Summer is full of mixed emotions for me as a work from home mom (WAHM). On the one hand, I get the flexibility of kids sleeping in and longer nights with no set bedtime. However, it does come with a price. I lose the school routine which is optimal for my work schedule. What does that mean? I have to get creative! Below are some of the tips I implement on a regular basis besides the wonderful summer camp trick.

Quick Tips

  1. Make sure you have dedicated (I mean no checking your email) time with your kids. This way you can say “I can’t play with your right now but in X hours I am all yourds!” You both will feel better.
  2. Keep your commitments to your kids. If you say you are taking the day off, do it. If you say you only need to work 2 hours, stop working after two hours. Your kids won’t bug you as much while you are working if they trust the quality time is coming.
  3. Save your electronic plug in time for when you need it the most like a conference call or are working to meet a deadline.
  4. Stock up your craft closet. Crafts are a great way to engage kids.
  5. Things will get messy and that is ok. When kids are on their own and told to be creative, mess will happen. Relax, it is all part of the process.
  6. Lean in on your support circles. Offer to watch your friends’ kids in a while in exchange for some free hours during the business day.
  7. Get creative so your kids can! This year I introduced the Bored Jar. It is working great. See details below.

Introducing the Bored Jar.

I created the Bored Jar to keep my kids happy and off electronics even when I am working. To be clear, most of the time my kids are in camp or with a nanny. However, I love to take off days to head to the beach myself or allow them to be lazy. On these days, I work in small concentrated periods of time. So here is how I get those precious hours without feeling guilty about how my kids are spending the time.

What is the Bored Jar?

If one of my kids comes into my office exclaiming boredom, she/he is instructed to grab one of the 55 activities inside my handy Bored Jar. I got this idea from Pinterest and really wish I remember the person so I could reference her. Anyway, these activities range from art projects to building obstacle courses to putting on plays. You can click on this PDF for my list.

Rules of Engagement.

Oh yes, there must be rules of engagement. The reality is there is no reason for any child to be bored so what they really want is your attention. Unfortunately, you can’t give that right now. So here are the rules.

  1. If you say you are bored, you must select an item out of the jar.
  2. You have to do whatever the paper says.
  3. There are no multiple selections trying to find the one you like.
  4. If they don’t like the rules, don’t come into my office saying they are bored. J

Does It Work?

These happy faces don’t lie. A really amazing side effect is that the jar seems to spur their own creativity. After selecting the “Play fetch with Sammy, the dog” card, they created their own Extreme Adventure game. kate_sam2           scott_sam

What are your tips for getting work done during the summer months? I would love to hear them!









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