Having a good office and home setup is crucial when working from home with kids. It can dramatically help or hinder efficiency while working. 

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Office Set Up

Before having kids, I am sure you spent time making your office into a work-efficient environment. You need to do the same thing when you work from home with kids. While there may be times in your day that you can work alone in your office, I would guess that a majority of your day is spent working while around your kids. That’s why a good office setup is key. You need to create an effective workplace and a fun space for your little one. At the time of writing this, I have one son who is around 2 years old. During this time, I’ve had three office setups.

1. Office Space with an Infant

It seemed difficult at the time, but working with a baby was way simpler than working with a toddler. I kept a jumper on the door, a bassinet in the room next door, a bouncer chair next to my desk, a Bumbo for feeding, and some books and toys in my office. That’s all I needed. I was able to work completely in my office when my son was an infant. I initially did all feedings in there. Whether that was from a bottle or some puree. When I would feed him puree, I would place the Bumbo on my desk so he was eye level with me. When he wasn’t eating, I was holding him, he was bouncing in the jumper, sitting in his bounce chair, or doing tummy time. Between these items, I was able to feed and entertain my infant without much hassle. When he was old enough to eat more solid food, I would bring my laptop out and do his mealtimes in the kitchen. But even during that time, we spent most of our day in my office.

2. Office Space with a Baby

The biggest change for my office was getting a playpen. It does take up a good amount of space in my office, but it was worth it for the entertainment and containment. In his playpen, he had a chair, a coloring table, little people and bluey toys, and some blocks and music toys hanging from the side. I liked having levels for his toys so that he can be sitting or standing to play. It kept things interesting for him, having toys at different heights. We called it my son’s “office”. I even bought him a child’s laptop (one with games and music) to keep in the playpen so that he could “work” with me. I didn’t even put batteries in it. He just played with it as is. His “office” kept him entertained so that I could use my other monitors, and he wouldn’t play with my laptop. When he was in the playpen, I would generally keep the pen door unzipped so that he didn’t feel trapped and could move around freely. In addition to the playpen, I also had (and still have) a bench at the window so that my son and dog can look out the window and watch the neighborhood and cars drive by. This is also a great activity because it gets my son’s energy out by climbing up and down the bench. 

Other Play Pen Perks:

Not only did my son’s “office” keep him very entertained, but it also provided another fun and safe place for him to be when I need to do other things. For instance, when my son pooped in the bath, I was able to zip the door shut and keep him contained while I cleaned the bathtub. I put him in there when I needed to wash his bed after an accident, clean a mess in the kitchen, or wipe my dog’s butt after he went to the bathroom. I also liked how it keeps my office cleaner because all the toys have a place to go. 

3. Office Space with a Toddler 

Since my son is older and I’m not as worried he will get into things, the need for the playpen isn’t there. I decided to take down the playpen and clean out my office closet to have space for his toys. Now he has more free space to play in my office, and there is still a place to keep the toys organized. As my son gets older, my office setup simplifies. Eventually, when we have another child, we will go through the same routine setup as we did with our first. 

House Set Up

One of my biggest tips is to be mobile while you work, rather than being stuck in your office the whole time. If you have read some of my other posts, you know that I am a big believer in stations. When my son was an infant, it didn’t matter. We spent most of our time in my office or in the nursery. But as soon as he started becoming mobile, stations were a game-changer. Each room has different toys and activities. If you are willing to move around with your laptop, this helps keep your little one entertained with something new until they can go down for a nap. We have 6ish main areas we play in: the living room, kitchen, office, nursery, bathroom, and the music room. Eventually, we will have a main playroom, which will be nice. Each “station” has fun and different activities from the other stations, which keeps it exciting for my son.

I believe that a successful house and office setup is integral to working effectively at home with your kids. Make sure that your office provides a good work environment for you and a fun play environment for your child. Also, remember to utilize the rest of your house for fun rotating stations to keep your little one entertained while you work. Let me know in the comments how you make your house/office an effective workspace!