How to Keep Your Kids from Distracting You While Working from Home

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Single Parent Advice articles for the divorced dad on SingleDad. Learn how to Keep Your Kids from Distracting You While Working from Home…

How to Keep
Your Kids from Distracting You While Working from Home

So you have transitioned into a freelance job and will be
working fulltime at home. This will help you spend more time with the kids.
Unfortunately, the kids that you love to spend more time with are also
distracting you from your work.

So what do you do? For one thing, you can make your life
easier by making sure of some privacy when you are working. Here are some tips
to help you do that:

Dedicate a
specific room as your office

The first thing that you have to do is to dedicate a space in
the house that is dedicated to your work. Preferably a room, even if it is
small, where you are free from all distractions, including your kids. It should
have an adequate desk, an ergonomic chair, and all the other furniture and
equipment that you need in order to do your job, so that you do not have to
leave during “work hours.”

If you do not have an extra room to spare, then you can just
dedicate a space in your own bedroom. The important part is that it is an area
that your kids do not regularly pass by or spend time in.

Get locks
on the door

Having a private office will not serve its purpose if your
kids can actually go in and out of the room freely. So make sure that the
office doors are locked during your work hours. If they need something from
you, they can knock on the door and wait for you to open. This also trains them
not to barge in other people’s room without knocking first.

Place a
password on your computer

Do not let your kids play on your work computer. Once they
do, it will become a habit and they will come to your office again and again
for that. Sooner or later, they will be accessing something that they
shouldn’t. You do not want your kids getting a hold of your office email or
making calls on your RingCentral business number right? Even worse, they can do
it when you are not home. You have to be concerned about your children getting
access to your work especially if you are dealing with confidential
information.

Get a nanny

To make sure that your kids are being looked after as you are
working, you can get a nanny to spend some time with them. The nanny can take
care of the small things that you can’t spend your time on because of your job.

Talk to
your kids

The best way to for your kids to understand the setup is to
talk to them. Do not underestimate your children’s intelligence. I bet that
they will understand the situation if it is explained to them properly. What
you can say is that although Dad is working at home, you should not be disturbed
so that you can finish your tasks faster. But add an incentive: unlike previous
times when they have to wait for you to get home from the office, you can
immediately spend time with them after work because you no longer have to
commute.

Spend your
breaks with your kids

Don’t forget the reason why you chose to work from home in
the first place; it is to spend more time with your kids. So make sure that you
dedicate time to check how they are doing during the day. You can spend a
couple of minutes having a snack with your kids in the morning or in the
afternoon while you are taking a breather. You should also have your lunch with
them to catch up with what they have been up to. Then after work, you can spend
more time and enjoy their company.

Working from home is an ideal way for parents to spend more
time with their kids. It is just a matter of setting some rules and striking a
balance between work and your children to make it work.

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

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Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”