It’s been a few weeks now and you feel like you still haven’t quite figured out.

You, your spouse and whoever else lives with you have to work from home, and, oh yeah, the kids are trying to do school from home too. Suddenly it’s a competition to get access to a computer, to the internet, to a quiet room, to time for yourself or to time to help the kids with their homework. You might be at home more yet you seem to have less time for everything.

If you are nodding your head along try these things out

First of all, recognize that being productive looks very different during this physical distancing period. You are probably finding it difficult to get as much done at home as you would have at your work location.

You are not the only one. So give yourself some allowance, but also extend that allowance to your coworkers, to your children, anyone else in your household.

Second, schedule times for everyone’s tasks. If you set up a routine it will help establish some of the sense of rhythm that has been lost: Try to set up a schedule that suits everyone. And let the children have an input into making the schedule. For example, one child can have access to the computer from 2:00 – 4:00 pm, another 4:00 -6:00. One parent can work from 8:00 to 11:00 and the other from 11:00 to 2:00. You alone know what will work best for your household. Draw up the schedule together and it where everyone can see it and if something unexpected comes up be flexible and make adjustments.

Designate your workspace and the kids’ school space. If you can, find a separate place to work from the rest of the house. If that’s not possible then decorate it in a way that identifies it as a workplace. Maybe the children can design a sign for you that says “Mom/Dad at Work”, when that sign goes up on the wall or fridge then they will know to let you focus on your work. In the same way, they can create signs saying “school in session.” Then they can place the signs on the wall when they are doing their lessons and take the signs down when they are done. They will be thrilled that they are doing something similar to you.

Define your work/school times in other ways. Maybe you can put on “work clothes” and let the children know that when they see you dressed up then they know you are focusing on your job. Tell them they can choose which clothes to wear to school and that they do not have to wear their uniform! Then let them dress them up for the school sessions.

When you get together for meals talk about what happened at school or work that day Share in conversations that you would normally have done 3months ago. And if that is not something you did before, then start now

Things may not be perfect but there are ways to make them fun and less exasperating.