Summer is here. If you are working from home while the kids are out of school this summer, that can be a little bit tricky. I have three boys who are now teenagers and I love having them home over the summer, but it is a challenge trying to juggle the kids being home all the time while working from home. Below are my top 7 tips to get things done over the summer.
1. Schedule Everything. Get every single thing on the calendar. Make sure you account for work tasks, activities with the kids, and anything else you have planned. You need everything on the calendar so that you can get a full picture of what your time looks like and start the rest of your planning.
2. Adjust Your Work Hours. I adjust my work hours a little bit during the summer to better accommodate my family’s needs. For example, I get up earlier and work in the morning while all my teenagers are sleeping in. After that, I have got some time where I am a little bit more flexible. When you are looking at scheduling your work time, make sure that you adjust your calendar and allow for some flexibility.
3. Look At Your Project Due Dates. If you have got a bunch of staff that are going on vacation and you are taking some time off yourself, take a look at your project timelines and see what may need to be adjusted so that you still meet the project due dates.
4. Get Your Family Board. Explain to the entire family about your work schedule and set a rule for when they can interrupt you and when they cannot. At my house, if my office doors are closed, you cannot knock on the door or come in and talk to me at all. If the door is open and I am working, you are welcome to come in and talk to me. That helps my kids to know immediately if I am available or not.
5. Hire Help If Needed. I highly recommend getting some summer help if you have small kids. That might mean hiring a nanny to come in part-time, or sending your kids to the sitter so that you can have some distraction-free work time. also recommend getting some help around the house with housekeeping. With my three teenage boys, it is helpful to have somebody come in once a week and clean so that when I am done working, I can spend time with them instead of cleaning up the messes that they made while I was working.
6. Make Your Kid’s Schedule Their Job. I pay my kids to stick to their schedule. If they get up on time, make their bed, clean their room, get their chores done, and spend time reading and exercising before 11 AM, they earn a little bit of money that they can use for fun over the summer.
7. Think About Your Mindset. Remember that balance is a myth. There is no one perfect day where you get to work exactly the amount you wanted to and your kids got exactly what they needed. Instead, focus on being flexible with yourself and realize that some days might be more about work and some days more about family.
I hope you have a wonderful and fun summer!
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