We are officially finished with online distance learning for the school year due to “the Rona.” I’ve seen some THE FUNNIEST memes and posts from my social media buddies trying to cope and adjust and struggle through this work/homeschool balance. I know for me personally it has taken some getting used to. And with the spread of the virus continuing and the state of public schools re-opening still up in the air many of us are left with more questions and concerns. Should we homeschool for the next school year? CAN we homeschool? Is distance learning the “new normal.”
My husband and I have not yet made a decision for our girls as of yet. But whether we decide to homeschool this next school year or if they go to a distance learning environment I will be ready or atleast much better prepared than I was this time around. Now, I have been working from operating my business for about 5 years now. But, two things were different with this pandemic.. One, obviously my children were attending school online, everyday. I am used to having them home with me while I work during snow days and breaks. That has always meant keeping them occupied during certain hours of the day; shifting my work schedule, sending them to camps, etc. Never, ever have I had to assist in navigating them through school work for 3-4 hours simultaneously. Oh, and here’s the second thing. I have never had to work from home while doing all of this AND have a full-time job. Whew chile! Life for me these past few months ain’t been no crystal stair, lol.
Fortunately, my job is a telecommuting position so I’ve worked from home since I started the position. That being said I have been working my job for 8 hours a day, running my business for varying hours AND assisting my 3rd and 8th grade girls in navigating live zoom and google meet classes and assisting with classwork and homework. All at the same darn time! If ever there was a reason for a glass of wine or a shot of Patron at the end of the day, this is it! But as we have finally wrapped classes and the girls are no longer “in school” I have been evaluating things that helped me through the process.
- Having a schedule. I tried to keep the girls as close as possible to their actual in-school schedule. They didn’t wake up as early because there was no need. They were only going to the kitchen table afterall. However, I had them get up, get dressed, have breakfast and be ready for learning at their normal designated times. Having a routine helped in things not being so chaotic and assisted me in being able to get things done.
- I adjusted my routine. Originally, since the kids weren’t up so early I started sleeping in. Big mistake. I quickly fell behind with my administrative tasks as well as my morning routine that helped “jumpstart” me for the day. I felt rushed and exhausted. So, I started getting up earlier to accomplish my morning routine. I was able to plan my day better, prepare my mind and spirit for the events to come.
- Time Blocking. This has been a life saver for me. I block out times on my Google calendar for the things I know I need to work on. Once that time frame has passed, it’s on to the next thing. This helps so you don’t fall down rabbit holes especially if you’re doing things like social media engagement. I block out my admin time, social media engagement, research for new projects and I use those times for nothing except what it was blocked out for. It’s a great way to stay on task.
- Meal prep. Now, this may seem strange to some of you. But, if you are working your full time job even if it’s from home, building your business or side hustle and wrangling kids who are now out for summer break… you are probably not going to have time to make 3 meals a day. I have tried a few different strategies. The two that work best for me are:
- Cooking 3 large meals on Sunday. I pull out my crockpots (I have 3) and my airfryer and let ’em roll. I typically will make a pot of pasta (spaghetti, lasagna, etc) along with a pot of baked or barbequed chicken. Pick a vegetable to set and forget like some greenbeans or collards. Finally a pot of beans with some cornbread and boom, you’ve got dinner for atleast 4 days. I also like to make a big batch of pancakes and freeze them for the kids. They pop them in the microwave with some turkey bacon and viola!
- Alternatively, if I want to have meals that don’t necessarily “hold well” I plan those meals out on Sunday, prep them (marinate and refrigerate or freeze) and then on the day I’m going to cook them I just pop them in the pressure cooker or crockpot and dinner is done.
There are a ton of perks to working from home whether it’s for yourself or a job. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It takes discipline and planning just like anything else. The key is to do what works for you and your family and allow yourself the space to navigate and tweak until you get it right.