Many parents are finding themselves in the very difficult situation right now of having to look after their kids and work from home during the pandemic. With limitations to what you can do and where you can go, it can create an incredibly stressful atmosphere in the home and make it challenging to juggle parenting, housework, and your own work. So, how can parents manage during this difficult period? It is always going to be tough, but there are a few tips that will hopefully help you to manage and keep everyone happy while keeping your stress levels down as much as possible.
Speak to Your Boss
The first step to take is to speak to your boss. You need to let them know that you have the kids at home and will need to be providing them with attention throughout the day, so you will need to communicate your needs. This is a tough time for everyone, so they should understand and provide some flexibility with your schedule.
Create a Schedule
It is then important to create a schedule that you can stick to so that everything that needs to get done can be achieved. If you live with a partner or have a support bubble, you might be able to split your schedule so that one person can look after the kids and perhaps work somewhere like the dining table while the other work somewhere with more peace and then switch after lunch.
Find Activities to Keep the Kids Busy
The pandemic is extremely difficult for children, and it is important to recognise this. This is why you need to find the activities to keep busy when they are not studying so that you can work while supervising them. A few ideas include:
- Arts and crafts
- Reading
- Watching TV
- Video games
- Board games
- Playing in the garden
- A new hobby
- Household chores (it is worth a shot!)
Use a Laundry Service
Keeping on top of housework is another big issue for parents right now, and this can take up even more time. This is why it is helpful to use a laundry service that can collect and drop-off your laundry for you, including a dry cleaner Brixton service. This will be one less thing to worry about and ensures that the family will always have clean clothes available.
Make the Most Out of Me Time
In such stressful situations, it is very easy to feel burnt out and suffer mentally, making parenting and work feel much more stressful and affect your performance. This is why you really need to make the most out of any time that you get to yourself or with your partner, such as early mornings before the kids get up or when they go to bed at night. Meditation is helping many people to de-stress, and it is something that you can easily do when you have a spare 5 minutes, so this is certainly worth trying if you feel stressed.
It is a tough situation that many parents find themselves in right now, but hopefully, these tips will be of some use.
Luciana joined our team as a mum blogger in 2020. A dedicated mum to a lively daughter and a dog, Luna, Luciana brings authenticity and passion to every post. Her expertise in parenting and lifestyle topics offers practical, relatable advice for real-life situations.