If you are working from home right now, you know how tough it can be to split yourself in two and entertain your kids while keeping up with your deadlines. It’s not an easy thing to do at all, and yet working from home can be the most amazing thing ever. You’re home, your kids are around you – but how do you manage it?
Choosing to stay at home while you work is a challenge, we won’t lie to you! You want the quality time and the playdates with the kids, and you want to hit your deadlines. Toddlers often demand far more attention than you are able to give, and yet you may not have the time to do it.
So, you need to come up with some ways to entertain them while you hit those deadlines every single day. Toddlers rarely nap, they have a ton of energy and they need to be entertained. So, let’s check out how you can do it all and entertain your toddler at home while you work hard.
- Construction. You can balance working with construction play by setting up a table and chairs next to where you sit to work. You can get started with large blocks over tiny LEGO pieces, and with so many toys on the market, construction is always a winner for toddlers. Construction play can be done independently and you can still get involved by talking about colour groups while you work.
- Screen Time. You may hear tons of stories about how technology is detrimental to kids, but it’s not always the case. Educational apps and videos are toddler friendly, too, and you have so many to choose from out there that you can keep your toddler busy. You can break up your day and do an hour of work while they have screen time, shooting out deadlines while they watch something educational. It’s going to be a great way for them to get stuck into technology – which their generation will need a lot earlier than you did!
- Get Into The Garden. Working outside is a great way to work, and you can set up outdoor toys and a sand and water table for your toddler nearby to play. Bring some friends over for playdates, too, and you can enjoy the time outside with them. Toddlers love to be outside and exploring, so work outside on the easy tasks so you can keep one eye on the baby and one on the work you’re doing.
- Use Naps. If your toddler still naps, use their nap time to get some work done and pack as much as you can into those couple of hours per day. You can still have a quiet hour for your toddler with milk and a cartoon, too, to stop them from getting over exhausted through the day.
So, now you know how to balance both, it’s time to see whether you can put it into practice. No, it won’t be easy, but you can do it with a little forward planning!
