Working From Home With Babies And Kids: 15 Productivity Tips

No buts about it — while there are plenty of advantages, working from home can be a challenge. And if you’re working from home with a baby or kids around, you may start to wonder if you’ll ever accomplish anything again!

At Babo Botanicals, family is important to us! We care about helping you find that work-life balance so you can get things done but also invest in your sweet little ones.

If you’re looking for tips on how to be productive but still spend quality time with your children, that’s what we’re here for. Whether you have babies or big kids, these tips can help. Let’s take a look!

15 Tips For Working From Home With Babies And Kids

1) Communicate With The Whole Family

Communication goes a long way in helping everything run smoothly. Get on the same page with your partner about when you’ll be working, or set up “shifts” if you’re both working from home.

If your children are old enough to understand, explain to them that you’ll be doing some work at home and need to concentrate. Reassure them that there will be time to play together afterward or during a break!

2) Set A Schedule

There’s no denying that working from home with kids just isn’t the same as working from the office!

While you probably won’t be able to work uninterrupted from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, it’s still important to set some kind of schedule. Just keep it flexible and be realistic!

A schedule can help keep the whole family sane — you’ll know that you have a certain amount of time dedicated to getting work done, and your kids will know that there is playtime built into the day.

3) Create A Workspace

Part of the beauty of working from home is that you can work from anywhere: the kitchen counter, your couch, or the rocking chair while your baby snoozes.

But you and your family might find it helpful if you have a designated workspace.

You can keep all of your work materials in one place and out of reach of curious little fingers. And you can let your kids know that when you’re sitting (or standing) at your workspace, you’re not to be disturbed.

Once again, this won’t be like the office! Your new workspace might be a table in the corner or a closet turned into a tiny office.

4) Designate A Special Kids’ Area

You’re setting up a workspace. Why not set up a play or craft area for your little ones? This can help kids understand that you have a special place to get things done and so do they!

5) Provide New Activities

To help your kids stay busy when you need to do a longer stretch of work, give them a new and exciting activity: a new movie or book, a special toy, a coloring book, or a fun board game.

Even better, the surprises don’t have to be store-bought toys! Your child can also stay entertained for quite a while doing crafts with household materials like paper towel rolls, shoe boxes, and the like.

Upcycling, anyone?

6) Schedule Playdates

What better way to keep your little one entertained than with a playdate?
Having a playdate isn’t always an option, but when it is, take advantage of the totally uninterrupted time to check off tasks that require the most concentration.

7) Hire Childcare

Consider hiring a babysitter, even if it’s just a couple of hours each week. It may give you the concentrated work time you need to get important things done.

Then, when you’re in charge of the kids, you can work for shorter periods of time.

8) Make A List

Lists are essential for workplace productivity! If your child is old enough, why not make a list for them, too?

To structure the day and keep boredom away, provide your older child with a list of things to do while you’re working. A few things that might go on the list are daily chores, homework, reading, exercise, and ideas for fun activities.

If your child doesn’t have homework or any chores to do, consider leaving them with a list of activity ideas to choose from.

9) Create A Water Play Area

You’ll need fresh ideas of activities to keep your child’s hands busy while you’re working. This is one of our favorites! We’re big fans of water, whether it’s swimming at the pool, a beach day, or a water play area at home.

Water tables can keep your tots entertained for quite some time. But even if you don’t have a water table, lots of fun can be had on the back porch or kitchen floor with pots, bowls, and cups full of water.

What’s even more fun than just water? Bubbles! Make water playtime a blast and safe for your little one’s delicate skin with Babo Botanical’s Moisturizing Oat & Calendula Baby Bubble Bath & Wash.

For bubbly fun, pour at least 2 capfuls of our gentle formula under vigorously running water, then let your little one have at it!

And, since our bubble bath is made with oatmilk and organic calendula, you can rest easy knowing that the bubbles will soothe even the most sensitive eczema-prone skin.

Just one reminder: for their safety, never leave your child alone when they’re playing in water.

10) Set Up A Video Call

Grandparents always seem to come through in the clutch! If your child’s grandparents aren’t nearby, set up a video call with them. They can read a book to your kids while you sneak in a few minutes of work.

11) Prioritize Naptime Work

For work-from-home parents with kids who still take a midday snooze, naptime is precious work time! The key to making the most of naptime: choose wisely what you’ll work on.

While your baby is napping, take care of the tasks that require both of your hands, the most concentration, or an uninterrupted block of time.

What if your child doesn’t nap anymore? Learn what time of day your little one is calmest and most likely to be self-entertained, and save your challenging work tasks for that time.

In other words, don’t save your big work project for the witching hour!

12) Avoid Multitasking

As much as we like to try to multitask, our brains aren’t very good at focusing on two things at once!

While it might seem like you’re getting multiple things done, you’re more likely to be efficient and produce good work if you focus on only one at a time. Multitasking might not even save you time in the end!

Plus, when it comes to your family and your kids, you want to be able to give them your full attention when work is done.

Whether it’s your baby’s needs, a work project, or playtime with your child, focus all of your attention on the task at hand before moving on to the next.

13) Wear Your Baby

While multitasking isn’t ideal, we realize that for a parent who works from home with an infant, sometimes doing two things at once is inevitable! When that’s the case, wear your baby so you can have both of your hands free.

14) Work On Multiple Devices

Another tip when multitasking is the only option: make it as easy as possible on yourself!

For example, rather than holding your breastfeeding baby with one hand and wrangling your laptop with the other, work on a smaller device, like your phone or iPad.

Set up your work projects on multiple devices or a common drive. That way you can easily send an email or complete a task on your phone while holding your little one.

Using a dictation app is another great solution for parents whose hands are full.

15) Make Cleanup Quick And Easy

Messes are bound to happen when kids are having fun! Let them clean up quickly and easily by themselves — and without knocking on your door! — with hand-washing 

Here’s a hint: these wipes are great for mom and dad, too! Use them to freshen up after a workout or as a makeup remover.

Enjoy Your Family And Your Work

Sometimes work-life balance can feel like walking a tightrope, especially if you’re working from home with babies and kids.

But you’re doing a great job! In the middle of working and wiping your baby’s tooshie and fixing dinner, don’t forget to enjoy your family. Working from home provides you with a wonderful chance to spend time with your kids and be involved in their lives in a new way.