Emails

[flower2009]

How do you all manage to send emails with your little ones about? I have to send emails through out the day as part of my job (Virtual Assistant) and I find it very hard with a toddler climbing all over me! Any tips would be greatly received!

when mine were small I growled at them till they LEARNED
and if they interrupted me during phone calls I really growled

if you work from home, kids just have to learn.
laptops and CBeebies help ....

Get a playpen.

Yes, yes, baby cage, blah blah..... but if they are under 2 then it gives you ten minutes to send an email and keeps them safe (spesh if you park it in front of the TV!)

Over two then you sit in the play pen, just as long as it takes to send the email. Sounds stupid but it works! If that is too extreme then get stair gates and a room divider (I am basing this on a lounge diner, with the diner as the "office" as I have) and they are safe in their part, can see you and are safe but you arent being crawled over.

Oh and over 2, keep the playpen but chuck a sheet over it so they have a den, that really does work wonders, especially when they fall asleep in it! Sadly babydan dont sell the tents for their dens anymore :(

childcare.

I entered the 21st century recently and upgraded my phone to a smartphone I can get email on. It doesn't work for longer, more considered emails (to which I still haven't found any effective solution!) but for quick acknowledgements, keeping things moving & being seen to respond quickly to clients it has really helped.

My 2 year old doesn't notice me using a phone in the same way he notices me disappearing off and sitting at the computer, so he generally gets on with whatever he's doing for the 2 minutes I need.

Cbeebies does not seem to help me, mummys laptop is far more interesting, and don't even get me started on the printer lol. It's a shame my toddler is too old for a playpen now, but I liked the idea of me sitting in it!! lol

Smartphone and daycare. Also the ability to read my email from any computer in the house (of which there are 4). So no matter where we are or what we are doing, I can work.

My son is home ill today and I've worked using our large computer, which is in the living room, with him either on the sofa or on my lap watching DVDs.

flower how about getting a wireless printer so you can send things to it from laptop or smartphone and pick up the sheaf of papers when chocolate fingers are busy elsewhere?

Thanks for the advice. I do have a wireless printer but do not have anywhere high up enough to put it! I keep suffering lots of paper jams while my little one pulls the paper out while it is printing, then a little voice says 'oh no mummy all broke' lol.