Work at Home? Five Ways to entertain your kids

Depending on the type of home-based work that you do, having your children around to be a part of things can be a wonderful part of the experience. However, there are going to be times that you must simply have peace and quiet - whether it be to make an important phone call, to finish work for deadline or a myriad of other reasons.

There are many ways to entertain your children while you work. Finding productive ways to entertain them with can be more difficult. Outlined below are five constructive things that your kids can do to give you a quiet moment.

1. Naptime

Working while your child is taking a nap is an easy way to have the quiet that you’ll need for phone calls and other important tasks. If you have more than one child, try setting a specific time for them to take a nap each day, so that they will come to expect it. Even a half hour a day can make a difference in your workload.

If you have older children that are home during the day, they too need quiet time even if they don’t necessarily sleep. It is good for children to have some time to themselves. They can play quietly in their room, read or do another quiet activity.

2. Playtime

If your children are 4 years old or more, you can many times help them start an activity that they can complete. Put a small table near your desk and allow them to play with play dough, do a puzzle or a simple craft project. Take a break every so often to check their progress and help them if needed.

With older kids, you can have them sit at the kitchen table or somewhere else out of hearing range to do an activity or craft suitable for their age and interests.

3. Outdoor Time

When the weather cooperates, send the kids outside for some fresh air. Be sure that your children are old enough and mature enough to handle time outside by themselves. If possible, have a next door neighbor keep an eye on them. If you have a fenced in back yard, that is often the safest possibility. Another option is to buy outdoor activities that can keep your children occupied.

4. Computer Time

Allowing your children time on the computer can be a fun way for them to pass time quietly if you are on the phone or doing other tasks. There are many educational websites and games that they play online, such as SesameStreet.com, Noggin.com and BigIdea.com.

Many smaller children will also enjoy “typing.” Open a blank document in your Word Processor and make the font large. As they get older, they will become familiar with the letters and even learn to type their name and other words.

5. TV time

On the days when your child is sick or it is too cold to play outside, consider allowing them to watch a movie or an allotted amount of TV time. Most children’s movies are kept short to keep their attention and are also educational. Find movies and TV programs that meet your approval and adhere to your morals and beliefs.

Working from home and being there for your children is one of the best gifts that you can give them. However, there are always times when you will need the little ones quite while complete necessary tasks. Use these five ideas to take the stress out of finding quiet time.

Work at Home Five Ways to entertain your kids - To learn more about this author, visit Jill Hart's Website.

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Staging Diva Debra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained 4000+ students worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular home staging guides made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide, Portfolio Guide and Twitter Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website

Dave Kurlan Dave Kurlan is a best-selling author, top-rated speaker and thought leader on sales development.  He is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

Marcus Arkan Marcus Arkan currently serves as the President/Principle Broker of Syndicate Mortgages Inc. After working with a number of Canada's top financial institutions, the experience and knowledge he gained throughout his professional career combined with his drive and entrepreneurial spirit led him to develop his own company. The operation began in 2003 in the basement of his home and now has flourished into a successful corporation with a head office in one of Metropolitan Toronto's busiest sectors and 10 branch locations employing over 100 mortgage professionals. His organization is now one of Ontario's leading mortgage brokerages specializing in residential, commercial, and construction financing. He holds the designation of Accredited Mortgage Professional from the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. This allows him to differentiate himself from other mortgage originators and demonstrates his commitment to the highest standards of industry performance. For more information on Mr. Arkan and his Syndicate Mortgages Inc., please visit www.syndicatemortgages.com. - Visit Marcus Arkan's Website

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