Oh, summertime! It can be more relaxed, but work still needs to get done. How do you focus when the kids are at home chatting loudly on Discord and needing your attention every 10 minutes. It can be rough, but putting in place some simple strategies will have you getting work done while enjoying the summer.
Make a Plan
Make a plan for activities the kids can complete while you work. Maybe this is playing a board game with siblings, an arts and crafts project, or reading time. Make sure it is something age appropriate and that they can complete on their own. The goal is to have them focus for an extended period of time to limit the number of interruptions you get.
To always have something at the ready brainstorm a list of idea with the kids. You want to make sure that they are involved so you are selecting projects that they have an interest in. List out all of the ideas and then create a plan for shopping for supplies and when the projects will be completed. You can be more random about the planning out the timing. Just have the list of projects you have supplies for handy so you and the kids can quickly get set up.
Set Office Hours
Set office hours so kids know what to expect. If they don’t know you are working they won’t know not to disturb you. Make sure you plan for breaks to spend quality time with the kids. Spending the time now to check in and see how the day is going will save interruptions later.
Quality over Quantity
My final piece of advice for dads working from home is to remember that the time with the kids during office hours does not have to be a long period. Spending 10-15 minutes reading a story or playing a quick game of tag while checking in about how the day is going is all they need. After hours you can devote more of your attention to spending a quantity of time with your family.
