Have you ever seen a grown a$$ woman on the floor kicking and screaming like a toddler having a complete meltdown?
That’s what I felt like doing several times as I maneuvered working from home while taking on the role of “teacher” for my two daughters… well mostly my six-year-old during the pandemic.
I can smile now looking back. It wasn’t pretty or easy, however, it was an absolute blessing to be able to work from home and have the ability to support my daughters with remote learning.
As you think about how to work from home when your kids are on summer break, remember that you just got through one of the most traumatic times of being a working mom.
Celebrate Overcoming Challenges & Use The Lessons Learned As a Guide
Congratulations on surviving and completing the school year! We did it, Mama! We did it!
Yes, there were days I wanted to throw myself on the floor and kick and scream like a toddler! For real! I’m serious! And, I may have in an attempt to make a tense moment light-hearted, and give my kids something to laugh about and release some stress!
Working while taking on the role of teacher’s assistant, lunch lady, counselor, and principal for my two daughters brought me to places I never knew. And I know it brought you your own unique challenges and emotions too.
Cheers for doing hard things, mama!
You managed to work from home and help your kids through the rollercoaster of emotions and changes brought on by all the fear and uncertainty of the global pandemic.
You did it, mama! You’re a Rockstar! A Rockstar Working Mom!
Now that school is out you’re juggling being a working mom, working from home, while your kids are home for summer break. Once again, you’re trying to figure out how to work from home when your kids are home from school.
There is no one size fit all answer for all work from home moms. We each must assess the needs of our family, the season of life we’re in, and the resources we have to help us create systems that will help us work from home while our children are home on summer vacation.
How To Work From Home While Your Kids Are On Summer Break
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Start With What You, Your Kids, And Your Family Need Over The Summer Break
This summer break is a bit different, right! We’re just coming out of an unprecedented time in our lives. Each of our approaches to summer break will be different. We each must focus on what’s best for our children and family and use those needs to guide us.
As working moms, we’re not just thinking about the logistics of working from home when our kids are home. We’re also thinking about the emotional, psychological, mental, and academic needs of our kids.
Each working mom must evaluate their situation and decide what’s best for them and their kids.
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Create Summer Break Goals Based on The Needs Of You & Your Family
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Next, Assess The Season Of life You’re In At Home And Work
Summer break has a different meaning for working moms at each stage of being a parent. Summer’s didn’t change my schedule much when my kids were younger. They stayed in daycare and pre-school all year around. My husband and I scheduled summer vacation when our home daycare took a vacation.
When my oldest daughter got summer break from kindergarten I had just started my entrepreneurial journey and lifestyle change. That was my first experience of having my kids out of school for summer break as a working mother.
I’m not going to lie, I freaked out a bit when I realized that the schedule I had worked hard to create would need to be reconfigured with summer break. I got my work time and “me time” in when my kids were in school.
Side note: Are you trying to find time for yourself during summer break? Check this article out for tips. “Me Time” While Kids Are On Summer Break
I have learned that our schedules are constantly changing as the seasons of our and our kids’ lives change. We need to be flexible and understand that we will lose our rhythm as the seasons of our lives change. And that’s one constant we can expect. Change!
Work on the areas you can control and pick yourself up when that curveball knocks you down. I often remind myself and my clients that we can only control how we choose to react or not react when “life” happens.
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Finally, Assess What Kind Of Help and Support You Have and Can Get This Summer Break
This is an area I’m constantly working to improve. Asking for and getting help. Remember you don’t need to do it all to rock being a working mom.
My friend Monica has a baby and a toddler and works from home. She recently rented an office outside her home and hired a nanny to help with her kids. She tried to do it all by herself until she realized that it’s okay to get help and still be a rockstar working mom. This is the best option for her as a working mom in this season of her and her family’s life.
Here are six ways I have been able to work from home when my kids are on summer break by getting help.
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The Gym
My gym offers childcare for 2 ½ hours to members. They have different activities to keep the kids entertained & active. I use that time to exercise and work.
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Tutors, Baby Sitter, Nanny
When my oldest was in 2nd grade she protested going to summer school. My husband and I wanted her to work on her math in preparation for 3rd grade. I tried to explain this to her, but she didn’t buy it. In frustration, I asked her for suggestions. She said, “how about a tutor”. Such a brilliant child! Fortunately, I was able to hire one of her former teachers to tutor her. The following summer I hired the teacher to watch our girls for a few hours a week. She did a combination of tutoring, babysitting, and fun activities with the girls.
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Summer Camp, Class or School
The girls recently did Kidz Cabertte which is a combination of acting, singing, and dancing. My oldest daughter has done science camp a few times and she’s currently doing a fun technology art class.
My youngest is doing a reading class. I struggled going back and forth if this was the right thing for her. We went into lockdown when she was in kindergarten. She spends almost one year in remote learning and detested it immensely. This is one area I had to assess what was best for my child as I worked on our summer break schedule.
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The Library
We have an amazing library in our city. We spend a few hours at the library each week during the summer. The girls pick books, read, play, and do fun activities that the library host. They earn time to get to play games on the library computers. I work while they play games on the library computers.
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Free Play
Our girls are old enough that I can leave them to play unattended in another room while I work. I may have to stop to break up a fight, but I’m loving this age where they’re more independent.
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TV, iPad or Tablet Time
Before I had kids, I said my kids would not watch TV or use devices! Oh my goodness! I’m grateful for technology. There is no one more motivated to get their reading done than a kid who wants to use a device.
I hope these examples of how I have been able to get help to work from home when my kids are on summer break help you. As you can tell from the examples I shared, I work from anywhere, not just from home. I try to stay focused and productive during my work time and use every free moment to get some work in.
Remember, there is non one size fit all answer on how to work from home when your kids are home for summer break. However, you have the power to create a work from home summer system with works for you. Start by assessing the needs of your family, then use their needs as a guide and create summer break goals. Next, assess the season of life you’re in at home and work, and the resources you need to help you work from home while your kids are home for summer break.
You got this, Mama! Have the most amazing summer, yet!
