Help! My Kids Won't Let Me Work!

The biggest reason for a parent to work from home is to spend more time with their children. While spending time with family is definitely a good thing, children can make it difficult to get work done. Toddlers and youngsters that are not yet in school are naturally very demanding of mom and dad's time. How can you get your work done when the little ones won't leave you alone? Let's look at some suggestions.

Children over the age of 2 or so are old enough to learn that there are times to play quietly and let mom or dad work and times when they can ask for more attention. Keeping your kids occupied while you work doesn't necessarily have to involve plopping them in front of the TV. Some children will be happy to be near you while you work if they have quiet activities to do for a while. Your own attitude will be instrumental. If you are calm and don't get agitated, they are less likely to become clingy when you are working. Another thing to remember is that little ones have short attention spans. This is normal, so you may need to cut your work into bite-size pieces throughout the day. Phone calls probably should be conducted during naptime if at all possible. Or hire a teenage babysitter to come in for an hour or so after school to entertain your child so you can have a bit of uninterrupted work time.

If your child is particularly demanding, it may be that she is not adjusting to having you nearby, but unavailable to play with and entertain her. You may need to think of creative ways to ease your child into the new work at home situation. Create a small "desk" for your little one to work at. Give her paper and crayons to do paperwork with, and a toy phone to make calls with. If your child is old enough, have her help you by putting papers neatly in stacks or in a file folder.

When kids are between the ages of 18 months to about 5 years old, they require lots of energy and attention. Getting them to give you time to work is going to be challenging. Think creatively, and be patient with your child. Ask for the help of your spouse or a sitter once in a while, and break your work into segments. Above all, don't forget your reason for working from home - to spend time with your children.

Posted:Friday, September 07, 2007