How to work from home with a toddler

There’s nothing quite so groan-inducing in the world of a parent than the thought of working from home with a toddler.

Need to send an email? Well, they want – no, demand – a snack.

Got an important phone call? They’ve decided to pull all the books off the not-quite-baby-proofed shelf.

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Finally got your head into that spreadsheet and ready to get productive? They’ve been productive too – and now they need a nappy change.

This would all be manageable if it was just one or two days a week, but as many parents make working from home a long-term prospect, and are keeping kids home from daycare (and school), some more creative measures to keep our precious little monsters entertained are much-needed.

As someone navigating this new world with my new “co-worker” – also known as my 18-month-old daughter – I’ve devised a few ways to keep the work day as productive, and sane, as can be.

Set up an office space

Clean out that junk room/spare bedroom and turn it into an office. If you don’t have a spare room, consider setting up a workstation in your bedroom. A separate space helps keep little feet from stomping through and distracting you, or tripping over computer cords and causing carnage.

Take shifts

If you’re fortunate enough to have a partner who is also working from home, take it in turns to be on kid duty in the living area or out the back, while the other works in the office space. Go for one hour on, one hour off or whatever works for each of your schedules.

Then you can spend your kid duty checking and sending emails and messages on your phone, doing the odd bit of research or whatever you can while saying things like, “Wow, you did such a great job of building that tower” or, “Mummy said, don’t touch the TV!”

Don’t worry about screen time

Speaking of the TV, it’s about to become your best friend. Look, I know it’s a controversial position, and of course in regular life we go for a very minimal, only educational 20 minutes per week of screen time (I have no idea why my toddler knows Elmo’s Happy Dance back to front – just a fast learner, I guess.)

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and if that’s one extra episode of Play School, Sesame Street or The Wiggles so you can get something done, I say go for it. If there are days where you can avoid it, do that too! Hopefully it all balances out in the end.

Snacks are your friend

Get a stash of easy-to-grab, relatively healthy snacks that can quell even the stompiest, yelliest tantrum in an instant. Rice crackers, fruit, cucumber sticks and healthy, homemade oat and date bars (you can make these with all that “spare time” you have now you’re working from home) are a good start. If in doubt, break out the cheese, chips and ham – my kid can’t get enough ham.

Rotate the toys

Put a bunch of toys away in another room, and have only a few on offer for a couple of days. When they get bored of those ones, pull the others out – instant new toys! Don’t forget things that you see as everyday items that your toddler sees as something to play with. Clothes, empty milk bottles, kitchen utensils and washing baskets can provide a good half hour of independent play.

Wine o’clock is now 4pm

Not every day, but if the sun is shining, and you’ve been going since about 7am, and what would make everyone happy is sitting outside with a beverage of choice (water for them, wine for you), then go for it. No one is looking.

Lap it up

It’s a weird and scary situation we’re in. You want what’s best for you and your family, and keeping them healthy is priority number one.

So as the day slips away dealing with demands, changing nappies and reading Hairy McClary for the 50th time, remember that these moments are rare, and you may not have had as many of them otherwise.

I’m not one for finding too many silver linings during this – so many people have it very hard right now – but if your lot is to spend more time with your kids while still earning a living, I say, lucky you.