Work From Home With Kids

Work From Home With Kids

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

**Author's note: I wrote this blog post home alone with a four-year-old. I moved my laptop once to the other room, took my headphones out three times and took a break twice to answer questions. Sure, it isn’t ideal, but it is possible.

I've spent the last four years building my online business with a baby right next to me. 

That’s right when the world is getting thrust into working from home, doing it with our kids and possibly homeschooling to top it all off, this has been my life for the past four years.

So let me tell you, the questions started pouring in...
...how do I structure my day?
...how do I keep the kids entertained and busy so I can work?
...how do I balance it all without losing my mind?

Let’s all take a collective deep breath really quickly.

**Pauses so you actually breathe**

Ok.

Now, I might not have all the answers for this unprecedented time, but I have some tricks up my sleeves that have served my family over the past four years and we’re getting into all of this inside this blog.

If you find this blog useful, there is also a video presentation which you can find below. Please share this blog out with your friends and family to support them during this time.

Before we dive into it all, I promise it’s coming, let me just remind you that no one is expecting you to have this all figured out on day one. How could you?

You’re learning a new way of working, parenting and moving through your day to day. Give yourself some grace as you navigate and I promise the journey will be much more enjoyable.

ROUTINES WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

I understand that your normal routine is completely flipped on its head and that is a lot to handle, however, this allows you to create a new one #silverlining.

One of the areas I highly suggest adjusting your routine is in the morning.

When you’re working from home it’s all on you boo and so you need to be super grounded and prepared as you take on the day. Skipping this time in the morning (which is now much more flexible if you were previously commuting) can lead to short fuses, anger and feeling all over the place throughout the day.

This might mean taking an extra hour in the morning or just 20 minutes to connect, but some of my favorite tips for this time are:

• Get dressed. Seriously, I know it sounds so stupid, but the days when I’m in sweats I’m way less productive. Just put on the pants with a button and a shirt and get this party started.

• Move your body. Sure, you’re used to sitting at a desk all day, but that isn’t going to work at home with kids. Get your energy going in the morning by working out or taking a walk, you’re going to need it.

• Get grounded. Whether you meditate or not is not important, although I’m a big advocate for 10 minutes of mindful thinking and deep breathing every morning, I just want you to chill. Take some time in the morning to feel connected to your body, your mind and mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead.
  

You might be thinking, “Hello! Michelle, I told you I’m doing this with kids?”

Oh, I know and that’s the joy. From an early age, I was including Cal in all my activities in the morning. To this day, we still workout, meditate and journal together. Include your kids in the activity to teach them an important life lesson along the way and to get a little space.

If your kids have never done this, be a little flexible. They might not do the full workout but might jump in and out to join you. If you have Bluetooth headphones try those while meditating and if you’re journaling you can give them crayons and paper to draw a picture.

As with everything presented to us during this time, it’s an opportunity to slow down from our normal rushed routine.

YOUR SCHEDULE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

Let’s just address the elephant in the room...you’re not going to work uninterrupted for 8 hours, so you’ve got to adjust, but you do need a schedule.

The biggest tip I can give you when it comes to creating a new schedule at home is to pay attention to your kids' rhythms, I promise they have them!

Paying attention to these rhythms, you might not be as familiar with, will show you little pockets and opportunities for extended work periods.

If your kid takes naps throughout the day then utilize those times to dive into your work, eliminate distractions and hustle your way through nap time.

If your kid has certain times of the day when they play well by themselves or get pulled into a project, then plan to get work done during that time. Cal does well in the morning, so after my morning routine, I would dive right into working until about snack/ lunchtime.

PLAN YOUR DAY IN ADVANCE

If you have older kids I suggest having them create their schedule the night before. Take some time together to plan out what the next day might look like.

Do you have meetings? If so, when are they?
Do you have a deadline that needs to be met?
Is there a project your kid is working on with school?

Then fill in the rest. Give your kids the responsibility to map out their day, this will make them freaking excited, and then hold them to it the next day. Use tools like timers to keep track of everyone’s schedule.

You need to do the same. Identify your big priorities for the day, now is not the time to try and do everything on your list. If you go into your day with 3 main priorities and put your focus around that it will make it much easier to feel accomplished than if you’re not clear on the main goals.

Do this every single day, yes every single day! I like to use a free tool like Trello to organize my day to day activities and if you’re working with a team tools like Slack and Zoom are very helpful for team communication (seriously, can we stop emailing each other) and team meetings.

SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS - WORK FROM HOME TRICK

I’ve read a lot of information online about working from home over the past four years and I swear no one is talking about this.

Either they know and they don’t want to spill the beans or it’s truly something not enough people are utilizing, but THIS right here is what saved me so many times.

If you have a meeting, a big project or an upcoming deadline set your kids up for success during those times.

I know you’re nervous about being interrupted, we all are, but your kids don’t know you have a meeting or even what that means if this is all new to them, so we’ve got to show some grace to both sides.

One way to combat the need for silence and focus it so set your kids up with a project and resources so they don’t need you unless there is an emergency.

So what does this look like?

“Setting Them Up” can be:

• Creating an activity bin that you pull out during meetings or times where focus is needed is exciting for kids and gives them a “this is a special toy” feeling.

• Moving your office outside. Sometimes I would take my calls outside where Cal could run around, play with the dog and explore. He was often entertained for quite some time because it was a new setting for him and I never complained about the fresh air.

• Give them a project. Depending on the age of your kids you’ll have to use your imagination, but some of my favorites were creating a tent and turning on a movie, building something, doing a puzzle, an activity book or reading.

• If all else fails it’s cartoon time! Look if you have a meeting you have a meeting. I’m in no way advocating for your kiddo to be on their tablet or in front of the tv all day, but once and a while momma...GIVE. YOURSELF. A. BREAK! Some of our favorites were Word Party and Beat Bugs on Netflix and the PBS Kids app.
  

In addition to the projects I highly recommend getting some snacks ready.

We try to have a bin in the fridge with cut-up fruit and other snacks so Cal can grab them without having to ask me. Of course, this only works for older kids, but if you’ve got kids under three you can have those snacks at your desk ready to go when they are hungry.

When you can combine a little preparedness with these activities you’ll handle your day so much better. There is a big difference in knowing you have a meeting at 2 pm, so you eat lunch by 1 pm and have the kids ready to go by 1:45 pm so you can get to your meeting VS. realizing at 1:50 you’ve got a meeting in 10 minutes.

Just sayin'.

TAG TEAM WITH YOUR PARTNER

If you have a partner at home it’s time to work as a team, seriously there is no reason to do this alone. Whether your partner is also working from home or gets home at the end of the day there is an opportunity to tag team this whole thing.

And, when this whole Coronavirus thing brings us back to some normalcy you can also lean on support from your community - think neighbors, best friends or hiring support.

I asked my husband Ben what he would recommend from this period when he was working retail and I was working from home with Cal building my business. He said the biggest thing he remembered was asking for chunks of time.

So let’s break down two scenarios.

IF BOTH PARENTS ARE WORKING FROM HOME
If you’re both working from home then together plan your schedule for the day. If someone has meetings all day virtually or projects to complete the other parent is on deck. Then you're able to flip the role when needed. 

IF ONE PARENT IS HOME ALL DAY
This one is much closer to my heart because this was our life for three years. At the beginning of the week, I would do my best to let Ben know when I’d need “uninterrupted time” for calls, writing or recording. But sometimes you just can’t prepare. Don’t be afraid to send that loving, yet kind of urgent text to your partner saying, “I need two hours tonight before dinner, you’re on call!”

BE FLEXIBLE

The rules no longer apply!

You’re not chained to a desk from 8 - 5 every day with the weekends as the only time to chill, and that’s the beauty of it all.

If you need to rearrange your schedule to work on a Saturday rather than a Tuesday then go for it, I promise your co-workers are doing it as well.

If you find an opportunity to wake up in the morning before the kids do or your partner leaves then explore taking this time to get some work done during this season.

It’s hard when your kids run the show, but I promise you can work in harmony with a little grace and planning (my favorite combo always).

FINAL THOUGHTS

My top tips for you are to...

• Take time in the morning to ground yourself, get dressed and move your body.

• Change your environment frequently throughout the day.

• Take time the night before to plan your schedule and activities for the day ahead.

• Set your kids up. You’ll save yourself time in the long run if you take 10 minutes to prep (just trust me on this one)!

• BABIES: Wear your baby in a baby carrier throughout the day. They love it and it’s super easy to work when you have both of your hands free.

• TODDLERS: Activities. Activities. Activities, oh and snacks!

• TEENAGERS AND OLDER: Now’s a great time to set some boundaries. It’s a life lesson we all need at a young age so don’t be afraid to sit them done and have them plan their schedule and openly communicate with them when you need uninterrupted time.
  

If you suddenly find yourself trying to play full-time employee, parent and teacher I’d love to pass along a bit of advice I received early on. Allow your kids to have experiences. Honestly, this kind of learning can teach them so much more than spending a day in school.

Encourage them to build something, play outside and garden, put on a play, etc… Sometimes the alternative learning opportunities can have the biggest impact.

I hope this post was helpful for you during this season of life. Please share it out on social media to support other parents going through the same thing.

If you want to follow along with daily tips and inspiration be sure to connect with me on Instagram @michelleknightco.

P.S. If you want to learn more about me and my online business Brandmerry.com, I’ve got some great resources for you below.

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MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

Episode 08 | Defining Your Own Freedom with Kate Killoran

Defining Your Own Freedom

Free to Be Podcast | Episode 08

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Kate Killoran about all things freedom. We’re getting deep into her own journey into entrepreneurship, one I think so many can relate to and her key takeaways in creating her own freedom.

Kate’s sharing a behind the scenes look at her own journey and sharing some of her favorite tips around automating her business. Not to mention you guys, her Golden Nugget on SEO is amazing, especially if you don’t have a current audience. It’s SO GOOD!

I’ve never heard this tip before and know it is going to be super valuable to all my entrepreneurs.

This week on the podcast I’m also sharing an exciting FREE training happening Tuesday, November 13 on Bringing Your Brand Story to Life: 4 Essential Steps to Follow for a Thriving Brand and Business.

Learn more and get signed up: brandmerry.com/novembermasterclass

Things we talk about in this episode:

• Kate’s super relatable journey from corporate life to creating her own business and the steps she took to get there.

• What it’s really like when you need a change every couple months and how to start saying YES to those small steps that will lead you to a bigger purpose.

• The reality around feeling guilty for pursuing your dreams and how Kate’s tried to get away from people pleasing in life and business.

• Why everyone’s story to entrepreneurship looks different and why that’s ok.

• How to handle when people don’t agree with your decisions.

• Kate’s favorite tips for automating her business and her clients.

We talk about a lot on this episode and there are so many little nuggets I can't wait for you to walk away with.

Kate Killoran

Kate Killoran is a growth strategist for female entrepreneurs and small business owners. She takes business' stories, visions, and energy, and creates unique growth strategies, utilizing SEO, Google Ads, and Pinterest Ads, to cater to your audience with today's authenticity-driven world in mind. When you find yourself overwhelmed, and need that one-stop resource to grow your brand - Kate's it.

Kate is also the founder of the Build Your VA Resume Course, a 4-week online skill and confidence building course created to better serve the entrepreneur community. This how-to DIY course is available beginning on December 1st of this year. Registration doors open + early bird pricing officially begins on November 15.

Grab Kate’s Top 3 SEO Tips Freebie: katekilloran.com/top-3-seo-tips

CONNECT WITH KATE

Website: katekilloran.com

Instagram: .instagram.comkate.killoran

Facebook: facebook.com/katelouisekilloran

Pinterest: pinterest.com/katelouisekilloran

CONNECT WITH ME

Web: brandmerry.com
Instagram: @brandmerrycoaching
Facebook: @brandmerrycoaching
Biz Group: Authentic Brand Builders

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Confession: I have a control problem

#LIVEMERRY

Hello! We are back from our 10-day expedition to Europe and survived traveling to three countries with a 10-month old!! I've had a lot of time to really think about what I want to share with you and something very powerful came up for me - I have a control problem.

I've always been the type of person who wants to do it themselves. I often feel like it is easier to just take care of it by myself, because I know it will get done quickly and will be done right. Do you ever feel this way?

As a new mother, I'm realizing more and more that it is just not possible for me to take care of everything. To be honest, I thought that by becoming a full-time entrepreneur and leaving my 9 to 5 I would suddenly have a ton of time. Now, I do have more time in the day, but the ideas for my business just keep coming and coming and I'm spending my time making each one of the possible.

This all came up for me before we left for our trip to Europe. In the past I’ve really been on top of my sh*t and had our trips planned out weeks in advance. However, just three days before we were set to leave I realized I hadn't booked the train tickets, I still needed to go to the store, laundry wasn't done and I had not even started compiling a list of things we might want to see and do, oh and I didn't even notice they changed our departure time!!

In that moment I seriously felt like I had dropped the ball. Why did I let this happen?

Oh yeah because I felt like I needed to do it all myself. My husband is so supportive, but let's be honest he can't read my mind, I mean no one can that would just be scary. I have to ask for help and I definitely didn't.

My business has grown so fast and continues to grow, we were leaving on a major European adventure and oh yeah I still have to take care of the day-to-day tasks, no wonder I lost it. I needed help and after a small cry fest with my husband he reminded me that asking for help and releasing control is not a weakness.

I repeat, releasing control, reducing the pressure, asking for help, taking the time, is not a sign of weakness! It is so important to get the help and support you need. Let it go and trust that it will all work out, controlling every single situation is not beneficial to you or your life of freedom.

If you are struggling with this or feel like you have to do it all alone, you don't. Reach out and get help from someone who supports you and genuinely cares about you and your happiness!

That Mindset Woo Woo Stuff

It's time to get real with you - I'm pretty woo woo. Yes, I love to burn incense, I thrive off a deep yoga class and meditation, I believe that if I dream it I will manifest it and yes, I've burned my fair share of sage when things seem a little off-kilter. I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.

This woo woo stuff, that so many people make fun of or don't find value in has seriously CHANGED my life. Not only has mindset work opened up my soul to endless possibilities, but it also reaffirmed deep down that I am capable of anything. Feeling centered in myself and connected with the energy of the universe has helped me realize that I am destined for so much more than what I thought was "expected" of me.

You know that aching feeling in your soul that you were destined for so much more? That feeling you get when you realize you are just coasting through life? It hurts, right? When you have these feelings, it seems as though someone has placed a heavy weight on your chest, you have trouble catching your breath and there is no way you will ever be upright again. I know those feelings cause I've been there.

I wouldn't be writing this post to you today, building my new website or developing my new 90-day coaching program, if I had not decided enough was enough.

Enough of just coasting - Enough of feeling drained - Enough of feeling unfulfilled - Enough!

When I finally admitted to myself that I was destined for so much more, shifts immediately started taking place. I started to feel lighter, to feel capable of anything and started to feel FREE.

Your mindset practice is so important to not only the success of your business, but also to your life - in case you forgot, you only get one so you better stop wasting it.

There are endless ways you can shift your mindset:

• Journaling
• Meditation
• Exercise
• Long walks
• Connecting with nature
• Through music
• Fueling your body with great foods
• Creating
• Reading

And I encourage you to do whatever lifts that heavy weight off of your chest and opens your soul, but my favorite by far is creating a vision board. There is something so, dare I say, magical about seeing what is possible. For me a vision board helps me truly put myself in that life I so deeply know I deserve.

In case you still don't believe me that mindset work is the real deal, let me paint you a picture.

In December, I faced another major shift in my life and recognized this deep desire that a change was needed. I had just given birth to my son and quickly found myself not just wanting, but needing, more. I could recognize this shift because I had welcomed yoga and meditation into my life a year earlier and knew deep down this was not a calling I could just overlook.

I began listening to mindset books, podcasts, webinars, guided meditations, anything I could to become clearer on what this calling was. Over the last six months I have completely transformed my life, feel clearer than clear on what my calling is and am living my life of freedom.

In June I decided it was high time we put up a vision board in our home. I had printed out some visuals, but they just sat on my dining room table. Finally, at the end of June I took the five minutes I needed to place them on the board. Over the next week I looked at them daily and with everything I had, I envisioned my life of freedom. 

The board contained many images, but two that I deeply focused on were working with a high-level coach and finalizing our trip to Europe. I posted pictures of Belgium, Amsterdam and Iceland and had decided on a coach I knew I was meant to work with. Within a week both items were final. On July 1, I received a notification that airfare to Europe had dropped to just $700 per person and I booked it instantly. The next day I had a clarity call with my now coach which just reaffirmed I was meant to follow her lead and within a week I had paid in full for her program!

I'm not lying to you when I say it is worth it. So whatever you want to call it - woo woo, mindset, intention, whatever you need to call it to make it appeal to you, just do it. Seriously, stop wasting your life feeling desensitized, you deserve so much more from this beautiful life.

Be Merry!