Most of the time, working from home is great. My job involves writing, life coaching and broadcasting, all of which can be done from home, via phone and computer, whilst my two children are at school.
But the trouble with these schools is that they will keep having holidays. And here's another one! Just when we'd got over Easter, spring break has come along.
If you have children and work from home, how do you manage it during the holidays without ending the week exhausted and pulled in all directions?
Here are my tips for the best ways to work around the holidays
- Manage your workload
Your school will be able to give you holiday dates at least six months in advance, so put these into your diary and work around them. Think very carefully about what sort of work you take on around this period.
I avoid doing telephone coaching sessions during the holidays because I need total silence for that sort of work, and I can't guarantee it with the the kids about.
- Cut backIt's great if you can take time off at the same time as your kids. If this isn't practical, cut back on your commitments as much as you can. One thing's for certain, if you try to carry on as normal, nobody will be happy.
- Work aheadGet as much done as you can the week before. So if you're reading this in half term, chances are I wrote it about a week ago.
- Arrange playdatesEverybody benefits: your kids get to see their mates in the holidays, and hopefully they'll be invited back too. When my daughter was younger, I did this every holiday with her best friend's mum, and we would take it in turns to have both girls for half a day at a time.
- Be honest with your kidsExplain to them that you do have work to do at certain times, but that you will also make time to do what they want when you've finished. Make sure they have independent activities to be getting on with whilst you're working -- even if it's just tidying their bedroom.
What are your tactics for balancing work and home commitments in the holidays?