Five ways to juggle work and young kids at home

It’s been a very trying period for parents all over the world since the pandemic started. I mean, how is it possible to juggle homeschooling your kids, managing their occasional tantrums, meeting your work targets while making sure the house is clean all at once?

There is so much to do and so little time. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day and you have to squeeze what you can from the time you have.

Before you lose it, you first have to know that nothing can be perfect. There’s nothing like a perfect balance between parenting and working while you’re home.

You can breathe a sigh of relief, let go of the ‘super woman’ mentality and just do the best you can for you and your family. Here is how.

You should definitely look into getting someone to help you around the house for a while. Maybe they can be doing the laundry, dishes and cleaning while you focus on other things.

Schedule a few days in the week where they can be coming for a few hours then you can handle other tasks like cooking.

If you’re not planning on hiring someone, you can try talk to your kids about looking after themselves especially if they’re old enough. Let them know that they need to put back the toys after playing with them and that they need to keep their rooms tidy.

You should also communicate with your partner so they’ll understand what they need to do to make things easier.

This will give you some clarity to avoid all the stress. It’s not enough to just take mental notes because soon enough you’ll feel overwhelmed when all you needed to do was create a proper schedule.

Type a routine or write it down so that you have a clear perspective of what you need to do on a particular day.

You’ll know how long breakfast should be, when you need to start their home school lessons, what time you have to finish your assignments and all that. Trust me, having a schedule makes a huge difference.

Having firm expectations on how things are supposed to be running will lead to disappointments. You might have planned for a 30-minute breakfast only to realize you need at least 45 minutes.

Basically, anything unexpected might come up which means you have to adjust from time to time.

Focus on the priorities first and reduce the pressure to control every outcome.

Your personal time where you can unwind and relax is a very crucial part of creating that balance at home. Being busy 24/7 is almost like a ticking time bomb which causes emotional meltdowns.

Spare some time to do things that make you happy whether it’s meditating, watching your favorite show or doing a DIY mani-pedi.

Me-time also involves spending time with your partner so you can bond without any distractions. This will ensure they don’t feel abandoned during this period.

Just embrace this season and take things positively. It’s going to be stressful from time to time but it’s up to you to decide how you’ll handle things.

If you’ve had a hard day, talk to your friends about it and find out what creative tips they’re using in managing their lives.

Your commitment still shows even on those days where you have to sit with your baby on a video call or when your kids interrupt your conference call unexpectedly. You are enough and you’re an amazing parent either way!