Working remotely with young kids at home? Here are 6 tips to get you through

Thousands of working parents are foregoing traditional childcare in the remote work era to save money and maximize time spent with their little ones. 

But while simultaneously earning a living and being there for your child’s every early milestone might sound like the best of both worlds, most parents living this reality will tell you: it’s no cakewalk. 

“It seems like every time we get into a routine, something changes,” Alisha Horton, a working mom of two in the Nashville suburbs, said.

Childcare costs are on the rise, and U.S. families spent anywhere from $6,552 to $15,600 in 2022 on care for just one child, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. For some families, that’s more than rent.

Below are tips for parents working remotely with babies and toddlers at home.

Stick to a routine and do your best work while children are sleeping

Schedules are difficult for babies and toddlers, said Susan Wood, a mortgage lender in York, Pennsylvania with a 7-month-old and a 2-year-old. But kids do understand rhythms.

Having regular times for meals, snacks, naps and play can help let your children know what to expect each day, and let you better plan for important calls for work.

These routines will evolve, of course, as babies start to teethe and sleep schedules change. But most working parents agree: their best work nearly always gets done early in the morning while their children are sleeping, or during nap times. Meetings, especially, are best scheduled during naps or designated quiet activity times.

Other busy work like checking emails and organizing files can be done when the children are awake.

Have a dedicated work space and plan for interruptions

Horton said her son has learned that “anything on Mommy’s desk, we don’t touch” and that when she’s at her desk, it’s quiet time.

She keeps a pile of special snacks and toys at the corner of her desk, though, just in case she needs a last-minute distraction for her toddler.

Lauren Ezzell, a mother of two who works from home in Laguna Beach, California, calls it “structured flexibility.” She said she always plans to be interrupted during her work day.

“No matter how much you plan, toddlers are going to derail your day,” she said.

Ezzell and Wood said they put different toys out each day for their children, so they’re never bored with the same options.

Do your research

Review your employer’s family and work-from-home policies to see what support they have in place for working parents. There also may be childcare assistance programs or other resources at the state level that can help, said Katherine Gallagher Robbins, a senior fellow at the National Partnership for Women & Families.

It’s always a good idea to be clear and transparent with your employer about your schedule and what you need to succeed, Robbins said.

Don’t rely on electronics to distract young kids

Children under 5 learn best through human interaction, said Chad Dunkley, CEO of New Horizon Academy, an early childhood education provider with more than 100 locations.

“My biggest concern is, do not use an electronic device as a way of educating your child,” he said.

Instead, Dunkley said parents working at home with their kids should encourage frequent conversations, schedule playdates with other children, get outside and invite their children to safely perform daily tasks with them, like cooking.

Babies 18 months and younger shouldn’t have any screen time, he said. Children between 18 months and 2 years old should use electronics sparingly and only with an adult, and children between 2 and 5 years old should only be on a device for up to one hour each day.

“If a child is on a device more than that at home, then they’re not getting what they need,” Dunkley said.

Teach your little ones how to self-regulate

Babies depend on adults to regulate their emotions, said Emily Perepa, a therapist with The Family Institute at Northwestern University. That’s why when babies cry, their parents go to them to help them calm down.

Eventually, toddlers can co-regulate with an adult by talking through their emotions, and later they can self-regulate. But there’s no way to fast-forward to self-regulation, Perepa said, and parents shouldn’t expect their babies and toddlers to know how to calm down on their own just because a Zoom call is in session.

“We need to have all these repetitions of someone helping us regulate before we can move on to the next stage,” she said.

Give yourself grace

Parenting is hard and there are pros and cons to any childcare situation, Perepa said.

“This is such a hard time for parents to know what to do,” she said. “There is no right or wrong.”

Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is funded by a grant from Pivotal Ventures. Pivotal Ventures does not provide editorial input. Reach Madeline at [email protected] and @maddiemitch_ on X.