Due to the rising cost of daycare, when my maternity leave ended after having my daughter I decided the best option for me was to work from home with her. Being a work-from-home mom has had its ups and downs. Now that I have been doing it for a little over a year, I would say I am starting to get the hang of it. So, I figured I would share some of my favorite ways to keep my toddler entertained while I work!
Give Them Room to Explore
When I first started working from home, I would make her a little space in whatever room I was working in. However, as she got older and more mobile, she quickly grew tired of being in a confined space. She played by herself for 10 minutes and then would climb all over me – which makes getting things done difficult.
Now, utilizing baby gates in pretty much every doorway of our home, I have made a wide area where she can roam. She has access to the living room, dining room, and my office. I use the baby gates to keep her from going places like in the kitchen (which has our basement access) and upstairs. I’ve found that by giving her these different options she can entertain herself for a lot longer. She knows that if she gets bored in one room, she can just move to the next! Luckily, due to the layout of my house, I can sit in the dining room and keep my eyes on her at all times as well. However, I know that isn’t always the case. My advice would be to give your toddler as much space as possible while still being able to safely monitor them!
Practice Toy Rotation
Similarly to being stuck in the same space, being stuck with the same toys gets boring for toddlers as well! You don’t need a ton of toys to put this into practice, either. I’ve found that the fewer toys my toddler has access to, the longer she’ll play with the ones she does have. I recommend splitting whatever toys you currently have out into at least two groups (at least three toys/activities per group). Then, put one of the groups into storage. I usually swap the toys out every two weeks or so. I’ve found that even if she had no interest in the toys before when they get brought back out after a while, she loves them!
Books, books, books!
Another great resource is letting your toddler have access to books. I keep pretty much every board book we own on shelves that she can reach. Even though she can’t read yet, she loves pulling them down and looking at them. I also feel like it helps her vocabulary! She will look through the books pointing to words she knows and saying them out loud. I feel like this is a win-win. I am able to get work done while she is entertained. Plus, she is building a love for books and reading.
Play The “Where is…?” Game
This tactic has been a lifesaver for me pretty much since my daughter started talking. It doesn’t always work, but it does have a pretty high success rate. If my daughter seems bored or is unable to leave me alone, I just ask, “Where is…?”. Sometimes I ask about her books, her blocks, a stuffed animal, whatever. About half of the time she will go and find the thing that I asked about. The other half she starts looking and then gets distracted by something else. Either way, she finds herself entertained and I can focus my attention back on my work.
Remember They’re Still Little
A lot of the time, it’s so easy to feel guilty about not spending enough energy on work or on your kid or both. And that is totally normal. However, it is so important to remember that yes, our toddlers are still little. They are going to need extra attention and love sometimes. That is totally normal too. It’s important to give ourselves grace in situations like these where the setup is not always ideal. What’s important is that we know we are making the best choice for ourselves and our babies, even though it is hard sometimes.
If you are a fellow work from home mama, drop your favorite tips and tricks below!
