|
By Eve
Glicksman March 23, 2020
|
Kelsey Adkisson, a communications professional
and mother of children ages 5 and 2, started telecommuting this week like many
parents across the country. On Monday, genius struck. She said goodbye to the
kids; went out the front door of her Tri-Cities, Wash., home; walked to the
back of the house … and climbed back in through her home
office window.
"[My kids] have no idea I'm home,"
she said. "I have a very supportive husband who helps me hide when I need
to work."
This ruse won't work for everyone, but
devising clever strategies to get your work done while one kid is hanging on
your arm and another is wailing in the next room is the new normal in the age
of COVID-19.
"Even for people used to working at home,
there may not be a playbook," said Daisy Wademan Dowling, founder and CEO
of Workparent in New York City. Before the pandemic, schools were open, and
maybe a baby sitter or grandparent could watch the kids if a parent needed to
work from home. That may not be possible now, she noted.
Lyz Lenz, an author and a columnist for The
Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, anticipates friction between spouses
and partners who are both working from home now.
Calls for help have been unprecedented, said
Liz Gulliver, co-founder of Kunik, a company based in Miami that supports
working parents and the employers who manage them. Confusion and uncertainty
are compounding what is already a challenge, she said.
"It's a mistake to pressure yourself to
make everything work as normal. There is going to be an adjustment
period."
Here's their advice for parents who are
embarking on new work-at-home lives for the next few weeks.
Set Up a Workstation
Find a sunny room with a door you can shut, if
possible. Even a table in a bedroom is preferable to working at a kitchen
table, Gulliver advised. Otherwise, clear a shelf or dining room table to
create a dedicated workspace. Parents with babies and toddlers may choose to
set up shop in a child's bedroom or play area to keep an eye on them. Getting a
headset with a noise-canceling microphone and mute button is helpful to block
out testy children and dogs during calls.
Divvy Up Child Care
Are there two adults working at home now? Or
an older child who can look after young ones for a few hours? If so, alternate
shifts, said Dowling, who said it's unrealistic to think you can operate on a
regular eight-hour day. Parents can discuss their work schedule as a team the
night before to determine who is more available at different times of the day,
she suggested. Also consider swapping baby-sitting time with neighbors in the
same situation. You watch their kids in the morning, and they watch yours in
the afternoon.
Establish Ground Rules
Develop a routine so you don't get caught in a
free-for-all. "Set your alarm for the same time every day," Gulliver
said. Schedule lunch and create structure for the children. Assign them a
YouTube workout or dance party to burn energy. "This lets your kids know
it's not just Saturday, when everyone is lounging around."
More importantly, explain to children that you
have work that must get done, and they can help by giving you quiet time. Post
a sign at your workstation that you can flip to read "open" or
"closed" when trying to meet deadlines or during meetings.
Let Them Be
"Leave your kids alone!" Lenz said.
Help them cultivate freedom and independence by learning how to entertain
themselves with books, crafts, seeding a garden or backyard play, she advised.
"You don't have to monitor and do every activity with them."
Fill a snack basket so they can help
themselves and not rely on you for everything. Lenz arranges a bottom
refrigerator shelf where her kids, ages 9 and 6, can grab drinks and cheese
sticks or other finger food.
Work in Bursts
Multitasking decreases efficiency, so try to
separate work and family time. Lenz sets a timer for about 90 minutes to keep
herself and her kids on track. They know she can't be disturbed until the timer
goes off. To sweeten the pot, she promises to play checkers or do something fun
with them afterward.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
"What tends to get squeezed out [when
telecommuting] is communication and relationships with colleagues,"
Dowling said. People still need to call each other to stay connected and reduce
isolation. Ask your employer for guidance on communication tools to
"maximize your touch points," she said. Using multiple communication
channels to stay in touch—video, Slack, instant messaging, Yammer—can help
avoid misunderstandings, Gulliver added. "Body language and tone get lost
in e-mail."
Do It Your Way
As long as your work gets done, you can work
in the early morning, at night or while the kids nap. "Take a few hours
midday to take a walk with the kids," Lenz suggested. She takes
"sanity time" during the day to exercise in her basement. Other
parents cop to hiding out in the bathroom to answer e-mail or make calls.
Lighten Up
"This
is an unprecedented time," said Dowling, herself the parent of two young
ones. "Parents need to cut themselves slack. No criticizing or beating
yourself up over the kids' [extra] screen time. This is temporary, and it's OK
to shift the rules."
Eve Glicksman is a freelance writer based in
Silver Spring, Md.
No comments:
Post a Comment