Anyone else worried about lockdown with small children (whilst simultaneously “working from home”)

[Ilikeviognier]

Just that. A bit worried really - obviously there are bigger things at stake like lives so clearly we will do what we have to.

BUT- I have a 3.5 and a 5 year old. Both boys. When together at home they fight, so much fighting, argue; get sooo bored if not completely entertained. When schools close, I’m going to somehow work from home, whilst home schooling and supervising the fighting, also presumably we won’t be allowed out by that point so we’ll all be climbing the walls.... and for how long?

Anyone else worried about this? 😳

How can they expect you to work without giving you a laptop??

Theres no clear guidance from my employer at that time beyond carers leave (a few days a year) then annual leave then unpaid leave. Surely they'll have to revise that, otherwise none of us will have annual leave left or we will have no money (which I appreciate is a real situation of many already). I'm in the at risk group for my chest so will be wfh for the foreseeable.

I have a 20 month old who is a beautiful delightful child but hes not even 2 yet and he simply wont have the attention span for me to get much done. Another suggestion was working after hes gone to bed - thatd mean working until the early hours to get my day in, I camt function on a few hours sleep! His dad will also be expected to work from home teaching onlineand is the higher earner (5 days a week to my 3 and higher salary) so I feel like his work needs to be protected.

We're living this now, in isolation since end last week, and doubt that schools will be open when we are allowed back out + DS is very vulnerable.

DD(10) on own was ok. The two of them together are TOUGH.

My immediate boss is understanding but our top boss doesn't get it. In his mind we all have self-sufficient teenagers who can watch TV and revise for their A-levels. The reality for many of us is that DC are primary age and need pretty constant supervision and involvement just to stop them killing themselves or each other. Worse, is that we are expected to home school them and that is a completely different kettle of fish. All this whilst we are working.

DH and I are both wfh and do this quite regularly, just not with a bloody schoolroom in the office.

We've decided they get 4 hours timetabled per week day, plus need to do PE (yoga on youtube, skipping in small garden etc) and their music practice.

DH took the morning and delivered 2 hours of lessons. Very difficult to teach at same time as ages so different and they try to stab each other with pencils. We have a whiteboard and can "teach", mixed with worksheets. You can't expect primary kids to just do worksheets for 4 hours a day. We've bought another laptop (thank god we can) to do on-line quizzes etc. Still "Mummmmeeeeee...." questions approximately every 30 seconds.

I took the afternoon and gave a mix of "teaching", me drawing on whiteboard, asking them questions, like some of the training I deliver at work usually, (though fewer pencil stabbings at work). Then work sheets.

There's a limit to how long they can concentrate. They need to be well fed and watered. They need to be physically separated. I'm insisting on hands up to ask questions otherwise they just interrupt and yell over each other. Their behaviour is excellent at school, but parents don't have the teacher factor.

Then we are each working when the other parent is doing their 2 hours, and taking turns to be the 'parent on call' during the PE, music and tv watching, where working still very tricky. Also working in the evening to catch up.

I am shattered.

I've just heard that my employer will be allowing Some to work from home. Not those who are part time though. The ones who are part time, have small children. I am one of them, and am seperated, with no alternative childcare. How the fuck they think I can go into the office if schools and childcare closes I don't know. While people with NO children, or older teens, get to WFH??

YES. Already doing it with DS2 as he has a cough so keeping him off nursery. It's not been too bad...but it's only day 2 and there has been a lot of screen time. Looks likely nursery will shut so will have 4 year old DD joining us. All the way until the end of the summer holidays. And all our trips away cancelled. And soft play closed. Oh god...

What's helped is talking it through with DH (also wfh) and envisaging how it's going to work. So like PPs, we will divide the day and do a half day of work and childcare each. Will probably end up doing work on evenings and even weekends, it'll get done when I get the chance to do it. Luckily my boss and several colleagues are in the same boat so there's hopefully going to be a fair bit of leeway.

I'm just hoping the good weather starts (it's been raining here) so I can throw them outside into the garden after breakfast! And feeling bloody grateful to have a garden...

Thanks for that link to resources @fazakali. If anyone has anymore links or ideas to help with homeschooling, please share.

I might add that die to being part time, I CAN fit my hours into after bedtime.

I largely WFH anyway so used to that, BUT DD2 (3)’s nursery that she goes to in the morning is permanent closing down at the end of the month and served us 4 weeks notice last week, so we were buggered on that front as no other childcare providers have spaces, then received the email to say that the school nursery is closing down from today until the end of the month!

I could cry. I don’t know how I’m going to juggle working with her. It’ll be worse if the main school closes down and her siblings are at home... oh the fighting!

Reading more posts and man, I am feeling guilty for moaning when at least I don't have to play school for my DC (yes we will do basic activities but no proper work needed). That sounds exhausting. And @Nottalotta (I remember you from early baby sleep threads, hello!) that is very unfair of your employer. Is there anyway you can appeal it?

And let them get bored. Amazing things happen when they get bored.

Oh yes. Yes I'm quite well aware that amazing things happen when they get bored. I have very creative children. Amazingly good things may happen, but in my experience a lot of amazingly bad things happen too. [Still traumatised]

We have been in isolation this week but when it is over I will be back at work as I am unable to work from home (veterinary) - thank god as I'm finding it impossible to entertain my 1 year old for days on end without going anywhere! I have so much admiration for people who do it while working from home too - you're amazing but I do not envy you!

I worked from home today. It was all absolutely fine until I had to pick my children up at 3 and put another two hours work in with them in the house. The six year old is fine but the three year old was a nightmare, interrupting every three seconds, screaming and crying and most notably streaming through the kitchen cackling at the top of his voice ‘hahaha I NAKED!’ Whilst I was on a work call. The thought of trying to do that ALL DAY when they close the school and nursery is horrifying.

@ColourMeExhausted Hello!! My 2 both sleep very well now. It's local authority, and I'm a member of the union, so let's hope so! I can't see how they would get away with it. There are plenty who don't have children, or who have grown up, or teens who can be left at home.

Oh yes. Yes I'm quite well aware that amazing things happen when they get bored. I have very creative children. Amazingly good things may happen, but in my experience a lot of amazingly bad things happen too. [Still traumatised]

Anyone else thinking that George's Marvellous Medicine may actually have been a true story.

I’m not sure how I’ll manage. I work 18 hours a week and have an 11,10 and 7 year old except the 10 and 7 year old both have autism and adhd. 10 year old is horrible to the 7 year old and the 7 year old is like a two year old and needs constant supervision.

The six year old is fine but the three year old was a nightmare, interrupting every three seconds, screaming and crying and most notably streaming through the kitchen cackling at the top of his voice ‘hahaha I NAKED!’ Whilst I was on a work call.

Sorry, that did make me laugh.

let them get bored

Said the parents of a 3 year old... never! 3 is not a good age to be bored, they dont understand it and are harder work when they're bored than when they're occupied.

Or maybe that's just my 3 year old

Wow and I was worrying with 1 2 year old!

You lot need medals.

I'll try and help but if you're working from home this may be a little trickier...
(As this could be a long few weeks)
I would try to keep some routine, so,
8am breakfast and tv
8.45/9am get dressed, make own bed and 1 chore (chosen by parent) to earn a sticker/ token etc.
10am (where possible) garden/ walk/ bike ride. Something to use some energy up and get the heart pumping before kids use their energy in negative ways. Could also do a fitness video off YouTube (if a parent could join in this would really help bonding/ have fun) or a game on the wii (if they still exist?!)
Where more than one child let take turns to choose so it's not always 1 child's way.
11.30am sit and chill, phones/ tablet/ tv.
12/ 12.30pm lunch- where possible have kids join in to prepare and tidy/ wash up. This all takes time.
1/1.30pm art/ crafts with the idea of creating something, so a card for someone or something to represent the day/ near event ie Easter.
2.30pm something physical, walk, bike ride, play outside - but different to morning activity.
3.30pm snack/ board game.
4.30pm FaceTime family/ friends to keep social contact.
5pm Teatime then free time!

Obviously I'm thinking this is when there's no schoolwork to do but when they have to learn just work that in a timetable to suit. Get the kids to create their ideal timetable to give you an idea of what they want as you can use what they like to your advantage ie it's movie time at 1pm if you've not tidied by then you'll miss the start etc.

I'm not superwoman in any way but I've seen kids like routine, they need to know where they stand. I really think easy manageable time slots will help.
Kids also (usually) enjoy a parent joining in with something kiddy like, such as a board game so where possible do it.

Hope I've helped at least one person, obviously when kids have other ideas a timetable means nothing 😐

This is a shit time for everyone but we as mums are lucky to have our kids so let's try to do something with them every day if/ while we have this bit of extra time with them
And the sun is shining and the birds are singing and a pig flies past... lol I'm just trying to be a bit positive in this difficult time.

My work dad used that managers may need to be considerate of people’s working hours as they may be caring for dependents. So some people may get what they can get done in the evenings for example so in the day they are perhaps just responding to emails rather than doing project work.

@MrsP2015 this is a thread about working from home with children. As helpful as your timetable may be for some, there is nothing there that allows for the kind of time I'd need to get my work done, as well as most of the posters on here

DD is still in school but who know ps how long for.

I am WFH already and DH looks likely to be by next week.

We have decided if we have DD too we will have to work shifts. He has to do 7-3 as that's the shift he works and it's call centre stuff so has to be available at set times.

I have more flexibility to choose my hours so will do 3-10pm. Hoping we find ways to keep DD (5yo) busy enough that I can do some of those hours during the day so I don't have to work till 10pm every day after a full day of teaching/entertaining/corralling a 5 yr old but if not then that's just what will have to happen.

DH will sort dinner, bedtime and tidying out while I work.

I have 3 DC ages 8 5 and 16 months, 8yo has ASD and when he gets bored will fight with his sister or be destructive so needs careful supervision. He is gifted academically so needs a lot of stimulation.

DH and I are both able to WFH as of tomorrow, although there will be times we will both have to go into the office.

We're both contracted 40 hours which we reckon we can split into doing 3 hours each per day in the day time (one morning and one afternoon) plus both work 2 hours in the evening, across 7 days (on the basis that weekends won't really mean much), but that we might try and work one 8 hour day each week with one of us being the parent in charge that day and swapping the next.

In terms of the kids, the toddler will just be into everything. DC1 will need some kind of loose timetable so he has some structure and routine. I don't care if lessons include "watch horrible histories" and PE is playing Just Dance.

Sounds good in theory. Who knows if it will work in reality.

I’m placemarking as also worried about this!

My office has closed and all staff currently WFH.
We don’t have a employee database to log into so just work at our own pace. My 2yr is very energetic and has dropped day naps. I mostly use my phone to send/receive emails. I basically work when I put her to bed at nighttime. Anything I can’t deal with that night, I just make a few notes for next day and use any time she’s distracted to prepare emails which I send out the following night.
It can be quite hard trying to hide me checking my phone.
I also have to call people(our members) and many times my daughter chooses that exact time to jump off her high chair (seeking attention).

We're on day 2 both working from home. Basically it's impossible to work and look after two small children at the same time, so we're doing shifts and can also both work when we let them watch cartoons after lunch.

There isn't really a difference in weekends/ week days anymore so we have an extra two days to make up for less work during the week.
Although it's looking like we both might not have any work or hardly any in a few weeks anyway.