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Working From Home Parents

Facts, Links, Books, and Videos to help support families with parents who work from home.

Kate Newell, Colleen Morisette, Sarah White, Grace Ludwig

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, 
parents' work and home lives have become intertwined. Pew Research states that "roughly six-in-ten U.S. workers who say their jobs can mainly be done from home (59%) are working from home all or most of the time" (Parker et al., 2022). As a result, parents’ work environments have become reshaped. Working from home parents have to juggle work and family responsibilities such as ensuring their kids are occupied, safe, and taken care of while also satisfying their work demands.


Some tips to help manage these responsibilities are to:
-not multitask to increase productivity and reduce feelings of burnout (Cooks-Campbell, 2022)
-create toy bags or play stations for children to be occupied
-create a schedule where you can check in on your child, feed them, and take care of whatever needs are necessary
-let your boss aware of your situation
-establish work and play areas so children and other family members are aware of boundaries
-establish a routine to assist you and your child (Capital One, 2023)

Check out the link to the Parents at Work podcast below! It is an excellent resource for parents who are looking for ways to balance their professional development and parental responsibilities. They cover a wide array of topics ranging from mental health to working in government relations and public affairs. Each month, they bring in a new expert to share their insights into “what it takes to successfully support your work and personal wellbeing” (Parents at Work, 2023).

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Benefits of Working from Home

80% of employees would be more loyal to employers if provided flexible work options as of 2022. 

84% of employees are happier when they work from home as of 2022.

Telecommuting productivity statistics reveal that working remotely saves nearly 500 dollars monthly. 

Children's Books about Working from Home

Tips & Resources for Working From Home

Working Mother

How companies can assist parents working from home

Offer flex time or offer parents to make their own schedule
Provide backup childcare
Assist with family costs other than child care such as remote learning stations, Disney+ memberships, and books
Additional paid leave: specific number of family days, daycare emergencies, mental health days

What working parents really need from workplaces | The Way We Work, a TED series
04:52
TED

What working parents really need from workplaces | The Way We Work, a TED series

What if we started treating parenting like the real work it is? Podcast host and CEO Angela Garbes details how working families have evolved -- and how companies haven’t -- and gives insight into what parents really need from their colleagues and workplaces. The Way We Work is a TED original video series where leaders and thinkers offer practical wisdom and insight into how we can adapt and thrive amid changing workplace conventions. Visit https://go.ted.com/thewaywework for more! Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. Become a TED Member: http://ted.com/membership Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com
3 rules for better work-life balance | The Way We Work, a TED series
05:07
TED

3 rules for better work-life balance | The Way We Work, a TED series

Have you answered a work email during an important family event? Or taken a call from your boss while on vacation? According to behavioral scientist and Harvard Business School professor Ashley Whillans, "always-on" work culture is not only ruining our personal well-being — but our work, as well. She shares which bad habits are stopping us from getting what we need out of our free time and three practical steps for setting boundaries that stick. The Way We Work is a TED original video series where leaders and thinkers offer practical wisdom and insight into how we can adapt and thrive amid changing workplace conventions. Visit https://go.ted.com/thewaywework for more! Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. Become a TED Member: http://ted.com/membership Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com

Resources

Capital One. (2023).  How to Work From Home With Kids. https://www.capitalonecareers.com/how-to-work-from-home-with-kids-101-cul

 

Child Care Financial Assistance Options. Child Care Financial Assistance Options | Childcare.gov. (n.d.). https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/get-help-paying-for-child-care#:~:text=Head%20Start%20and%20Early%20Head%20Start%20are%20available%20at%20no,in%20your%20state%20or%20territory. 

Cooks-Campbell, A. (2022). How to Work From Home With Kids: 12 Tips For Remote and Hybrid Work. Better Up. https://www.betterup.com/blog/working-from-home-with-kids

Dimovski, A. (2023, March 31). 25 Fascinating Work From Home Statistics. GoRemotely. https://goremotely.net/blog/work-from-home-statistics/ 

 

Hastwell, C. (2020, April 14). 4 Ways Your Company Can Support Working Parents During COVID-19. Great Place To Work®. https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/4-ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents-during-covid-19 

 

Malone, AKM. (Host). (2020-2023). [Audio podcast episode]. In Yes, I Work From Home. Careers. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yes-i-work-from-home/id1532836431

 

North, A. (2023, July 31). The unexpected pitfalls of work-from-home parenthood. Vox. https://www.vox.com/even-better/2023/7/31/23807375/remote-hybrid-wfh-work-parents-moms-parenting 

Parker, K., Horowitz, J., & Minkin, R. (2022). COVID-19 Pandemic Continues To Reshape Work in America. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/02/16/covid-19-pandemic-continues-to-reshape-work-in-america/

Parents At Work. (2023). Parents at Work Podcasts. https://parentsandcarersatwork.com/parents-at-work-podcasts/

 

Phan, L. L. (2020, December 23). 15 Thoughtful Ways Companies Can Support Parents Working From Home . Compt. https://www.compt.io/hr-articles/ways-to-support-parents-working-from-home 

 

YouTube. (2021, November 8). What working parents really need from workplaces | The way we work, a TED series. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x672EKnKLtA

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