Don’t talk to me about the irony of having sick kids on the day I scheduled a post about working at home with sick kids. Isn’t that the way of it? Yet here we are, muddling through writing while the young lassies suffer through low-grade fevers, runny noses, and the grumps. Of course, I had to cancel the babysitter, which means working at home is harder than ever. Here are a few tricks for getting through the end of the day and still getting work done along the way.
Reschedule
You have to modify your goals when unexpected things come up. Work can still be accomplished, but it may not be as realistic to try to get as much done as you had originally planned. Take a look at the rest of the week and prioritize, deciding which days you can get up a little earlier or shift things around to make today less pressure.
Write In Comic Sans
I’m not kidding, research shows you get more done when you use this dreaded font. Give it a try to help yourself speed up and get more done in your more limited time. It’s worth a shot, especially if you have things you absolutely can’t move to another day (see above).
Take Lots of Breaks
Your kids probably won’t have as much patience as they usually do. While it’s hard to concentrate on something when you keep getting interrupted, if you can work for a solid 20 minutes without stopping, allow yourself to take that break when the kids start to get restless. Pause for a snack break or a story and a snuggle, knowing that these nice breaks will enable your next 20 minutes when you get back to it. This means you also have to keep your own distractions to a minimum, because if you only work for 20 minutes at a time, then you can’t spend 10 of those minutes playing a game on your phone and still expect to be productive.
Don’t Be Super Mom
Letting your kids watch more TV when they’re sick won’t kill them. In fact, it may allow them to rest easier than if they are trying to play and do their normal activities. We aren’t big proponents of screen time in our house, but we do make allowance for a little extra if people are sick. It helps them stay happy, heal faster, and it means I can get some work done at my bed desk (the photo above) while Team Umizoomi is on. Choose educational shows (another oldie but goodie is Dora) if it helps you feel better, but don’t beat yourself up too much if you’re not encouraging sensory play time and perfecting their reading skills on a sick day.
Tag Team It
Your job is important, just like your spouse’s job is. If you absolutely have projects to get done, ask them to come home for part of the day to help. Even if it’s just at lunch to put the kids down for nap so you can work for 45 minutes, every little bit helps. See if your spouse can take a long lunch or an afternoon off to help. Remember not to let this make you feel guilty either--your job is important, too.
I’m sure there are lots of other ways to maneuver through a sick day with the kids. How do you make sure you still get work done even when your kids aren’t as self-sufficient as usual? Let me know on my Instagram post or leave a comment.