking up and trying to get 1 load of laundry in a day and a wipe down of the kitchen or a good vaccum before i start. that way i feel like i’ve gotten stuff done around the house and it hasn’t interfered with work
my kids are older so they don’t nap anymore, but i’ve made a designated ‘quiet time’. i’m a huge believer of the tablet so that’s when i make sure they’re charged and they sit either in their room or on the couch and have to be quiet for an hour or two.
my job requires me to be on the phone occasionally so when i am, i always let the other person know that i’m working from home and have the kids here in case they hear screaming! i’ve never once had anyone complain, just let them know from the start they’ll probably hear screaming and everyone is perfectly fine
don’t be scared to tell your significant other you need a break!! whatever that break entails, make sure you’re not holding any frustration or stress in. the more you let it out, the better you’ll feel, because there 100% will be stress.
Chapstick & Sweatpants 