Working from Home with the Kids Home for the Summer

I think they are plenty old enough to understand that they need to be quiet especially when you are on the phone. I work about 20 hrs a week from home on the computer and making phone calls. My kids are almost 5 and just turned 7. When I know I need to make some phone calls, I get them going on something usually upstairs away from my office like legos or a movie. If they have already been acting up that day, then I separate them in each of their rooms before I make the calls to eliminate the fighting and running around noise. It is also so important to make sure that even as they get older, to spend quality time with them everyday. My kids behave so much better when I'm on the phone if I have just finished playing a game with them or something. Then they feel like they have had some time with me and they give me time to work. Same thing with cleaning the house. Time for kids, time for work, time for kids, time for the house, time for kids. If most of your time is not being spent with your kids, then your doing something wrong and they will never behave for you.

Pay your 11 year old to take his sister outside to play. It doesn't have to be money, but how about computer time? My son loves Ruinscape online so he has specific chores to do to earn his month membership so he can do more on it. It costs me like $5 a month and my yard gets cleaned every other day :)

I have done sales for the last 5 years, and my kids new when my work phone rang it was time to be quiet I was working. The figured out that by having the phone attached at the hip, I may have to take 5-15 minutes out of the hour, and answer 6 phone calls, but we were at the zoo!!! or at the beach, so on. Explain to them the benefits of being able to work from home and see if it helps.

They figured out I get to spend more time with them and didn't miss stuff at school, but I gave up a little more freedom.

Good luck
Chelle E.

They are 11 and 5... They should understand the meaning of quiet.

I do daycare and also have 3 kids of my own. I practice being quiet with them. When I have to make calls I schedule them to coincide with "quiet time". I will put the baby(2) down for a nap and start the one movie for the day for the other kids (12,8,6,5,)Then as they are watching,,, I have abit under 2 hours to do all my calling and paperwork. On nice days I can send them out into the yard and watch them thru the slider door if I need to make a call...

Sit them down and tell them that there will be times that YOU NEED QUIET. If they can not reel themselves in then tell them that they can sit at the table and do some math papers... :-) http://www.tlsbooks.com/timedmathdrillworksheets.htm
Just print some off and see if you NEED to use them... Educational and teaching self control... :-)

I work from home year round and although my husband watches my 2 1/2 year old during the 'teaching' times.. (I teach piano lessons with an Australian method and Kindermusik), I have other prep times, phone calls etc..

Luckily my son naps so I get most things done during that time. I can now use TV on occasion to get 15 minutes of things done as well or make calls in the evenings.

I'd suggest having a quiet time for your kids.. perhaps set it up so you have an hour of 'work' time and your kids have to keep themselves occupied. I'd think after a week or so of working with them it would work out for you..

I hire a babysitter now for 2 hours every other week and lock myself in my studio space and work on the things that I have trouble focusing.

Hope it gets better.. it's challenging to work from home, but I LOVE it!