Working from home with kids — on paper — might seem like a win-win situation. Replace stuffy work suits with comfy athleisure clothes, avoid forced small talk at the water cooler and trade the minutes you’d dedicate to an office commute for quality time with your family? Done, done and done.
“The first thing any parent will tell you is that time is precious,” says Jody Thomas, a clinical psychologist specializing in families and chief executive officer of the Denver-based nonprofit Meg Foundation. However, she adds that “working from home presents both a perk and a challenge. Yes, you can control your environment more, but there’s also the burden of setting boundaries.” As Thomas reiterates, the line between parent and professional can blur quickly if there aren’t structures in place to separate the two roles.
Below, the experts we spoke to share their tips and tricks for implementing these structures, making working from home with kids doable.
How to work from home with kids
For Sid Khurana, a board-certified child psychiatrist and co-founder of Nevada Mental Health, working from home with kids is a subject that, quite literally, hits home: He’s a dad of a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old and frequently sees clients from his home office. Khurana says he sees the issue of balancing child care and work in his own personal life, as well as in his employees’ and patients’ lives. Though the number of people working remotely full-time has dipped from previous years (roughly 11% of U.S. workers), approximately a third of hybrid-work individuals have a home office, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The key to ensuring things go smoothly, Khurana and Thomas explain, is to make sure you plan ahead. Here are four steps to consider when working from home with kids.
1. Nail down the right external support
When children are savvy enough to reheat leftovers after school or cart themselves to soccer practice, you might not need to worry much about child care. But for parents of toddlers or elementary-aged kiddos, having a nanny or babysitter to look after them while you’re focused on deadlines is crucial.
However, good care can get expensive fast, which might require a bit of legwork to find the right situation, explains Jessica Vanderberg, a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on maternal health (and works remotely). Here are some tips:
- Try local community organizations. “Look into libraries or community centers, which often provide free or low-cost support,” Vanderberg recommends.
Khurana adds that churches often also provide relatively affordable child care. - Browse local parenting groups on Facebook. Thomas suggests joining parenting groups on the platform that are specific to your city or, better yet, neighborhood. “That’s where you’ll get the most authentic recommendations for sitters and nannies, as opposed to sites like Yelp,” she says.
- Tap into your local village. For example, “Maybe you can swap babysitting duties once a week with a stay-at-home mom down the street,” Thomas suggests.
2. Set up a functional workspace
According to Khurana, if you’re in back-to-back meetings, frequently on calls or need dedicated time to focus on tasks, creating a private, quiet workspace can make a big difference (assuming someone else is watching your child or they are old enough to play independently). Here are a few ways to make that happen:
- Put your home office as far away from your kids’ space as possible. Ideally, you’ll have access to a bathroom that is also out of sight, Thomas says, but she acknowledges that’s not always feasible.
- Soundproof your space. If you plan to work with a baby or toddler nearby (aka a child who might not understand that mommy or daddy isn’t available, despite seeing them or hearing their voice), having a white noise machine outside your office door is super beneficial, Thomas says. You can also try under-door stoppers to keep sound contained.
- Make it visibly clear you’re unavailable. “Teach kids to respect visual cues like a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign or headphones to signal when you’re in work mode,” Vanderberg explains.
3. Craft a defined work schedule and communicate it clearly
While your schedule for both work and parenting will vary wildly depending on the age of your kiddos (and career type), having some order and predictability throughout the workweek can help in all different types of scenarios. Here are a handful of strategies for creating a clear work-from-home schedule:
- Stick to a daily routine that works with your kids’ natural schedules. Vanderberg suggests using quiet times — like early morning, naps or after bedtime — to tackle tasks that require focus.
- Make that timeline crystal clear for your kids and caregiver. Thomas suggests attaching a dry-erase board to your fridge that outlines when you’ll be available. She adds that she used to tell her nanny to reach out to her with questions via text, as opposed to knocking on her home office door. “I told her, ‘Pretend I’m not here,’” she explains.
- Be transparent with your boss. If your kids’ wake time clashes with the start of your workday, for example, consider pitching a slightly altered schedule to your employer, Thomas suggests. Maybe you start work early before the kids wake up, and take a break when the nanny arrives. “Thanks to the pandemic, most employers are familiar with the need for this type of flexibility,” she explains. As Khurana adds, the more upfront you are with your team, the better.
4. Find age-appropriate tools and activities
The more engaged little ones stay during your work hours, the less likely you’ll face any unexpected interruptions. Here are a few strategies to keep them occupied while you get tasks done:
- Work with your kids to come up with a schedule. “For instance, instead of a schedule that lists exact activities and timelines like ‘puzzles for an hour between 12 and 1 p.m.,’ try saying ‘make something with your hands for an hour,’” Vanderberg notes. “This allows them to be creative and feel a sense of ownership and accountability.”
- Get crafty with little ones. Here are 16 easy crafts to make with three supplies or less.
- Engage older kids with learning. Find more ideas in this list of 101 activities for children between nine and 12 years old.
The pros and cons of working from home with kids
If you’ve recently been given the option to work from home or are expecting a baby soon, the notion of a career that puts you (literally) feet away from taking care of your children may seem appealing. Here are some of the pros and cons associated with working from home with kids.
The pros of working from home with kids
- More time with family. A 2023 study from the University of Chicago found that remote workers can gain an average of 72 minutes per day without commuting.
- A more flexible schedule. According to Khurana, one of the biggest benefits associated with remote work is the ability to multitask — you can do a load of laundry or prep a few snacks between meetings.
- Financial savings and increased productivity. If you’re a parent, you know how quickly child care expenses can add up. Nearly half of the remote workers who were polled in one 2022 survey from Flex Jobs reported saving about $5,000 annually on things like gas and clothing.
You might also feel like you don’t get a ton of work done when you’re in an office setting. Research from Stanford found that employees who worked a hybrid work schedule were just as productive as those who were in the office full-time.
The cons of working from home with kids
- You feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends. You may feel torn between parenthood and your career, which can result in emotional burnout. In fact, research from Northwestern University found that parents who work from home with kids report higher stress levels than on-site workers.
- Potential to damage personal relationships. With the line between family and work life blurry, familial roles (parent, child, caretaker) can take a hit.
- Difficulty in finding consistent care. When you’re able to secure a nanny or babysitter, you might deal with unexpected roadblocks (say, they call in sick last-minute, leaving you to manage child care while holding down work).
Is working from home right for you?
When considering a remote work situation, there are a few key factors to consider as a parent.
- Evaluate your work situation. “Does the work allow for the level of commitment I need to give my child? If you have a little one, is your work permissive to having a little toddler around or a baby in your lap? Is it a family-friendly environment or a very corporate one?” queries Khurana.
- Understand what level of care your kids need — and if help is something you’ll need. As Thomas reiterates, parenting is its own full-time job. While you’ll probably be able to occasionally power through unexpected child care time while on the clock — say, there’s a snow day or the nanny calls out — you can’t just assume you’ll always be available to do so.
- Really think about how you work best. Are you someone who can set (and stick) to a routine while you’re home? Alternatively, would you be more focused in an in-person work setting, and is daycare something your family can afford? Try to be as realistic with yourself as possible.
A final word on working from home with kids
As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, millions of families are fully capable of holding down — and succeeding at — a rigorous work routine all while raising kids at home. While it won’t always be easy, Thomas says it’s important to be kind to yourself along the way. You’re trying your best, and that’s more than enough. “You’re not going to ever be able to ‘do it all,’” she reiterates. “Try to give yourself a little compassion. Having a baby is the hardest job that you’re ever going to have, and there’s no way to ever be fully prepared for that.”
