Enlist the Kids' Help
When working from home, you can use all the help you can get, right? So let the kids help out with your job or business wherever possible. Help from children won't always be a time saver in the short-term (usually you can do it faster yourself), but in the long run involving children will help them understand your work-at-home ground rules and generally feel more positive toward your work, especially if you reward them in some way for their help.
Not everything you might have the kids do will be truly useful to you, but these jobs can teach a skill, make kids feel needed and keep them busy.
- Sorting -- From preschool on up, this is a task that can be scaled to an age-appropriate level. Young kids can sort office supplies; older ones inventory.
- Organizing -- Even if you don't really want your office reorganized, letting them reorganize a corner of your office can keep them busy and engaged. And sometimes kids have good organizing ideas too.
- Filing -- If you work in a field where privacy is important, then you probably don't want the kids doing your filing. But kids old enough to read can help you work through some of those non-private piles of paper.
- Cleaning -- Little ones like this more than bigger kids. Dusting, sweeping, wiping down surfaces and other small cleaning jobs will keep kids busy and your office clean.
- Babysitting -- Let the older kids watch the younger ones. If you're home, then a "babysitter" can be a young tween. They will gain valuable skills and confidence from the experience.
- Working in your business -- Of course, this depends on your business, but I have found ways for my kids to help. I've published my oldest child's photos and had her do simple coding.
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