Working from home and need to keep the children busy?

With school holidays just around the corner, those parents who work from home will be starting to dread the constant juggle of how to keep their loved ones ‘entertained’ for long enough to fit some work in! There is one observation however, and that is the smaller your children are the smaller your business ‘to do list’ should be.

Here are some top tips on managing this scenario from the domestic cleaning professionals, MOLLY MAID:

• Get a SmartPhone for yourself – so you can stay connected even when you’re at the park.
• Use a Chore Chart – give the children some structure and responsibility during the day, such as tidying their rooms, laying the table for lunch or supper and looking after the family dog.
• Schedule play time just like you do your work time – dedicate a day or a time to enjoy the summer months together.
• Find other parents in your area and swap play dates – critical to the sanity of both of you!
• Make it easy for your children to be independent – set up an age appropriate ‘activity station’ for them to do their own thing, and keep it well stocked with projects, magazines, crafting activity and games.
• Buy easy to eat snack food or make healthy snack packages – that way they can feed themselves when they get hungry.
• Set up a schedule for ordering a take away one evening a week – both you and the children can look forward to it!
• Load up on ice lollies – it always keeps them quiet for a few minutes for an important phone call and there are plenty of healthy kinds to choose from (or make your own).
• Rent or download an age appropriate movie.
• Buy a membership pass to the local leisure centre as this will ensure they are worn out afterwards allowing you to work for an hour or two.
• Make or buy a flower press and let the children weed the garden for you.
• Set them an age appropriate project or an item to research on the PC and motivate them with a ‘reward’.
• Let them create their own themed scrapbook or diary.
Handy items to have at all times:
• Bubbles
• Pavement chalk
• Water balloons
• Board games (with all the pieces!!)
• Working sprinkler or kiddie pool (preferably both)
•Art supplies

Do remember that no one expects you to be super Mum – you set the expectations!

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