1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office, 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: new world of work, where location and hours are more 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: flexible than in the past. Today's tip is about how 5 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: to limit kid interruptions. Many people who are working from 6 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: home are still working with kids in the house as 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: schools pursue hybrid or virtual models. Really, little kids need 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: another adult actively in charge during the hours you plan 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: to work, but after about age eight or so, this 10 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 1: might not be the case, or at least sometimes it's 11 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: not the case. Sometimes kids leave you alone for hours, 12 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: and sometimes it's a question every two minutes. Fortunately, a 13 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: few strategies can help make sure that your working hours 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: feel relatively focused, even if you are sharing the house 15 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: with several smaller co workers. I have five children, and 16 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 1: the first few months of the pandemic, when they were 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: all in the house twenty four seven, were pretty challenging 18 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: in terms of interruptions, But over the past few weeks 19 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 1: conditions have improved considerably, mostly because the two youngest children 20 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,479 Speaker 1: are now out of the house during the day. If 21 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: you are counting, that still leaves three children in my house. 22 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: They are thirteen eleven and nine. Our school system has 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: started a hybrid model, but they are still in the 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: house during most of my working hours. Over the past 25 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: few months, I have realized a few things that help 26 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: with at least sometimes minimizing interruptions. First, give the kids 27 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: their own space. My kids do their virtual work in 28 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: the basement where they all have workstations. It's not the 29 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: fanciest set up. My daughter informed me that she's seen 30 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: some dead bugs there, but when kids have their own space, 31 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: they are not right on top of your space. Second, 32 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: empower them to solve their own problems. We have done 33 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: some lessons on getting your own snacks and lunches, and 34 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: the kids have learned a lot about tech troubleshooting. Did 35 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: you plug in your chromebook? Try restarting it, copy and 36 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: paste the link, that sort of thing. Third, I'm trying 37 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: to let the kids be responsible for their own schedules. Yes, 38 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: this means that they sometimes miss things, but I tend 39 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: to think that managing your own time is a life 40 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: skill and it's better to learn it now when the 41 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: stakes are low. I also hold the philosophy that they 42 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: are responsible for their own work. Here's a little pro tip. 43 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: Maybe don't be helpful When people ask you how to 44 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: do something, well, how do you think you should solve that? 45 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: Or I don't know, what do you think you should do? 46 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: May sound like slightly annoying answers, but I think they're genius. 47 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: When people in general, not just kids, but people in general, 48 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: know that you are not the ready source of an answer, 49 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: they may be more willing to try tricky stuff on 50 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: their own. First fourth, I tell my other family members 51 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: about my schedule, both when I can't be interrupted because 52 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: I'm recording or doing a webinar or something like that, 53 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: and when it's okay if you are all in the 54 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: else together. I'd suggest scheduling your work breaks for when 55 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: the kids have their breaks. That way they know they 56 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: will see you at certain points, which can cut down 57 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: on the other interruptions. Now, this doesn't always work. Your 58 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: boss calls you at noon, you will probably pick up 59 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: even if that's normally when you have lunch, but it 60 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: usually works. You could put a red stop sign on 61 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: your door if you really want to not be interrupted. Basically, 62 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: if kids aren't old enough to understand the stop sign 63 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: and honor it except in true emergencies, well then you 64 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: need to hire a child care for the kids or 65 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: swap with your partner. And finally, those of us who 66 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: work at home have to take our work seriously. My 67 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: husband and I remind the kids that we have jobs. 68 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: We may be doing them at home right now, which 69 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: has some upsides, like having lunch together, but we do 70 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: have jobs. That's how we pay for things. It's okay 71 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: for the kids to wait sometimes when they want to 72 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: tell you something, and it's okay for you to be 73 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: okay with that. In any case, I don't mean to 74 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: imply that any of this works perfectly, but it helps, 75 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: and given how distracted many people feel these days, anything 76 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: that makes life feel more doable is good. In the meantime, 77 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: this is Laura, thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding 78 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: in the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is 79 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. 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