Alright my suddenly working from home friends whose children are suddenly home with you; this post is for you! Yesterday I shared with you the schedule we are using right now at home. This is a great schedule that children really thrive within. It is ideal if you can get your work done in the evening after they are in bed. But sometimes, that isn’t possible and we need to work more Full time hours. Today I wanted to share a schedule that accommodates this need.

This schedule is offered as a FREE printable at the bottom of this post

Since we are homeschoolers, our schedule has only changed in a minor way as compared to someone who was not previously homeschooling. All of our activities have been cancelled, which means that instead of having social outings four days a week, we are home all week long. 

This has been quite the shift for me, so I can empathize with those of you going through the MAJOR shift of having children home from school and also trying to work from home.

Today I wanted to share with you my work from home schedule.

As a blogger, I can balance my work quite nicely while having my children home. For the most part, I do my work for a few hours after my kids are in bed. BUT there are times when I need to work more than that. If I am working on a project, developing one of my courses or books, or collaborating with others, I need to work during the day also.

When this is going on, the schedule below is the one that I use.

When I am in the midst of using this schedule I like to remind myself of one important thing: “This is only a busy season” This is not how my life will always be. This is not how busy I will always be. This is simply a season in my life that is a touch busier than I like, but soon enough – be it 2 weeks or a month, things will slow down. Or, in the case of my friends with little ones home for school closures, school will reopen.

Unless, of course, you find you are loving your days at home with little ones. If so, please email me and I will tell you all about homeschooling! But I promise to not do that in this post … I won’t try to recruit you …

Here is my …

Work from Home Schedule with Kids:

Print this schedule HERE

Quiet Play/Breakfast: We start our day nice and easy. The children wake up and begin their day however they like.  Often this is playing LEGO or with Playmobile. My older son loves to begin his day with reading. We sort of have a rolling wake up over about an hour period. My older children will get their own breakfast during this time, and once I am up and have had my (ever important) cup of coffee I will get breakfast for my little ones and myself. The TV is allowed to be on at this time. 

During this time is Work Block 1: This is when I check my email and schedule out work I want to accomplish today.

Morning Chores: Once everyone has had breakfast we wrap up our play time and everyone comes together to sort out morning chores. The children get a chore they need to do each morning. It could be anything from unload the dishwasher, let the barn animals out, put away laundry, tidy a room, etc. These chores change each morning based on what needs to get done around the house. Many hands make light work! Once a chore has been assigned everyone does their morning routine (get dressed, make bed, brush teeth and hair) and does their chore. Since I work from home in the evenings, I need everyone to pitch in and get housework done during the day as a team.

Organized Activities: After this, we all meet at the kitchen table. Typically this is when we begin some organized school work. It is also the time when we might do a puzzle, some games, perhaps a craft or activity. During this time we are together and my little ones have my full attention. I find it very, very important to have this special time with my kids each day. During the afternoon my children have a rest time. In order for my children to ACTUALLY have an independent time away from me, they first need to feel as though they have had my attention of course. This period of time is a very valuable experience which connects us and sets us up for success later in the day. No iPhone, no email checking, just quality time. 

Outdoor Play: We then bundle up and head outside for some much needed play! We like to be outside and I have a couple little ones who reeeaaaallly need this time to run and explore, so our outside time can last quite awhile. This is also valuable connecting time with my children. 

Lunch

Quiet Time: Once lunch time is done, it is time for some independent play. At this point, my little ones know how to do this like the back of their hands. I put my youngest down for a nap and my other children all move into their own creative spaces. Sometimes they read, create amazing buildings, or use one of our Quiet Bins. This time lasts for an hour and a half. As I mentioned, the trick I have found for quiet time to be successful is to ensure I have spent good, quality time with my little ones before this. 

During this time Work Block 2 Begins: This is when I get about 2-3 hours of work done. The first hour and a half occurs during quiet time, so I do any videos or work that I really don’t want to be interrupted. The second part of this occurs during “Play” (see below) so I will have my little ones out and about at this time. This means I might (well, no, I WILL) be interrupted.

Play: Once rest time is done, it is “anything goes” time. The kids might play downstairs, head back outside, play together, play apart, play with me, watch a show – anything goes. 

Dinner: 

Evening Routine: After dinner my little ones do their ‘evening routine’ (baths/showers, pyjamas, teeth) and settle into reading time. We read aloud in the family room, or reading can be independent in bedrooms until bed times. 

Work Block 3: Once my littlest are tucked in and my older children are indepedently reading I begin my work. I will stop to go tuck in the older children when it is their bedtimes. I work for an additional 1-2 hours depending on my work load for the day.

There you have it! That is our current “Work from Home with Kids Schedule”. I hope it is helpful to you. 

I know it can be very trying to settle into a new routine – especially when you did not necessarily want a new routine – but stick with it. It takes a little bit of time for everyone to get into the swing of things, but once they do things will be smooth sailing. 

Children thrive on consistency – and I have found that I do as well, in fact!

Any questions? I am only an email away.

xo

Sarah

You can print this Work from Home with KIDS Schedule for FREE right here!

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