Working from home isn’t easy, even if you’re a one-man operation. Raising children as a stay-at-home dad is just as challenging, if not more. Combine the two together and you might as well give up, right?

Staying sane as a sleep-deprived, working stay-at-home dad mostly comes down to how well you set up your work environment. It can either help or hinder productivity in countless ways. The secret is to set up a workspace that works for business and child rearing. You’ll need to come up with some remote working solutions to be an effective stay at home dad and get all your work done.

Set Up Cost Effective Systems You Can Put on Autopilot

Automation is a beautiful, beautiful thing for parents that work from home. Put as many home service accounts on autopilot as possible so they can manage themselves. Once you have these in place you can start creating the physical workspace.

Utilities

Without utilities, you can’t live, let alone work, at home. It’s a foundational element for your at-home workstation. Choose a service that balances affordability, reliability, and flexibility. For example, providers like Enmax Lethbridge give customers the ability to pick a flexible energy plan that matches your usage habits. That way you pay the lowest rate possible.

Internet

The next thing you need is a secure Internet connection. Take a look at plans such as starlink internet plans, or investigate a range of different provider services to see what is available in your area that best suits your needs. You can often find the best deals by bundling Internet with television service. Here again, reliability is key, which is why you also need to make sure your router is set up in a spot that provides a strong signal.

Smartphone

Other than a laptop or desktop computer, the only piece of equipment most people need to work from home is a smartphone. A family plan will probably be the most cost effective overall, but a separate account could make tax deductions easier.

Set Up an Efficient Workstation

Now that you have the essential systems in place it’s time to create a highly efficient workstation. You will want to ensure you have a good desk and the best high back executive office chair so that you are comfortable whilst working and a computer or laptop to work from. Keep these three things in mind:

Location

One of the most important aspects is locating the workstation where there’s a clear line of sight to keep an eye on active youngsters. For instance a room with a window that looks out to the backyard or a dining area that can be closed off with glass French doors. The office area should also be away from the communal spaces so there are fewer distractions.

Layout

As alluded to above, having a door is one of the top features of an efficient home office layout. Beyond that, it can be helpful to set the workstation up in zones for different tasks. Don’t forget to square away a kid corner. It’s inevitable that they’ll end up in the office with you at some point. Giving them their own nook and things to keep them busy can help you both get projects done.

Organization

Elements that help with organization will make life a lot easier. Shelves, drawers, desktop organizers, filing cabinets – use all the tools at your disposal. If the work area has a closet this is great place to optimize storage and stock supplies.

Set Up a Schedule That Balances Kids and Work

Devising a schedule to manage both childcare and your workload efficiently is the final step in doing it all from home. The importance of a schedule can’t be stressed enough. Some people hate committing themselves to a calendar because they feel boxed in. Others simply don’t think it’s a priority.

Let me promise you one thing. Creating a daily calendar will make your life much easier. And with today’s virtual calendars that sync with your phone and computer, it’s virtually impossible to miss something important. Beyond that a calendar can help you make the best use of your time.

Here are some of my top calendaring tips for stay-at-home working dads:

♦ Outline your priorities first. Of course, the kid(s) are the top priority. Now list everything else that needs to get done in a day/week starting with the most important.

♦ Next, bucket your time into three categories: distraction-free time (i.e. kids aren’t at home), work time with kids and family time. This will help you schedule to-dos based on where your focus needs to be.

♦ Start scheduling tasks. Get as granular as you need. Even if something only takes 10 minutes, find a time on the calendar for it.

♦ Don’t forget to schedule break times. This could be timed nicely so that you also get to spend a few minutes with your kids.

♦ Keep your calendar where you can see it and stick to it.

Share your calendar with your significant other, grown kids and work associates. Make it clear to others when you’ll need quiet time with no distractions. This will help everyone respect your schedule and keep you a little saner.

Shift Frequency © 2017 – Sanity Saving Work Setup
for Stay-at-Home Dads