7 WAYS TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

7 Ways to Be More Productive While Working from Home

By Karissa Tunis, Co-Author of Parenting while Working from Home

Working from home provides lots of amazing perks such as wearing comfy clothes and avoiding a daily commute. However, working from home also has its challenges, like trying to stay focused and motivated. And if you are a parent that has little ones at home, or the kids are out of school for break or summer vacation, then that can provide even more distractions. Thankfully there are solutions and strategies that can help!

We all want to succeed in our careers, and we also want to be the best parent to our children. It’s a hard balance to juggle when you’re dealing with two roles at the same time in the same space. But it’s not all negative. Working from home can be a wonderful option!

Set the Kids Up First to Reduce Interruptions

This is the most important tip of all! If you do not meet the kid’s needs first, then you can expect them to constantly interrupt. Have you ever found yourself repeating “Just give me 5 more minutes” over and over again? This doesn’t help you be productive or put out your best work, and your kids were not getting what they needed either. But when you set the kids up first, they will be much more content and will allow you a chunk of time to work.

Look for toys buried in the playroom that they haven’t played with in a while, or bring out an old bin of toys from the attic. Give them a few snacks and sippy cups, and they will hopefully be good to go while you keep an eye on them from across the room. Once they get antsy, take a little break and run around outside with them for a few minutes, and then redirect their attention elsewhere. And after you all enjoy eating lunch together, nap time or quiet time can give you some extra time to focus on your work.

If you have children at home with no extra help, there will be some interruptions - it’s inevitable. So embrace it. Appreciate the breaks here and there, enjoy your playtime together, and try to be productive in the blocks of time that daily life allows. Each season of life might need to look a little different, but that’s okay.

Create a Routine to Maintain Order

Creating a routine is crucial to being more productive while working from home! We all know how quickly things can pop up or change when you have a toddler in the house. So by having some sort of order and routine in place to begin with will make it much easier to deal with those unexpected obstacles. It also helps if everyone knows what is expected, and what is happening next.

These routines are different from set schedules, which often feel more rigid. Don’t add stress to your days by setting arbitrary schedules, but instead try to create fluid routines for different responsibilities throughout each day. Part of working from home is figuring out how to go with the flow - especially with kids at home!

Set Boundaries to Stay Productive

Setting boundaries is a must! When you are focused on work, work. Don’t let dirty dishes or laundry baskets distract you. Because if you are like me, then you can get caught up in thinking “I’ll just do this one more thing...” but we all know it won’t stop with just that one thing!

Also, just like you can’t grab breakfast and lunch with friends every day in an office, don’t do it just because you are at home. You need to stay disciplined, take your work seriously, and make it as much of a priority as if you were heading into the office.

Pick a Daily Focus - Kids, House, or Work

Everyday you will have house work that needs done, professional work that needs addressed, and children that need tended to. However, picking one main focus for the day has really helped me to be more productive while working from home. If I needed to get more done around the house, then that was my focus in between everything else. I’d start a load of laundry here, unload the dishwasher there, wipe down the bathrooms during nap time, and so on. But if my focus needed to be on a work task, then I let those things go and used any spare moment to accomplish what was needed of me professionally.

It really is about quality over quantity. While we are with our kids all day everyday, we are not always spending that quality time with them. I try to consistently have a kid-focused day where I plan something fun or special with them. It doesn’t always have to be an outing that costs money.

Sometimes we schedule a block of time to go to the playground. Or we will sit together and work on puzzles, play a game, or just color. We love turning on some fun music, grabbing some favorite snacks, and spending quality time together. I ask them silly questions, and they’ll tell me funny stories. Kids won’t remember how spotless the house was, or how many deals you closed, but they will remember how much quality time you spent with them.

Delegate Responsibilities

When possible, delegate a few of your responsibilities. Maybe someone else in your company can run with a certain task to ease your workload. Ask your partner to take on a

new chore around the house to help make those chaotic moments more manageable. Consider having your groceries delivered. Or if you have a sitter, ask them to take charge of something like folding a load of laundry or preparing a meal. It’s amazing how even just getting a few things off of your daily to-do list will help free up time and mental space.

Respond Quickly

No one expects you to accomplish every task immediately as it pops up. But it’s helpful to know that you did in fact receive that email, are working on that project, or will address what is needed. It only takes a moment to quickly respond and let someone know that you will look over that email tonight. You will return that phone call tomorrow. Or that you will respond with an answer later in the week.

No one needs to know that you are in the middle of managing a toddler tantrum, or are in the middle of five loads of laundry. But by responding quickly and letting work, your friend, your partner, or even your mother know that you did receive their message and will get back to them later; it keeps everyone from wondering what’s going on, and prevents them from following up again and again seeking an answer.

Have Fun While Working from Home

Lastly, have fun! You are at home, which means you are more in control. Listen to the music you want. Enjoy your favorite snacks when you want. Take a break when you can, and actually go outside or play a quick game with the kids. Wear your favorite comfy clothes or even your pajamas. And since everyday is bring your kid to work day, involve them! I tell my kids a lot about my job. They get so excited for me when I accomplish something new, and they are very considerate when I have an important phone call. They also love to help me whenever they can with random tasks, even if that means using the duster to wipe off my desk, or stuff a few envelopes.

Working from home definitely has its advantages, and I personally try to make the most of it. I try to remind myself how lucky I am to not have to deal with a daily commute or being stuck in a cubicle. And while not every day is going to be great, overall we can make working from home a great experience.

Parenting while Working from Home: A Monthly Guide to Help Parents Balance Their Careers, Connect with Their Kids, and Establish Their Inner Strength is now available for purchase.

Parenting experts and founders of the popular website, Adore Them Parenting, Karissa Tunis and Shari Medini share actionable tips, heartfelt insight, and planning strategies to help you enjoy your own parenting journey while working from home.

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Pumpkin Fluff Dip Halloween Puppy ChowA few of these dishes also provide opportunities to learn fun facts Pumpkin Fluff Dip pages 8-9Halloween Puppy Chowpages 4-5 pages 6-7 Pumpkin Patch Cooking with Curiosity pages 4-5 pages 6-7about our National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Inductees — innovators who have helped make the world a better place. Marshmallow Bites

Go ahead and get creative, experiment with ingredients and make

With our favorite fall recipes, the National Inventors Hall of Fame® can help you bring curiosity and creativity into your kitchen! To make delicious dishes, these recipes your own! From everyone here at NIHF, we hope fun discoveries and lasting memories with your family, we invite you to download our complete cookbook at invent.org/fall-recipe-book.these recipes create memorable moments for you and your family.

Apple Pie Muffins Halloween Bark INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

pages 12-13 pages 14-15 INGREDIENTS: • 2 cups flour • 2 tsp. baking powderPumpkin White • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg • 1 cup unsweetened applesauceApple Pie Muffins Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate pages 10-11 • 2 cups flour • 2 tsp. baking powder • 1 tsp. baking soda • 1/3 cup maple sugar (or granulated sugar) • 1 tsp. cinnamon • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce STEM in the KITCHEN • 1 tsp. baking soda • 1/3 cup maple sugar or granulated sugar • 2 tbsp. melted butter • 1/3 cup milk • 1-2 apples, chopped Apple Pie Muffins pages 12-13 Hot Chocolate pages 10-11 pages 12-13 Halloween Bark “Cooking is a form of chemical reactions. You take vegetables, meat, and all kinds of spices and ingredients. You mix them together. You are creating chemical reactions. Oftentimes, that’s what we do in chemistry labs. You mix different ingredients, you use different times and temperatures to make • 2 tbsp. melted butter • 1/3 cup milk • 1-2 apples, chopped DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 400° F. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. 3. Add in applesauce, melted butter, milk and chopped To make sure recipes turn out just right, it’s essential to use correct measurements. After baking a batch of Apple Pie Muffins using the ingredients and quantities we’ve listed here, why not try an experiment? You can change up some measurements, try to make some predictions about what your changes will do, and then see what happens! It will DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 400° F. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. 3. Add in applesauce, melted butter, milk and chopped apples. apples. Stir until well combined. 4. Divide the batter evenly among muffin cups. Stir until well combined. only take one bite to taste the difference and realize the 5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. 6. Allow to cool before eating. importance of math in making great food. 4. Divide the batter evenly among muffin cups. 5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Estimated time: 30 minutes | Difficulty: Recipe adapted from Momables 6. Allow to cool before eating. Pumpkin Macaroni Apple Cider Chicken with and Cheese Caramelized Apples Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Pumpkin Macaroni pages 18-19 pages 20-21 INGREDIENTS: • 2 1/4 cups milk Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Pumpkin Macaroni Apple Cider Chicken with pages 16-17 and Cheese INGREDIENTS: • 1 box macaroni (substitute with shells or bow ties) • 1 box macaroni (substitute with shells • 10 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded pages 16-17 and Cheese Caramelized Applespages 18-19 • 1/4 cup unsalted butter • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or bow ties) • 1 cup pumpkin puree pages 18-19 • • 2 1/4 cups milk 10 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded • 1/4 cup unsalted butter • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg • 1 cup pumpkin puree • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour • Salt and pepper, to taste • • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS: 1. Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 350° F. 3. In an oven-safe skillet or cast-iron pan, melt butter over low heat and add flour. Stir together and cook for about 1 minute. 4. Add milk, whisking constantly, until no visible clumps remain and the sauce is thickened. 5. Add cheese (reserving 1/2 cup) and stir until it is melted into the sauce. 6. Stir in pumpkin puree, nutmeg, salt and pepper, seasoning to taste. 7. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. 8. Sprinkle reserved cheese evenly on top. 9. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the top is slightly brown.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes pages 16-17

INGREDIENTS: • 1 egg, beaten • 1 1/4 cups milk • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) • 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese Apple Cider Chicken with Caramelized Apples

• 2 cups Bisquick™ pancake mix • 1 tsp. cinnamonINGREDIENTS: • 1 egg, beaten pages 18-19 • Optional: Maple syrup • 1 1/4 cups milk • • DIRECTIONS: 2 cups Bisquick™ pancake mix 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) • • 1. Mix all ingredients (except syrup) in a bowl, until smooth. 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice STEM in the Batter should be thick.• Optional: Maple syrup DIRECTIONS: KITCHEN 1. 2. Spray griddle with cooking spray; heat over mediumMix all ingredients (except syrup) in a bowl, until smooth. Batter should be thick. Check out those bubbles! One of the main ingredients 2. high heat. Spray griddle with cooking spray; heat over mediumhigh heat. in Bisquick is baking powder, and when it heats up, it releases carbon dioxide gas. 3. 3. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. That’s what produces the tiny bubbles on the top of your 4. 5. griddle. Cook until bubbles form around edges. Turn pancakes; cook about 3 minutes or until golden pancake, letting you know it’s ready to be flipped. 6. 4. Cook until bubbles form around edges. brown on bottom. Serve pancakes with syrup, or toppings of choice. pages 20-21

5. Turn pancakes; cook about 3 minutes or until golden Estimated time: 15 minutes | Difficulty: Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker brown on bottom.6. Serve pancakes with syrup, or toppings of choice.

17

Pumpkin Fluff Dip Halloween Puppy ChowPumpkin Fluff Dip Halloween Puppy Chow Pumpkin Patch Pumpkin Fluff Dip pages 4-5 Halloween Puppy Chowpages 4-5 pages 6-7pages 6-7 INGREDIENTS: • 1 (16 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed Pumpkin Patch Marshmallow BitesMarshmallow Bites pages 4-5 pages 6-7 • 1 (5 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix Marshmallow Bites pages 8-9 INGREDIENTS: • 1 (16 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed • 1 (5 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix • 1 (15 oz.) can solid pack pumpkin STEM in the KITCHEN • 1 (15 oz.) can solid pack pumpkin • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice pages 8-9

• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice DIRECTIONS: DIRECTIONS: See how fluffy the whipped topping used to make this dish is? This is made possible thanks 1. In a large bowl, mix instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice until well blended. to a process called “emulsion.” When cream containing 301. In a large bowl, mix instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin 2. 3. 4. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping and stir until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Try the dip with fruit, graham crackers, pretzels or any other dippable snack! 40% fat is whipped, lactose and other proteins in the mixture become trapped in the spaces between fat and air. Because the molecules in this mixture are attracted to water and pumpkin pie spice until well blended. 2. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping and stir until Estimated time: 10 minutes | Difficulty: smooth. on one end and repelled on the other, they become suspended and create the foamy texture Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com we all love. 3. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 4. Try the dip with fruit, graham crackers, pretzels or any other dippable snack!

Pumpkin White Apple Pie MuffinsPumpkin White Apple Pie Muffins Halloween Bark

Pumpkin White Apple Pie MuffinsHot Chocolate Hot Chocolate pages 12-13 pages 12-13 Halloween Bark pages 14-15

Hot Chocolate pages 10-11 pages 10-11 pages 12-13INGREDIENTS: • pages 14-151 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin puree pages 10-11 INGREDIENTS: • 6 cups milk of choice (whole or 2% recommended) • 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice • 4-oz. bar of white chocolate • 6 cups milk of choice (whole or 2% recommended) • 2 cups heavy cream • 2 cups heavy cream • Optional garnish – whipped • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk • 1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin puree • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened cream, mini marshmallows, • 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice • 4-oz. bar of white chocolate • Optional garnish – whipped cream, mini marshmallows, cinnamon condensed milk DID YOU KNOW? cinnamon DIRECTIONS: DIRECTIONS: Hall of Famer Gail Borden 1. In a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the milk, Jr. invented the process for condensing milk. By using a 1. In a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the milk, heavy cream heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk. 2. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice; mix until and sweetened condensed milk. vacuum pan with a heating coil, he was able to remove well blended and smooth. 3. Chop the white chocolate bar and stir into the slow the water from milk, so it could be stored safely without 2. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice; mix until well cooker. 4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 3 hours, stirring blended and smooth. refrigeration. Condensed milk is a popular ingredient used to occasionally. 5. Garnish and serve warm. make sweet treats. 3. Chop the white chocolate bar and stir into the slow cooker.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Pumpkin Macaroni Apple Cider Chicken with Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Pumpkin Macaroni Apple Cider Chicken with Estimated time: 5 minutes (3-hour cook time) Difficulty: Recipe adapted from My Heavenly Recipes 4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. 5. Garnish and serve warm. Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Pumpkin Macaroni Apple Cider Chicken with pages 16-17 and Cheese Caramelized Applespages 16-17 and Cheese Caramelized Apples pages 16-17 and Cheese pages 18-19 November 2020 | OurKidsMagazine.com 15 Caramelized Applespages 18-19 pages 20-21 pages 18-19 pages 20-21

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Talking to Kids About a Loved One’s Diagnosis

By Christa Melnyk Hines

Learning that you, your spouse or another family member suffers from an incurable illness or a serious, possibly fatal, injury is devastating. After the initial shock, you may wonder how to break the news to your children.

“What we try and tell parents is that we can’t fix things that are heartbreaking, but we can make them easier to understand,” says Heather Kinney, CCLS, CPST, a healthcare child life specialist.

How much to tell? While it’s normal to show sadness when sharing the news with your child, take time to process the information yourself before talking to your kids. When you do go to break the news, you may wish to have another adult present for emotional support.

Kinney suggests starting the conversation with: “I have something really important that we need to talk about. Do you think you are ready to listen?”

“A good rule of thumb is to be as honest as you can while taking into consideration where the child is developmentally,” says pediatric psychologist Crista Donewar, Ph.D.

Decide whether to tell siblings together or separately. Consider their ages, personalities, the nature of the situation and what feels right to you.

Most of all, “guard against trying to shield kids from information because what they’re imagining can be worse than reality,” says Allison DeLaney, chaplain and a hospice house bereavement coordinator. “What’s surprising is that kids often do better than the adults if given the chance.”

Managing questions. Some children ask many questions while others won’t ask any right away.

“Some kids don’t want to know. That’s fine too. That’s that child’s choice and way of coping, but keeping them out of the conversation without asking them is harmful,” DeLaney says.

You may find that “they dismiss the news the first time and then come back and have a few questions and need another explanation,” Donewar says. And don’t be surprised if your kids come back and ask you the same questions over again as the situation sinks in.

So what kinds of questions should you expect?

“The first thing kids want to know is ‘Are you going to die?’” Kinney says. “Kids look to to their parents to tell them the truth. If the first thing you tell them is a lie, how do they know to trust you again? We all deserve the truth about the people we love.”

Kids typically wonder how the information will affect them. For example, they might worry that “If mom dies, what if something happens to Dad? Who will take care of me?” Help lessen your child’s anxieties by explaining that your family has a plan in place to care for them no matter what.

They may also privately wonder, “Did I do something that caused this to happen?”

“Assure them that it’s not their fault,” DeLaney says.

Allow them to help. If your child wants to be involved in some way to help care for their loved one, suggest practical ideas like getting a drink of water and putting it on the bedside table, retrieving a box of kleenex or quietly drawing a picture, DeLaney says.

Seek support. Your child may need to talk to someone else about her feelings. Connect with one of her close friend’s parents or tap available community resources. If grief goes unresolved, a child, especially an adolescent, may act out through boundary-pushing and risk-taking. Clue your child’s pediatrician and school teachers in on what has happened.

Also, surround yourself with your own adult support network and resources for comfort and emotional support.

“Oversharing or relying on kids to comfort you causes them a lot of stress and additional worry,” Donewar says.

Check online for area grief support camps for kids, art therapy, support groups and mental health professionals. By providing resources to support the healing process, you and your children will feel less alone and better able to manage your stress.

For more information, check out How to Help Children Through a Parent’s Serious Illness by Kathleen McCue

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