WFH with a 7 year old

[threeisacharm18]

Tomorrow I am working from home with my 7 year old. He’s very clingy and won’t really let me work - he might be distracted by the iPad for an hour or so but even during that hour he’ll keep bothering me.
anyway I’m trying to figure out what to do with him. Soft play doesn’t work as he won’t play alone and will insist on me coming into the soft play with him. A park is fine as long as he finds a friend, otherwise there’s no chance he’s letting me sit on my laptop.
library could be an option but he’s quite hyper so won’t sit and read a book- plus he has difficulty reading anyway.

I'm at a loss really. Any ideas ?

Take a day off as leave?

Is it unplanned? You can ask for emergency leave.
I can wfh with my 11 year old but absolutely not with either of my younger 2 (8&4).

Sadly I’ve just started this job so I can’t

Take some leave or ask a friend for a favour.

Bit late now, but with a bit of planning, arranging a swap with another parent from school would have been a good idea - even if you each got a good 4 or 5 hours without any child then had both of them for the other part of the day.

I just wake at 4, put in a few hours, spend the day with DC and then work 8-11.

I know this was poor planning on my part. He’s been away for a week with grandparents so in my crazy mind, I thought he’d be fine for a day at home. Now it’s coming to the time I realise how foolish I was in thinking he would change in a week

I’ve WFH with my DS7 and it’s fine as he loves quiet time on his own. He’ll play on the iPad for a bit, then do some Lego and play with cars.

If you can think up a bit of a timetable that's what I used to kind of break it into manageable blocks. I would sit and work at the table while the wee one played playdoh, then we could move to the couch for some TV, then back to the table for colouring or something. Basically tried to keep her busy and I would stay beside her even though I was working. And if she was engrossed or something I wouldn't interrupt her to move her to the next thing - just always have another thing ready. One memorable day I worked on the couch for the whole day while she sat on the floor playing with stickers and watching cartoons, she was about 7 then. I would completely stop working to eat or have a cup of tea and focus wholly on her at that point. Everything still felt half-arsed but it got us through those ods days WFH with her here.

I'm very much a proponent of letting kids be bored and making their own entertainment but when you're WFH is NOT the time!

I’m WFH with my 6 year old tomorrow. I only have one call, which is helpful. The rest of the time, I’ll be sat on the sofa on my laptop while I pretend to engage with DS about Pokemon.

What happens if you just tell him no Mummy is working? I wouldn’t be expecting him to entertain himself for hours but DD is just turned 8 and honestly if she couldn’t manage 30 minutes and respect a boundary of no interruptions unless urgent (e.g. bleeding or fire) then I’d be quite cross. However, I also get that change won’t happen overnight and that you still have tomorrow’s work day to get through so as an immediate fix could you invite a friend over so they’ll play together?

Any camps still running that you could put him in?

Last minute playdate? Maybe take him and a friend to softplay so they play together? Once they're tired out take them home to watch a movie together.

Do you have a DP who could go in late/come home early to cover some of the day?

“He’s very clingy and won’t really let me work…”

No. Now is the time he’ll have to learn to amuse himself for a while. It won’t hurt him. If anything it’ll help his resilience and independence. You’re the adult - a 7 year child can’t dictate what you do or don’t do. If ‘he won’t let you’ that’s because you’re indulging him.

This ! Tell him your working, he's 7 not 4.

I find 'invited play' worked well with my clingy DC at this age. So I just leave a box of something they haven't played with for ages. I won't mention it, just leave it out in the centre of the room.

Another trick is to get a big box of toys and ask them to sort it out for charity. They won't throw anything out but will play with it all for ages.

Or you could arts and crafts opposite you on the dining room table.

Buy a new audiobook also buys me some time.

Another trick is to get a big box of toys and ask them to sort it out for charity. They won't throw anything out but will play with it all for ages.

What a brilliant, cunning plan

Do you know a teenager, who is also on an inset day, who could entertain him for part of the day?

That is an excellent idea, too.

(although, once again, would have been had the OP asked for ideas with enough time to implement things)