Scrambling to figure out how to master working from home with kids in the house? It’s possible to make it happen without going crazy. Let me show you how.

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The struggle is real for parents everywhere. Once that alarm clock jolts us into our own personal Groundhog Day that we call life, it’s a race against time to find more time in the day.

Get the kids fed and dressed and off to school.

Get ourselves fed and prepared to deal with onslaught of random emails and tasks thrust upon you by the boss(es).

Get through the day-to-day grind of work and still find the energy to get the kids fed and ready for bed.

Hopefully somewhere in that mess, you managed to find your own time to breathe and perhaps even take some personal time to toss in a workout so you don’t end up with that excess post-baby bump weight or a Dadbod.

It’s an endless array of time management obstacles in our search to finally find that utopia called “work-life balance.”

So today, I’m going to break down my tips for doing all of this while working from home.

Whether that’s because: 

• You chose to do so as an entrepreneur or freelancer;
• Working remotely and telecommuting is your office’s main source of production;
• Or perhaps you’ve been forced into a quarantine situation because of random deadly viruses that have crippled the world, leading to a singular moment in history that requires working from home while homeschooling your kids.

But before we get into that, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Pete and my full-time job is being a stay at home dad to two energetic little halflings. So, I totally understand just how real this struggle is firsthand.

As an online fitness and nutrition coach (and amateur writer), my entire career is based from my tiny Brooklyn apartment. An apartment that is home to four human beings. 

At any given time, I’m surrounded by my Interns (my son and daughter) while trying to navigate the rigors of maintaining my own business.

In other words, as a stay-at-home and work-from-home dad, I totally feel the struggle of juggling kids and work life while trying to find some semblance of balance.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• My rules for successfully working from home with kids
• How to find time to workout while at home
• Simple strategies for eating healthy
• My favorite lifestyle and productivity hacks to keep your sanity while working from home with kids

Let’s get into it.

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The rules of successfully working from home with kids

Using the humble abode as an office opens up the potential to spend even more time with the kids. 

But, without a proper plan in place, working from home with kids bouncing around and demanding attention can quickly turn to an impossible juggle and lead to even less time with loved ones and less focus on the important business tasks of the day. 

It can quickly become a lose-lose situation if you aren’t careful. But it is possible to find that harmonious balance between work and work-from-home life.

You just need to set a few ground rules before you dive in.

I. Set a Do or Die task for the Day

Productivity while working around the adventures of parenting takes an entirely new meaning. It is next to impossible to have a robust To Do List packed with one task after another. 

Your time is now limited if you’ve got kids around the house, and you must adjust accordingly. Which is why I suggest scaling things back on that List to have one must-have task for the day. This is the one thing that must get done in order for your day to be a success and keep your job or keep your business afloat. 

I call this the Do or Die task.

If you can get to the rest of your objectives for the day, that’s awesome. And most days, you should be able to get to those additional tasks. But, some days, multiple fires will need your attention and schedule challenges will arise. On those days, you must have a plan to get that one Do or Die task completed at minimum.

II. Go easy on yourself

As a result of the reduced output in terms of production, it’s easy to fall into some self pity or even downright negative thinking about your own performance. Stop it. Stop it now.

Understand that you are one person. You can only do so much. If you’ve accomplished that Do or Die task, but could not complete everything else on your List, that’s okay. 

And it’s important that you are okay with that, too. Don’t strive for perfection. This is a losing proposition for any journey: whether that’s fat loss, personal relationships or your business/career.

Your goal is to aim for consistency. If you are consistently crossing off that Do or Die task and managing a decent production on the other items from your To Do List, you will move forward on your goals every day.

III. Set up your environment for success

Control what you can control. And you control your own environment. In this case, that environment is your own home. But, it goes deeper than this, too.

With time limited and productivity taking importance, your goal here is to be as efficient as possible. Which means lots of planning and structure. 

Football teams don’t take the field without a game plan — and you shouldn’t even think about taking on the day without a strategy of your own. 

Spend a few minutes at the end of each day to break down the approach for the following 24 hours. 

Make a list of the tasks and meetings or playdates, and spend some time developing a roadmap for navigating any potential pitfalls:

• What are you eating tomorrow?
• How does that To Do List look and what’s your Do or Die Task for the day?
• Set up the workspace (laptop or desk and plenty of pens/papers to use, if that’s your go-to).
• Where are your clothes? No, you cannot wear PJs all day.

IV. Think like a smoker and set regular breaks

It’s easy to fall into this mind trap of #NonStopHustle and #GrindingEveryday or #NoDaysOff. 

That ain’t it, chief. 

You will be far more productive, healthy and sane if you build rest time into your day. You don’t just go from one set into another into another without rest when you’re working out, do you? Of course not. That’s the pathway to injury.

You shouldn’t do that when you work, either.

Take a smoker, for instance. While you should know that smoking is gross and terrible for your overall health, you can at least admire how committed to the cause Karen from HR is when she steps out every 30 minutes to fire up another cancer stick.

Smokers never have a problem taking time. Yet, the rest of us do. The lesson here: take regular breaks in your work to relax. That doesn’t mean immediately jump to the inbox on your phone, either. It really means rest from all work. 

You can set this up as 55 minutes of work followed by five minutes of rest, or really whatever interval works for you. Check out the Pomodoro Timer to help hold you accountable to the regular break schedule.

Use the time for some deep breathing. Or flexibility and mobility movements. Or a mini-workout (more on this later). Or give your eyeballs a reset from staring at that damn screen for so long.

V. Schedule!

I prefer to utilize time blocks. Here’s a quick look at my morning schedule:

5:00 a.m. –– Wake up, meditation, writing

6:30 a.m. –– Coffee and some morning mobility work

7:30 a.m. –– Social media check-ins (shameless plug: follow me on Instagram here)

8:30 a.m. –– Morning walk

9:30 a.m. –– Client Check-ins

Each one of those hours of time is broken up by about 35-40 minutes of hardcore, focused work, with 5-10 minute breaks in between. 

Of course, I’m also at the mercy of my kids and their wants, needs and scheduling. Things come up and it doesn’t all go according to plan, but the structure will help create normalcy. 

Also important: Have a specific start time (whatever works for you and your business) and end time to your day. Otherwise, you’ll fall into the trap of being plugged in all day long.

VI. Be dynamic (i.e., roll with the punches) 

While having a schedule and sticking to it will be key, let’s face it: there are times when the unexpected will rear its ugly head. 

Be prepared for this to happen and have a plan for flexibility for that last-second fire you’ll need to put out with your business, or the random diaper blowout that will require an extra bath for the newborn (and possibly yourself). 

VII. Design systems for success 

Develop a schedule that will allow for productivity in business, competence as a parent, and sanity as a person. 

Build routines in how you’ll approach your tasks throughout the day, whether it’s emails or feedings, doctor appointments or conference calls. 

It’ll take some time to get into a rhythm between caring for your loved one and caring for your business; but once you do, it’ll allow for a more streamlined and productive day all around. 

VIII. Start the day early 

History is full of successful entrepreneurs and heads of state that get most of their work done before the sun even comes up. 

The early morning hours are your friend. Pop up before the craziness of school bells and emails and knock out some of your most important tasks. 

You may find that the wee hours of the morning are your most productive of the entire day.

Do not let your kids become your alarm clock. You don’t need to wake up at zero dark thirty to get things done. Even 15-20 minutes of quiet time before the children come screaming for attention is enough to set the intention for the day and knock out a small task or two.

If nothing else, maybe you can grab a sip of coffee before it gets cold.

IX. Be there for your family and your kids

Don’t be afraid to wrap up work a little early from time to time to appreciate the awesome things in life, like taking a longer lunch break to play a game with your kids. 

Being productive and completing the biggest assignments for the day are still priorities, but never get so wrapped up in reaching the destination that you don’t ever stop to appreciate the journey. 

How to Workout While Working from Home with Kids

When you’re stuck inside all day and grinding away at your work, it’s easy to let your fitness fall to the side and it’s even easier to slack on the diet and just order delivery or pick up once again. 

But, make no mistake about it: your business will run better, your production will increase, and your creativity will improve if you take more time to care for yourself and make sure your own engine is running optimally.

Unfortunately there’s this false narrative that you’ve got to spend hours each and every day in self care and “me” time in order to reap the benefits of personal preservation. 

This is not true. 

Let me show you a few simple life hacks that you can apply right now in order to make sure you are at the top of your game, so you can get back to making sure your business is playing at an all-star level.

Short bursts of physical movement

This is when you can really make some gains in your health approach, too. Utilize this 10-15 minute hourly break to prioritize movement.

Performing a quick micro workout is an excellent way to get your regular physical activity. It doesn’t have to be dedicated to one full 30-60 minute session in the gym. Chop up that workout and performing the movements throughout the day still counts.

Adding micro workouts throughout your day will look like the following:

• Knocking out a set of kettlebell swings in between conference calls
• Dropping down and performing 20-30 pushups every hour on the hour during daylight
• Performing max reps of pull-ups every time you pass under your bar in the doorway

If you have the time for a more dedicated workout session, awesome. Have at it. 

But for the really busy entrepreneur that is cramming in emails and calls in between shuttling kids to practices and activities, this might be the best way to break that barrier of entry into exercise. And it will do the trick to get the blood flowing and muscles moving.

Then you need to start making your diet work better for you, too.

Eating Healthy When You’re Working From Home with Kids in the House

This all breaks down to one big key: Plan your meals. 

Look, eating on the go can be the easy solution to cure all of your busy body ills.

But having a haphazard system of constantly picking new foods to eat throughout your busy day can lead to decision fatigue and then trickle down into poor choices that develop into poor eating habits.

You’ve got too many things going on throughout your day, whether that be kids or work … or kids and work, to add more layers of decision-making to your grind. 

The solution: plan your meals in advance, and during working hours, stick to a similar rotation of familiar foods.

Eliminate the decision fatigue and anxiety over constantly thinking of what to cook or buy for lunch every single day. Instead, come up with a handy rotation of foods, if you enjoy variety. 

Or just stick with one staple go-to lunch option for the week. Make sure you’ve got enough to power you through whatever your work week looks like and never think twice about scrambling to figure out lunch.

Structure promotes freedom. 

So when you structure your day with rock solid systems, it frees you up for more time to focus on the business or pleasure of your day.

Your lunches do not have to be boring. But, you should try to stick with a solid template of whole, nutritious foods that pack some protein, a little bit of carbs, fats and plenty of fiber.

Protein is the most important macronutrient (versus its cousins, carbs and fats) because it preserves lean muscle tissue. It also requires the most energy to digest. 

So as you are sitting there munching on grilled chicken, know that your body is using calories to burn and digest that lean meat. That’s a fat loss win-win. 

Aim for a portion of protein that is about the size of the palm of your hand, that will come out to about 20-30 grams of protein. A perfect amount to help curb cravings throughout the day.

Toss in a small helping of carbs which will fill you up in the moment. We aren’t looking for six slices of bread and an entire bowl of pasta. A portion size that will fit in the cup of your hand will do the trick. Look for more nutrient-dense carb sources over the high processed variety. Think sweet potato over white rice.

Fiber from fruits and vegetables keeps you full, too. It doesn’t have to be a huge plate of leafy greens. Just aim to cover half of your plate with some kind of veggie. 

Fats are typically included in many of the meats, fatty fish and/or roasted vegetables. If that’s the case for your meal, you’ve likely got enough covered. 

If you’re enjoying salmon or red meat, you probably don’t need to worry about adding any fats to this meal. However, if you’ve got the lean varieties of meat (chicken, egg whites, turkey, etc.), you might want to toss in a thumb-sized portion of fats. 

Go easy on this and stick to the portion of a thumb, any more and you risk blowing up the calories here. Anything from olive oil to a sliver of avocado can do the trick.

From now on, this should be your template for your meals. You can get creative and mix and match the proteins, carbs and fat options, but if you stick with this plate template, you’ll be more than fine.

But being in good shape and eating well is just part of the holistic health puzzle. Time is still of the essence for busy professionals cramming work and even parenting together, so look to these easy to implement lifestyle hacks to incorporate a more mindful practice into your day.

More Simple Lifestyle Tips to Be More Productive While Working from Home

It’s easy to get into the grind of the daily hustle of your own business. 

You start building momentum and you’re feeling mighty productive and you just want to bury your head in your work because being your own business owner is truly one of the most rewarding things you can do (right next to that parenting thing).

But, this hustle culture of #NoDaysOff and #Grinding does not make for a healthy and happy entrepreneur.

Schedule a few breaks into your regular routine. Set a timer for 45-50 minutes and work as distraction-free as possible. Really get into the groove and crush your To Do List.

For you that means putting away the phone and turning off the TV or using a distraction-free setting on your desktop to prevent you from sneaking peeks at the latest cat video on YouTube. 

I’m talking about an all-out assault on that work-related task with 100-percent focus for a solid chunk of time.

No more eating at your desk while you work. No more sneaking a peek at your phone to check in on Facebook. No more selfies for the Gram with the hashtag “grinding.” 

Side note: I find that the Venn Diagram of people claiming to be “grinding” and those people not actually working at all, is almost a perfect circle.

But then here’s the catch: when the timer goes off, step away from the inbox and spreadsheets and computer or desk completely. Physically get up if you can and step away. Retrain your eyes on something other than that computer screen.

In fact, to help prevent long-term damage to your vision from a life of constant screen monitoring, many optometrists suggest The 20-20-20 Rule:

Every 20 minutes, refocus your eyes on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’s a great habit to implement to help give your eyeballs a little rest.

Even professional athletes take regular breaks away from the action to recharge and refresh. That’s what you’re doing here. Don’t worry, your work and inbox and major projects aren’t going anywhere, they’ll still be there when you return. 

But when you step away to take a short breather, you might actually find yourself more engaged, creative and ready to tackle that work assignment. You might even find yourself becoming more efficient and even more productive as a result. 

Make room for mindfulness

If you’ve got the time to pop up every morning and hit the meditation room for 20 minutes of deep breathing and mantras, that is fantastic. Keep up the good work and know how much that mindful practice assists in creativity and stress relief throughout your day.

But, if you’ve been dodging the idea of meditation because you simply don’t have the time, I totally get it. Instead, you can make a few simple tweaks. 

Set aside a few minutes every day just to take 10-20 deep belly breaths. Is it a full on meditative session? No. Does it still help clear the mind and prepare yourself for the battle of the daily grind? Yes.

Something is always better than nothing. 

Taking just a minute or two for these deep belly breaths will go a long way toward helping center yourself.

Other quick tips include just taking time to really be mindful in the moment. Instead of trying to multitask and constantly thinking ahead to the next item on the to-do list, really focus in on some of the more mindless practices of the day.

For example:

• Really be mindful while eating (the inbox will be there when you’re done)
• Take a walk and spend a few moments taking in the sights and sounds as if you’ve never seen them before
• Focus on when you’re doing something small like cleaning the dishes and think about the effort and experience

Sure, it sounds fleeting and almost hippy in nature, but it makes a difference in the long run to break the chains of being constantly amped up and plugged into the day to day.

Get outside

Don’t be a vampire. It’s important to unplug from the computer and step outside to breathe in the not-so-fresh smog from time to time. 

Kidding aside, getting outdoors is a great way to recenter yourself and recollect your thoughts. Take a mindful walk in a park or around the block to clear your mind and refocus and recharge. It’s a fantastic way to boost creativity and work through some problems.

Not to mention, increasing your daily step count is one of the best ways to burn calories without increasing your appetite. And increasing daily movement amounts to almost 20-percent of your metabolism. 

Aim for something small and work your way up. It doesn’t have to be a 45-minute walk. Just start with 10-15 minutes as a nice break from the work life action.

Take your mandatory meetings outside and use the time to walk around while you talk.

Go play

This is one of the most overlooked aspects of the self-care system. Movement does not have to always be the one dedicated sweat sesh in the gym.

Especially when you are short on time. 

Instead of lacing up the shoes and pounding the pavement on that cardio workout you’re dreading (and likely don’t have time for anyway), you can absolutely mix it up and get creative.

• Crank up the music and just pop up and dance to some of your favorite songs with your kids
• Grab a ball and some family members and head out the backyard for a game of catch
• Run across the block to the local playground and instead of watching the kids climb the apparatuses, get involved with them.

Not only are you still burning calories and raising your heart rate and reaping the benefits of cardiovascular activity, but now you’re leading by example for your kids and getting the family involved with real and meaningful quality time.

Simple strategies for the stay at home / work from home life

Alright, let’s take everything we’ve learned here and turn it into some real actionable steps that you can apply to your lifestyle right now. 

It all starts with practicing the minimum effective dose that will provide the best bang for your limited buck. 

Professionally, the name of the game is consistency and efficiency:

• Set up your To Do List for the day
  • Prioritize one Do or Die Task that must be completed in order for the day to be a success
  • Mark off another 5-6 manageable objectives that you can perform
  • Keep this list shorter than you would if you worked in a more traditional office setting
• Build structure and routine into your day by blocking off time for certain assignments (like creative time or client check-ins)
  • Take regular breaks to refresh and reset
  • Have a specific start and end to your work day so you don’t end up a prisoner to your job or business
  • Work as distraction-free as possible during your blocks of time to maximize production
• None of this will be perfect and you have to roll with the punches from time to time and that’s okay. Don’t treat yourself like an asshole.

On the nutrition side, follow these simple steps daily to see the maximum results with minimum effort:

• Add one serving of protein to each meal
  • The portion of protein should be about the size of your palm or fist (or like a deck of cards)
  • Options include:
    • Chicken breast
    • Egg and/or egg whites
    • Greek yogurt
    • Salmon, tuna
    • Tofu, seitan 
• Swap out one serving of starchy carbs for 2-3 handfuls of leafy vegetables
  • It’s not about lowering carb intake here, but by making this simple swap, you’ve just drastically reduced calories and added in a ton of handy nutrient-dense foods to help keep you alert, energetic and well-fueled for your day of work
• Reduce snacking to a portion size that can fit in the palm of your hand and it must always include a protein source
  • If you plan to enjoy an alcoholic beverage later that day or evening, then replace the snack with that drink

On the fitness side, it’s time to adopt the mantra that all movement matters. Re-conceptualize how you envision your “workouts” so you can fit in activity throughout your working hours in pockets.

• Set a timer for 50 minutes, when it goes off, get up and pace your office, home, living room for 10 minutes
• Adding in this movement will go a long way towards increasing your Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (or NEAT) calorie burn which makes up as much as 20-percent of your metabolism

Adopting new habits and making your health a priority is not something you’ll be perfect overnight. In fact, I don’t even want you to ever strive for perfection.

Many self-employed entrepreneurs are perfectionists by nature. But, when you push yourself too hard, particularly in health and fitness, it can lead to unsustainable and contradictory parties that just set you back.

Understand this: You will mess up on this stuff from time to time. You will skip workouts. Life will be really tough and business will be crazy and as a result, you will fall off on your nutrition every once in a while.

And that’s okay. The goal is not to be perfect 100-percent of the time. 

Instead, we’re looking for overall consistency. Just like in your business, if you are mostly consistent in managing the day to day projects and putting out the random fire drills, you will build over time. 

The same can be said for your health and fitness. Stop looking for a perfect stretch of 90 Days to Six Pack Abs and start viewing this as an investment in the most important part of your life and your business: Y-O-U.

Once you adopt that mindset, it’ll free you up to explore what works best for you so you can feel better and be healthier. And I can guarantee that your business will reap the benefits of that newfound mindset, too.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Let me help you learn how to master working from home with kids … 

I’m here to help you out. 

If you have any questions, reach out. I answer all of my emails at pete [at] petecataldo [.] com … Hit me up with the subject line “Working from home with kids” and I’ll answer any questions you have to make this work for you.

Or you can hit me up anytime on the socialz on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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