Tips for Working From Home With Children

With quarantine and social distancing, many families are suddenly having to work from home while their children are there too. Even if you’ve worked from home for several years and have the perfect setup, your plan probably didn’t include family members trying to get online simultaneously. Today Dr. Joel Segalman, Dr. Stephen Lazaroff, and Dr. Brittany Ciaramello at Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC in New Haven County, and Fairfield County are sharing some tips for working from home with other family members around.

1. Communicate expectations. Make sure you proactively advise your employer and others you speak with that you’ve got children at home, and therefore you can’t guarantee that every conversation will be free of interruptions.

2. Prioritize your schedule. If you’ve got a partner at home and you both work, you’ve both got the same problem. Depending on your and your partner’s flexibility, you may want to consider switching to working in shifts. If you’re a single parent, layout clear expectations to both your children and your employer.

3. Set boundaries. Start with a conversation that working from home still means you’re working, and you can’t hang out. Hold a family meeting to explain how this will work. Explain that when your office door is closed, they have to knock before entering. If there’s a “do not disturb” sign on the door, they can slide a note under the door, or text you.

4. Reward your child’s good behavior. You also need to recognize and reward good behavior. When your children follow your rules, reward them with lots of praise, and thank them for their help.

5. Take a break. Start by scheduling frequent breaks throughout your workday. Break up your day by working for 30 or 50 minutes, then taking 10 minutes to hang out with your children.

6. Don’t stress so much. When you’re working from home with your children, you may need to relax your screen-time rules. Explain to them that this is a special circumstance, and it won’t last forever.

7. Get creative. Any place that has internet access can act as an office during an emergency. A bedroom is your best option, but depending on your situation, that may not be possible, so you’ll need to get creative.

We hope these tips help you maintain your sanity when trying to work from home with others around you. Keep in mind that if you are having any issues with your feet, Dr. Joel Segalman, Dr. Stephen Lazaroff, and Dr. Brittany Ciaramello at Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC in New Haven County and Fairfield County can help.

We’re in this together, so if you need us, call our Waterbury office at (203) 755-0489 or our Newtown location at (203) 270-6724.

Stay healthy and in good spirits, and help others whenever you can.