6. Support your words with actions
It might be wearing you out…having to explain to your children, over and over again, what they can and cannot do. But the thing is children have short memories and they are still in the process of learning things.
Instead of allowing frustration and irritation to take over when you have to explain the rules to them for the millionth time, back-up your words with visual signs. For instance, a red sign can let them know it’s not the right time to interrupt you and a green sign can tell them that you are “available” for interruptions on their part.
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7. Schedule interruptions
Believe it or not, children need and actually like rules. It gives them a certain sense of order and makes them feel more safe and secure. Kids like to know what will come next and what they are expected to do to meet your approval. So, why not make the most of this particular trait and schedule their interruptions while you’re working from home?
For instance, if you are usually busier in the morning, tell your children they can play, watch TV, read or do whatever else they want until you take your break. Then, from 12 to 13, you’re all theirs to bombard with questions. When you schedule the interruptions, try to involve your kids in the process as well. It’s teamwork, after all. Try to coordinate your most important tasks with their schedule, so that you’re all busy at the same time.
8. Prepare others
At the end of the day, kids are just being kids and there’s only so much we can ask of them. They might succeed in being on their best behavior most of the times, but they might still interrupt you when you least expect it.
Therefore, if your work involves interacting with other people, inform your coworkers that you have children and that they might pop up sometime during your live meeting. Similarly, inform your children that you’ll have a very important meeting and that they’ll need to keep a low profile. Prompt them to say if they need anything now, before you start your meeting, to prevent them from interrupting you later on.
For more tips and tricks on how to be more productive and work more efficiently from home, check out these 11 Effective Time Management Tips to Boost Productivity.
