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One more minute: Age-based recommendations for juggling child care and work

Parents have a long summer ahead of them. Virtual schools is just about over, and summer camps are canceling. For parents who are able to work from home, that means they have three more months of attempting to balance their parenting responsibilities with their work requirements.

Posted Updated
Working mom
By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
, Go Ask Mom editor

Parents have a long summer ahead of them. Virtual school is just about over, and lots of summer camps are canceling in an ongoing effort to curb the transmission of the coronavirus. For parents who are able to work from home, that means they have at least three more months of attempting to balance their parenting responsibilities with their work requirements.

For parents with little ones, especially, it's not easy. Some parent are working in shifts, switching off work duties and parenting tasks throughout the day. One parent, for example, knocks a few hours of work out during the early morning hours while the other parent takes care of the children. Then, they switch off.

But that doesn't work every day — and at every moment — during these complicated times. To provide some guidance, the American Academy of Pediatrics had Dr. Damon Korb, author of "Raising an Organized Child: Five Steps to Boost Independence, Ease Frustration and Promote Confidence," provide some age-based tips for families.

Here's what he suggests.

Infants

Unless they're napping, young babies will need — and, frankly, demand — almost constant attention from their parents. That can make it almost impossible to punch out that report or sign on to that video conference call.

Dr. Korb recommends two options for parents of infants: Wear your baby to work in a baby backpack or swaddler. Also, take some play breaks to give them the attention they crave before they get cranky. The academy's website lists some ideas, including puppet play and pat-a-cake for newborns and up.

Toddlers and Preschoolers

At this stage, children also need constant supervision, but they can entertain themselves for, at least, a little bit.

Dr. Korb recommends setting up stations with different kinds of play, similar to what you might see in their preschool classroom, to keep them entertained. They also can work "with" you. Set up, for example, a keyboard, so they can pretend to type just like you or give them some paper to "sketch out their ideas" just like you're sketching out your own.

When my younger daughter was little, I used to give her a notepad, just like the one I used, and, during interviews, she took notes with me.

School-Age Children

School-age children still need supervision and routine. Dr. Korb recommends creating a schedule that includes regular meal times, physical and imaginative play, artwork, learning activities, chores and free time. But he says it's important for parents to give their older kids some choice in how they spend their day.

In my house, I often give my fourth grader a list of things that need to get done during each day and week, and she decides when she completes the various tasks.

Tweens & Teens

Dr. Korb said structure is still critical for teens, who might be happy to lock themselves up in their rooms with their phone, and goal setting. It's important for parents, he wrote, to check in with them during the day.

This summer, my own teenager will have a lot of freedom in the way she spends her days, but we'll be chatting with her before it begins to map out chores and expectations, along with some agreed upon goals to stretch her own learning and interests.

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