Working from Home during Distance Learning

In a matter of just a few weeks our day to day routine has changed dramatically.

To stay safe and save lives, families are together all day, every day.

As we try to navigate this new normal one major learning curve might be figuring out how to work from home while everyone is at home.

This can be tricky especially when young children live in the house.

Your new coworkers are:

• loud
• constantly moving
• always hungry
• near or on you all.day.long

It can be extremely difficult to complete work tasks and you might be finding it hard to:

• focus
• hear work calls
• keep your patience

First and foremost, please know that you are definitely not alone!

There are LOTS of people who are faced with these exact challenges during this time!

While you are home it is imperative to create routines and expectations during your work time so that young children understand and know what to do.

Over the years as a Kindergarten Teacher I have learned through experience and research that little learners need to SEE what they need to do in order to know what to DO.

Children need to learn what to do in order to help you work from home.

This transition can be extremely hard and difficult.

Similar to how we practice and review our expectations and procedures at school, families now need to do the same at home.

As we transition to this new normal, children need to be shown what it looks like when it is time for you to work and what is appropriate for them to do during this time.

Research states that visuals are valuable for learning because they help store information longer, make communication fast and easy, help to support comprehension, and motivate learners.

Similar to at school, when families work from home, children will be most successful when they understand the expectations and can see what they need to do.

The morning has started.

Everyone has had their breakfast, clothes are changed, teeth and hair are brushed.

The day has begun.

It is time for you to sit at your computer and answer emails.

As you open your computer screen and type your work log-in, someone comes up to you and starts tapping you on the shoulder.

They need a snack.

You get up and get them a snack and sit back down ready to open your first email.

As you hit reply and start to type your response someone comes up to you and asks if they can go outside.

You tell them that you need to work for a little bit and then you can take them out.

You start to type your email response and find yourself typing a word or two, backspacing, and typing again.

In a matter of ten minutes you have been interrupted several times and you just can’t concentrate.

Strategies and Ways to Establish a Work Time Routine

• Designate an area in your house that is your work area.
• Establish a schedule with your family so they know when you need to work.
• Create a choice board with your family for them to be able to do independently when you are working.

• Change out the activities every few weeks to keep it fresh and exciting.
• Only use the choice board when you are working so they associate those activities with your work time.
• Remind and review expectations before you start working.
• If you can break your work time into chunks of the day.
• When your work time is over play an activity of their choice together.

It is time for a work conference call.

Your family has started a game of tag and are screaming as they chase each other around the house.

You break up the game of tag, but now they have moved on to building with blocks.

To top it off they have started to crash cars into their towers and the blocks tumble onto the wood floor and echo through the house!

You can barely hear yourself think, let alone someone on the other end of the call.

Strategies and Ways to Establish an Appropriate Voice Volume:

Children do best when they can see what they need to do and how to sound during an activity.

• Before it is time for your conference call establish the appropriate voice level while you are on the phone.
• Talk about each voice level and choose which level would be the best.
• Model and practice how it sounds before your call.
• Understand that it is not going to be perfect the first, second, third, or the 100th time.
• Explain that you need to focus during your call. (brain is thinking, eyes are watching, ears are listening)
• Practice, practice, and practice some more.
• Praise expected behavior.
• Be consistent and repeat expectations often

• Talk about what to do if they need you during your phone call.
• Come up with strategies together such as waiting patiently and not interrupting.

From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed you feel like you are constantly in motion.

Empty the dishwasher

Do the laundry

Help with learning activities

Answer emails

Make meals

Clean Up

Everyone needs you ALL the TIME…

You feel like you just need a MINUTE to yourself to do something YOU like to do.

Strategies and Ways to Establish some Time for YOU:

I’m sure you have heard the familiar saying: “You can’t pour from an empty cup”

or

“Self Care isn’t selflish”

Now more than ever it is IMPORTANT to make sure to take some time for YOU!

• Make a list of your favorite ways to relax. Click here to grab this Self Care Choice board for ideas of how to unwind and take care of YOU!
• During the day make sure to find a few quiet moments to take deep breaths.
• Relax your jaw, shrug your shoulders, wiggle your fingers, roll your neck from side to side.
• Get up an hour before everyone else does in your house and do what makes your heart happy.
• If you are not a morning person take some time in the afternoon or evening.
• If the weather is nice try to get outside at least once a day. Fresh air is always good for the soul.

If nothing else remember to:

Give yourself grace, and know that you are doing the best that you can.

We got this and we are in this together.

If there is anything I can do please feel free to reach out. I am happy to help.

Stay well and Take Care,