By Jenny Mills.
If you are newly stuck at home to work and wondering… How To Work At Home With A Toddler During Coronavirus? Here’s how I have been doing it, in the hope it will help you! Organisation is key, as well patience and a know how list to entertain a toddler on lock down. I’ m not going to lie! Week one really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. But it is getting harder. She is wanting more and more attention. I now have to work whilst she sleeps (morning and night) and try to get bits done here and there through the day. But we are just about coping!
Work Whilst Your Toddler Sleeps
I get myself to bed at the same time as Millie. She goes to bed at 7.30pm and is asleep for around 8.30pm. I then pick up the laptop and woek for an hour or so, but make sure I’m asleep nice and early. Then I get up early to work. But not too early that I’m short on energy. For me it’s a 7am start. She tends to sleep in until 8.30am, so I can get a bit of work done – this is why I chose a slightly later bedtime for her.
This is my key working time. This is the time to deliver your most stressful pieces of work. Your head down, no distraction items.
I go straight to my laptop in my jammies or joggers and I work like a trojan on my core work. Plan your day’s work in advance. I use my google calendar to create my day-by-day to do list, and I make sure my next day is planned before I shut down at night.
Working With A Lively Toddler At Home
When Millie wakes, I stop working and we have breakfast together. Then it’s time for our regular morning routine of getting Millie dressed, and getting myself dressed and ready for the day.
Singing and Dancing Time
Now I put on Pinkfong or the Wiggles loud! So she sing and dance some energy away! I get at least another hour in here. Some days I need to sit in the lounge with her, others she will let me work at my desk.
Compromising with a Toddler
I’m having problems when clients phone – and let’s face it, this can happen at any time of day and I need to deal with them. I have found myself letting her pick a mini lolly or sweety so I can talk and focus on my client issue.
Afternoon
Once I complete a bit of work I need to get done in the morning, it’s time to really stimulate your little ones with lots of energy sapping activities. we have been going on teddybear hunts around the house and garden. Walks to post thank you cards to the postman and doing yoga and zoomba together. Then I get my calls done whilst Millie takes her nap. We then play more and I catch up with emails and tasks once she “finally” goes to sleep!
Time for a glass of wine and laptop time!