Quarantine: how to maintain routine with young children

Do you usually work at home, but your children have always been at school? With the recent coronavirus crisis, I believe that this is no longer a reality.

With the children at home, you may be wondering how to maintain the routine with young children in a way that does not reduce your productivity, but without neglecting your children.

You are absolutely right to think that way. It is not just a matter of responsibility towards the little ones, but also a way to take advantage of the current phase, which we well know will not last forever.

How to reconcile care with children without breaking the work rhythm? This is what we will show you in the following paragraphs.

Step # 1: Give up any hope of maintaining the routine

We understand that you came to us looking for a way to maintain the routine with the children at home.

However, we will not deceive you by saying that there is a way to keep the routine with small children indoors all the time.

Therefore, the first step is to accept the reality that Covid-19 is imposing on us and that its schedules and priorities should change while we are still in quarantine.

In this way, it becomes less frustrating to design a new plan so that it continues to earn money without the little ones interfering much with its production.

Step # 2: Set times for yourself and children

There is no point in setting schedules just for you. If you do it without everyone knowing it, your little ones will simply interrupt you at any time, as they are not sure when their working hours are.

Like us, the little ones also have a routine. It is also useless to set a timetable for them. If you don't have one for yourself, they will simply call for help at any time, regardless of what you are doing.

Ideally, everyone should participate in the schedule and have their own schedule. This is the best way to maintain a routine with young children.

You can determine your working hours when you can be interrupted and times when you will not be available. That is, the period to do the most important jobs that require total concentration in the home office. Of course, be sure to also have schedules so that they can do things at home with the children, whether in household chores or moments of fun.

In that time that will not be available, you must establish for them tasks or distractions that they do not need from you. This will be the perfect time to let them play some multiplayer games offline or follow their favorite animation series.

Step # 3: Be present at the agreed times

How do you behave when facing an important customer? You leave your smartphone on silent or even off and pay full attention to it, correct?

This is how you should respect the schedules you agreed on in the step above to learn how to maintain the routine with small children at home.

As interesting as it is to stay in the messaging apps or scrolling through the social media feed, be as present in working hours with a focus as in socializing with children. They notice when you are not really present in the activities with them and will charge you for it.

The worst: they will be right.

It is also worth mentioning that this forced period at home can bring about a greater connection between you and your young children, in addition to unique moments that may not have happened in the conventional routine.

In other words, do your best in the bad situation of the coronavirus pandemic.

Always remind them to wash their hands too!

Step # 4: Show them your work

If your children have never asked how their work is, make sure that day comes. With forced coexistence, the chances of them being curious about how their work works increase.

So, invite them to be part of your work routine. Take the opportunity to show how you produce, what you do and how your work helps others. If possible, integrate them into some less complex activity, such as organizing physical documents or even tidying up your office.

But do not abuse the goodwill of children! 🙂

Step # 5: Be tolerant of interruptions

If there is no perfect productivity method, do not expect that to change, even following the steps we have shown so far on how to maintain the routine with young children at home.

Unforeseen events will happen and eventually the children will need to interrupt you. At that time, nothing to lose patience with the little ones. Assess each situation and talk to them about the tolerable types of interruptions.

Still, be patient. The pace of interruptions will slow down, but they will still happen in a few moments. Remember to pay a little attention to the little ones during breaks.

Step # 6: Be curious about what your children are tracking

Take the time to learn more about what your children like and follow, especially on the internet.

What are your favorite influencers, if you like watch movies or they prefer series and cartoons and programs that they don't miss for anything. Take the opportunity to understand why they like games like Fortnite or because the TikTok it's so popular.

Do not let them know what they do on the net just by means of a parental control app.

The more you are open to understanding what your children like, the more they will be open and trust you to tell you openly. In this way, the dialogue channel is opened, allowing you to express your preferences without the fear of being scolded or ridiculed.

Want more tips on how to get organized at work at home? So get to know the best apps for making mind maps right now and improve your organization!