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li>Don’t expect to do it all. Be kind to yourself.</li><li>If the kids aren’t old enough to understand boundaries and semi-care for themselves, squeeze in your work time either in the mornings or the evenings.</li><li>Self-care — you can’t pour from an empty cup! Maybe you can squeeze in a nap when they sleep in the afternoon. Or you can make yourself a bath after they fall asleep. Anything that nurtures your soul.</li><li>Give younger kids 20–30 minutes of real attention every 60–90 minutes and many/most will give you that 60–90 minutes to work.</li><li>I also pulled the playroom table next to my desk and called it my kid’s “office” to “work” next to Mama.</li><li>Invite them into the world of coding with <a href="https://www.tynker.com/">Tynker</a> or <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu/">Scratch</a>.</li><li>Headphones are also great during this time. Noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones do miracles!</li><li>Be flexible and know that it’s going to be an adjustment. Give yourself grace. Don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t expect to get as much done as usual.</li><li>It can feel hard to pull yourself away, but take time to spend some good time with them. Fill their little tanks first at the beginning of each day. Before you know it, they will likely be ready to run off to do their own thing.</li><li>Schedule important bonding time so your children feel like they aren’t neglected. When they feel connected, they will be more willing to cooperate with you. And they will feel safe to do their own thing. And we need them to do their own thing.</li><li>When I get overwhelmed it also helps me to know that I don’t have to be perfect. All I have to be is an OK mom and an OK coworker. Did you know that <a href="https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/okay.html">OK meant “Zero killed” during World War I</a>? Zero killed is OK with me.</li><li>Now is the best time to teach them creativity. Boredom is the best teacher of creativity. <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/07/12/study-benefits-of-boredom-children/">Studies confirm that boredom could lead to better creativity.</a></li><li>Remember, this is a great learning experience — both for you and your kid. What can you learn from it?</li></ul><p id="0e8d">Here is a video version of this article:</p> <figure id="3e8d"> <div> <div> <img class="ratio" src="http://placehold.it/16x9"> <iframe class="" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FhTFztVsyv7c%3Ffeature%3Doembed&amp;display_name=YouTube&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhTFztVsyv7c&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FhTFztVsyv7c%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" width="854">

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CORONAVIRUS

How to Write Code With Your Kids at Home

Are you locked in at home with kids? Here are some tips to help you stay sane, do some work, and still leave a smile on your kids’ faces

Photo by Allen Taylor on Unsplash.

Worst-case scenario: You are alone, your kid is five years old and full of energy, and your company successfully switched to remote working or you are a freelancer already working from home.

Everything would work out fine if your kid could stop storming in every five minutes with a question or request:

  • I’m hungry.
  • I’m angry.
  • I’m lonely.
  • I need to poo.
  • Mommy, Daddy, I have a million ideas…

And we all know that interruptions don’t help anyone write code.

To really get anything done, you need at least an hour of quiet time. And with the coronavirus here to stay, what can we do? Things still need to be done. Bugs need to be removed, urgent things need to be handled.

So here are some tips to help you stay sane, write some code, fix some bugs, and still keep your kid happy:

  • Get organized! Make a schedule — not a strict one but something you can follow. Have an emergency entertainment plan ready. The structure will keep you from losing your sanity and the backup plan should prevent all hell from breaking loose.
  • Rhythm. When things are out of control, even us grown-ups feel safer if there is some kind of rhythm — something we can expect every day. Even in extreme times, we can formulate some kind of rhythm. Create a new routine for this new reality.
  • Time blocking works great for me. Just remember that kids have short attention spans. Be sure to break up the day. Don’t try to make an eight-hour chunk as a workday. Smaller chunks are necessary.
  • Have flexible expectations in place.
  • Above all, have patience and remember this is temporary! It won’t be perfect, it won’t be easy, but it will be a time you will always remember.
  • Understand that you’re not going to be as productive during the same amount of time as normal since you will be interrupted. It’s inevitable. Make a plan to do your work maybe during chores or playtime when the kids are occupied.
  • Have a partner who also works from home so you share the workweek. Well, don’t try to find one now if you’re are single.
  • Don’t expect to do it all. Be kind to yourself.
  • If the kids aren’t old enough to understand boundaries and semi-care for themselves, squeeze in your work time either in the mornings or the evenings.
  • Self-care — you can’t pour from an empty cup! Maybe you can squeeze in a nap when they sleep in the afternoon. Or you can make yourself a bath after they fall asleep. Anything that nurtures your soul.
  • Give younger kids 20–30 minutes of real attention every 60–90 minutes and many/most will give you that 60–90 minutes to work.
  • I also pulled the playroom table next to my desk and called it my kid’s “office” to “work” next to Mama.
  • Invite them into the world of coding with Tynker or Scratch.
  • Headphones are also great during this time. Noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones do miracles!
  • Be flexible and know that it’s going to be an adjustment. Give yourself grace. Don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t expect to get as much done as usual.
  • It can feel hard to pull yourself away, but take time to spend some good time with them. Fill their little tanks first at the beginning of each day. Before you know it, they will likely be ready to run off to do their own thing.
  • Schedule important bonding time so your children feel like they aren’t neglected. When they feel connected, they will be more willing to cooperate with you. And they will feel safe to do their own thing. And we need them to do their own thing.
  • When I get overwhelmed it also helps me to know that I don’t have to be perfect. All I have to be is an OK mom and an OK coworker. Did you know that OK meant “Zero killed” during World War I? Zero killed is OK with me.
  • Now is the best time to teach them creativity. Boredom is the best teacher of creativity. Studies confirm that boredom could lead to better creativity.
  • Remember, this is a great learning experience — both for you and your kid. What can you learn from it?

Here is a video version of this article:

Some articles you might also like:

Enjoy your day :)

Productivity
Kids
Startup
Programming
Parenting
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