You may need to help the younger ones with homework or teach them study skills. You may need to switch into chauffeur mode to get the kids to sports, music lessons or club activities. Everyone has different needs and situations. With that in mind, I’ve come up with a list of suggestions of things that you can do to keep your kids happy and meet your deadlines:

• Sign up the kids for after-school programs: Some schools have a program on campus. Many nearby daycare centers send vans to pick up the kids.
• Hire a student: Some high schoolers finish school early enough to hang with your kids and help with homework. It helps if the high schooler can drive so they can come to your place and take the kids to the park or the library. This approach worked well for me last year. If it appeals to you, check your local colleges as well. Colleges may have a bulletin board or some other job notification system where you can advertise this kind of work.
• Make a schedule: This is the approach I’m now using, and so far, so good. When the elementary kids arrive home, they have about 30 minutes to chill and eat snacks. Then one hour of homework, quiet and reading time. That time frame removes the temptation to rush through homework to go outside or do something fun. If they finish homework early, they still have to wait the full hour before playtime begins.
• Take turns with other parents: Find other work-from-home parents to take turns in watching the kids. That way, you can get a couple of afternoons to yourself.
• Pay another parent to help: When I still had a corporate job and my son needed to be somewhere right before I got off work, a good friend took him for me while I picked him up. Though we do things for each other all the time, this regular carpooling warranted a little extra.
• Treat the afternoon as family time: Give yourself a break and enjoy spending a few hours with your kids, preparing for dinner and helping with homework. Finish your work in the evening after they’ve gone to bed. Instead of lunch breaks, take late afternoon breaks. But still, walk away from the computer for at least five minutes several times a day for health’s sake. Oh, and be careful not to get food and drink on the keyboard.
• Set aside time on the weekend: If your situation doesn’t give you enough time during the week, pick a time on the weekend to do your work. It helps to have a home office so the kids know not to disturb mom or dad while they’re working, unless it’s an emergency (note that a kid’s definition of “emergency” will probably not be the same as yours, so you might want to discuss that beforehand). No home office? Create a work area that signals to the kids that mom or dad is at work.

Web working gives parents the flexibility to be there for their kids and put family first. They don’t have to explain themselves to coworkers and bosses when they need to take care of family business. I love working out of my home office as it provides a well-rounded life.

How do you manage your family around your web working career?

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Stay with other family. The first week is going well as my younger two kids take turns visiting Grandma who lives an hour away. Having one kid at home and one at Grandma’s takes away any chances of them fighting. One gets all of Grandma’s attention and the other enjoys a calmer mom who doesn’t have to play referee.

Enroll in camps and activities. Many parents, like Mary Shaw, enroll their kids in day and sleep-away camps. Some of those with babies and toddlers keep their children in daycare, just like during the school year.

Hang with kids while staying connected. Daniel Schutzsmith, director of client happiness with Core Industries, sets a schedule for working. He relies on mobile communications so he can take his kids to the park, the mall or for a stroll. “I’ve realized that it is OK to work from home, and every client I have talked with appreciates it that I’m a father, a husband and a web worker,” says Schutzsmith.

Send the kids outside. Rachell Coe of 4 the Grapes not only deals with kids at home, but also all the neighborhood kids come to her place daily. She only lets the other kids come over at a scheduled time. However, they must go straight to the backyard and play there. It distracts her when kids constantly open and close the front door, so her kids go in and out their bedroom windows in her one-story home. For those with two-story homes, maybe making them use the back door will be less distracting for you.

Take your office outdoors. Who says only the kids should enjoy the fresh air? While kids play around, you can catch up on work. “Just be sure to set up somewhere shady and far enough away from water and dirt to keep your equipment running smoothly,” says Linsey Knerl, Wise Bread senior writer. Also, see the tips in Mike’s post, “How to Use Your Laptop Outside“.

Make a deal with other parents. Unfortunately, many parents are home because they’re out of jobs. Melanie M. Jocson, president of Virtual Partners Group, has out-of-work neighbors with a pool. She plans to work out something with them. Also, parents can take turns having play dates.

Cut work hours. A popular option is to have shorter hours or work fewer days a week. A lucky few can take the entire summer off.

Encourage kids to work off energy. Plenty spend too much time playing video games or fighting with siblings. Pick an earlier time of day to let them go run, ride a bike, and burn up some energy to prevent them from getting too rowdy indoors.

Hire older kids to help. Jennifer Fink has to keep her kids occupied year-round because she homeschools them while freelancing from home. “Consider hiring a preteen to come play with your younger kids while you work; you’re in the house, so you’re available for emergencies, but he or she can keep the kids occupied. Alternately, consider hiring a high school or college kid for a couple hours a week,” says Fink.

Work during quiet times. “Don’t be overly concerned with getting everyone up and at ‘em exactly the same time each day. Let lazy sleepers sleep, early risers rise and try to get the majority of your work done while it is still quiet and everyone is most rested,” says Knerl.

Let them work in the office. Even during the school year, my youngest often joins me in my office at a little desk or on the floor. He colors or writes in his workbook. I love having him near me. When he interrupts too often in needing help with worksheets, I either switch to easier work tasks or ask him to do something else that doesn’t require my help.

I consider myself lucky during times like this. When the kids get too noisy, I can turn off my hearing aids for instant quiet!

How do you survive summer with kids when you work at home?

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I love Spring Break… when there’s a trip involved. Alas, I haven’t taken a real vacation since Spring Break 2002. Sure, my family took a road trip from Dallas to San Antonio and Austin last year, but that was no vacation between the drive and a volleyball tournament (the real reason for the trip). If you’re one of the lucky ones taking a vacation, here are some tips for packing.

This year, one kid has driver’s ed classes for the week, another takes a test and some have a few appointments. So this Spring Break gives us an opportunity to catch up and do things that we don’t want to do during the school year. But that doesn’t mean the thought of the younger two staying home all week doesn’t stress me out. The 5-year-old and 10-year-old argue, then come growling or crying into Mom’s office.

So what can you do to manage kids during Spring Break if you stay home?

Take the week off. Some web workers don’t take vacations because many of them don’t get paid while on vacation. Though you might not get away for the break, you can rest your mind by taking the opportunity to spend time with your family now. Too many folks think, “Oh, I’ll spend time with my kids when my business takes off or we get X dollars in our bank account.” Put away the “someday” thinking and “just do it” now. Kids grow up fast. They’re going to be adults far longer than they are kids.

Work early in the morning. Compromise by working early in the morning and (hopefully) let the kids sleep late. Kids tend to take their time waking up on days off. Early morning offers a good time to get a little work done before the interruption comes. It’s a compromise between doing some work and taking the afternoons off. Or you can switch to working late at night after they go to sleep, if you prefer.

Hire a high schooler. A student in high school would appreciate the opportunity to earn a little cash without committing to a job. Children love older kids who aren’t their siblings. Find a high schooler who can drive so s/he takes the kids to the park or the library. This way the kids have fun and get out of the house leaving you with a few hours of quiet work time.

Enroll them in a program or camp. Places like tennis centers, community centers, daycares and religious institutions offer part-time or full-time programs and camp. These stave off the “I’m bored” blues by giving the kids a place to go for a few hours. If your kids are like mine, they’ll complain of boredom when they get home, but at least you’ll free yourself from the whining for a little while.

Set aside family time. Plan two or three activities for the week. See a movie, go to a museum, go out for breakfast, find an indoor pool, ride bikes, or visit family and friends. Tell your kids you’ve scheduled time to do X activities. You could use it as a motivator for them to work through things on their own and use these activities as their reward. Do try to have one activity with no reward tied to it.

Ship them off to Visit relatives. For winter break, my kids took turns to spend a few days with Grandma, who lives an hour away. This way they get all of Grandma’s attention. You still enjoy a quieter home with one child visiting a relative and the rest at home.

Play with friends. Schedule play dates with friends. You may have to invite them to your home, but they might bug you less when they have a friend over. My kids don’t interrupt me as much and they’re happy to play with someone. Win-win!

Spring Break isn’t so bad because it’s only five days (the weekends are always there). Summer — now that’s a different story, and one I’m not looking forward to telling. I’m fretting about that already.

What do you plan to do for Spring Break? How about for the too-long summer break?

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