Working From Home With Kids
Frequently Asked Questions About Working From Home With Kids
How can you work from home with kids without feeling overwhelmed?
Working from home with kids requires a lot of flexibility and grace. Some days will feel smooth, and other days will feel chaotic, loud, or full of interruptions.
The key is to let go of the idea that every workday has to look perfect. You may need to work around nap times, use screen time when you need focus, or pull out a special activity during an important call. The goal is not to do everything perfectly. The goal is to keep adapting while still showing up for your work and your family.
What helps kids adjust when a parent starts working from home?
Kids often need time to understand that even though you are home, you are still working. They may not immediately understand quiet time, client calls, meetings, or why your attention is divided.
Small routines can help them adjust. Activities like coloring books, Play-Doh, sticker books, magnetic tiles, sensory bins, bubbles, chalk, or a pretend laptop can give them something to do while you work. Over time, they can start to understand when you are available and when they need to be a little more patient.
Is it normal to feel guilty about working from home with your child nearby?
Yes, it is very normal. Many parents feel guilty when they are working from home because they wonder if they are giving their child enough attention or if they were too distracted during the day.
The blog’s reminder is that your child does not need you to be perfectly present every minute. They need a loving parent who shows up for the moments that matter. Even when the day feels imperfect, you are still there to make lunch, offer comfort, give cuddles, and model hard work, responsibility, and resilience.
What are some practical ways to stay productive while working from home with kids?
One practical way to stay productive is to create an emergency toolkit for the moments when you need quiet, focus, or a distraction that actually works. This could include outside toys, coloring books, slime, Play-Doh, sticker books, busy boards, kinetic sand, sensory bins, an outdoor water table, chalk, bubbles, or magnetic tiles.
It also helps to redefine what productivity looks like. Some days, productivity may mean completing deep work during nap time. Other days, it may mean answering emails from a camping chair while your child plays outside. Working from home with kids is about learning to pivot, not expecting every day to go exactly as planned.
Working From Home With Kids
Written By: Taylor Mathews, People Admin Asst./ Chief Executive Assistant
The word of the day is GRACE. And if you work from home with kids, you’re going to need a lot of it.
The first time my two-year-old interrupted a client call, I felt my stomach drop. When I first started working from home with Squared Away, I had an almost 2-year-old, Dallas, who had my full, undivided attention her entire life up until that point. Needless to say, it was an adjustment for both of us.
I’m going to be honest — it was hard at first. She didn’t understand why mommy suddenly needed quiet time for deep work or why there were phone calls where she had to use her “quiet voice.” And I had a LOT of mom guilt. It was a steep learning curve for her, but it was just as steep for me. I had to balance being present as a mom with showing up professionally… not easy.
Redefine what ‘productive’ looks like.
The best advice I can give is to give yourself grace and remember that you are setting a powerful example. Some days will feel messy. Some days they’ll have a little too much screentime. Some days, you’ll count down the minutes until nap time. And that’s okay.
Over time, you’ll figure out what works best for you. I highly recommend creating your own emergency toolkit. Mine consists of outside toys, coloring books, slime, and Play-Doh.
She wants to play in the sprinkler? I’ll grab the camping chair and my laptop.
I have a meeting with a brand new client? Let me get the (otherwise banned) slime out.
I really need an hour of uninterrupted focus time? Screen time never killed anyone.
You learn to pivot. You learn to adapt. You learn that perfection isn’t the goal; flexibility is.
Be ok with distractions sometimes.
Dallas adapted beautifully. She now knows my clients by name, and she even has her own “laptop” where she “emails her clients” (who, coincidentally, have the same names as mine). She still sneaks into my video calls from time to time, but she understands when it’s important and when she needs to be quiet. She starts preschool in the fall, and while I’ll miss having my little assistant by my side every day, the thought of a quiet background during work hours sounds pretty amazing. I’m almost to the finish line!
You’re not alone.
Working from home with kids isn’t just a transition for them — it’s one for parents, too, and that part doesn’t get talked about enough. I had a lot of mom guilt in the beginning. Am I giving her enough attention? Does she still feel my love? Was I too distracted today?
If you’re asking yourself those same questions, please hear this: You are enough.
Your kids don’t need a perfectly present mom every minute of every day. They need a loving one. They need to see what it looks like to work hard, solve problems, manage responsibilities, and still show up for the moments that matter. They’re watching you build something. They’re watching you balance. They’re learning resilience, independence, and flexibility right alongside you.
You were still there to make their lunch. To kiss their boo-boos. To cuddle when they didn’t feel good. And that counts for more than you think.
On the days when it feels chaotic or loud or overwhelming, come back to that word: grace.
Grace for interruptions.
Grace for screen time.
Grace for the moments you feel stretched thin.
You are building a career and raising humans at the same time. That is no small thing. Give yourself the same kindness you so easily give everyone else. You got this.
Keyboard Smash Approved:
https://www.kevinwheeler.net/baby-keyboard-smash-game
Emergency toolkit ideas:
- Sticker books
- Busy boards
- Kinetic sand
- Magnetic tiles
- Sensory rice bin with cups and spoons
- Sorting bins
- Outdoor water table
- Chalk
- Bubbles
