How To Use A Timer With Kids When You Work At Home

Working from home is not always easy. Learn how to use a timer with kids when you work at home in order to get your work done “mom guilt” Free!

If you work at home with kids you probably have faced this situation more than once.

You sit down at your desk ready to work during your designated work time. You’ve gathered the essentials, coffee, notes, a to-do list, pen, paper, files, and folders. Your desk is a hot mess, but that’s okay because you finally get to dig into your work.

“MOM!”

One of the hardest parts of working at home is coping with the distractions and sometimes the kids are the distraction!

In this blog post, I’ll show you how to use a timer with kids which is one of the best time management tips for work at home moms.

Working At Home With Kids Is Challenging

“Mom, Mom, Mom!”

And here we go …again.

Shouted. Soft-spoken with tapping. Staring at you until you take notice.

You love your kid but you need to get your work done, preferably not while your child is dancing and looking over your shoulder.

Kids are unique in the fact that they seem to be totally oblivious to the fact you are trying to work. Or is that just mine?

I don’t know about you but every time I am interrupted I lose my train of thought or forget what I was doing and I have to start all over again.

This means it takes me twice as long to do everything!

Add in the mom guilt of “You are always working”, “You are always on the computer and you never play with me”, and “You’re always busy!”…

It makes you feel like you just can’t win!

One Simple Hack For Uninterrupted Work Time Without the “Mom Guilt”

I’ve discovered using one thing that allows me to focus on my work without the kids interrupting and have much-needed one-on-one time with my kids.

All you need is one thing. A timer.

I’ll show you exactly how to use a timer with kids in a minute but first, let’s talk about why you need a timer for working at home with kids.

Why You Need A Timer For Kids

The problem with time is that time is an abstract concept. Think about how difficult it is to explain to a child that time never stops. You can’t make more of it, and once it is gone, you can’t get it back. Kids (and some adults) have a hard time measuring time.

That is why when you tell your kids you need 30 minutes without being interrupted to work, your children struggle. They end up interrupting you because they can’t visualize time.

And when you tell your kids you will play with them for 30 minutes, they complain when the time is up because they can’t see the time passing.

For children, using a timer allows them to see time elapse and makes it easier to focus and anticipate transitions.

What Type Of Timer Should You Use

Chances are you have one on your cell phone, computer, or in the kitchen somewhere. If you want to work at home uninterrupted, you need to begin using a timer with your kids as soon as possible.

⇒Any timer will work, but having one with an audible ending, one you can set out of YOUR reach and where your kids can see with a visual countdown, tends to work best.

By all means, pick a timer below to make this transition easier for you and your kids but get started by using what you have.

I’ve asked a few other working moms what timers have worked best for them. Here are a few that come highly recommended:

Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

• Secura 60-Minute Visual Timer
• Classroom Timers for Teachers Kids Large Magnetic Digital Timer 2 Pack
• 4 Inch 60-Minute Visual Countdown Timer Clock

How To Use A Timer With Kids To Get Uninterrupted Work Time

The goal of using a timer with kids is not to teach them how to tell time or understand time but to gain uninterrupted work time and get it without the “mom guilt” that often comes from working at home.

The problem is when you work at home your kids may not understand that you need time to focus on your job. They want your attention all the time. And when you work and don’t give it to them, they feel left out, ignored, and upset.

This is understandable. How do we fix this?

The key is to trade. You work for X amount of time, and then you focus on the kids for X amount of time.

Examples might be:

• You write an email for 5 minutes, and you dance in the kitchen for 5 minutes
• You outline a paper for work for 10 minutes, and you read a book out loud to your child for 10 minutes
• You host a video conference for 30 minutes, and you do a math lesson for 30 minutes
• You take part in an hour-long workshop, and you do a hands-on experiment

Please note, that you do not always have to use equal time but I have found it easier to do this in the beginning until my children got used to the idea.

Much like teaching your kids to learn independently, you need to start with small time blocks of work especially if you are using a timer with younger children. Start with 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and work your way up to longer periods of time.

3 Steps To Set Yourself Up For Success

The step-by-step process of using a timer with kids is simple but it won’t work unless you set yourself up for success!

1. Divide your tasks into time blocks

Before you begin using a timer with kids, you need to divide your work into time blocks. You may find it helpful to create a list of tasks you can complete in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and ones that take longer.

For example, as a blogger, I know I can knock out all the steps to creating a featured image (the one above with a title on it) in a few minutes IF I have the image chosen already.

Writing a blog post, on the other hand, take much longer as a whole. BUT if I break down each task, I can make it easier to handle and take breaks between the tasks.

⇒Pro tip: Create a list of tasks you can do for different time blocks.

2. Talk with your kids

Before you begin working, set some ground rules.

Your kids need to know what they can do while you are working, what they can eat and drink, and under what situations they can interrupt you.

Be clear in your expectations.

Note: If another adult is home, teach them to ask the other adult for assistance if they aren’t busy. For me, when my kids came to interrupt my work block, I would first point to the timer and then point in the direction of the adult.

I also reminded them before I started the timer that they could always ask Dad for help. It took a few weeks, but they learned.

3. Stick to the time

Be determined to stick to the time set aside for working. When the timer goes off, you finish your task and walk away. This is WHY I suggest moving the timer out of your reach.

If I don’t do this, I reach over, turn it off and keep working.

If you ignore the timer and keep working, the timer becomes useless and the kids will learn very quickly mom lied. They don’t care it was not intentional.

All they know is you said you’d stop and you didn’t. 

If you want this to work, you need to be consistent.

How To Use A Timer With Kids

Once you’ve clearly outlined how the timer will work using a timer with kids when you work at home is easy!

It looks like this:

• You remind your kids of the ground rules you set above
• Remind them how long you will work
• Remind them what you will do with them when you are done
• You set a timer for a set amount of time.
• You work
• Your kids learn not to interrupt, bother you, tap on you, etc. during this time.
• When the timer sounds you stop!
• Now you spend time with your kids. You can set a new timer for this as well. But do not work.
• When the second timer goes off you stop doing whatever you are doing with them.
• And move on to your second time block.
• Repeat as needed

How To Train Your Kids With A Timer

Remember, anything new takes time and training. Be patient.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned that help make this transition easier for kids.

First, get your kids and show them the timer. Explain how it works and demonstrate the sound they are listening for.

One mom, I talked to said her kids liked the sound her egg timer (like this one) made. Some kids may find certain sounds stressful or cause anxiety. Be sure to use a timer your kids are comfortable with.

Another busy mom said she uses a fancy hourglass they had, which worked really well. The kids were the “audible” because they would freak out when the sand was all gone.

⇒Just pick a timer that works and use it.

How To Handle Interruptions

Our goal is not to be interrupted, but kids have short attention spans, and it takes time for them to learn new things.

Decide ahead of time how you will handle interruptions.

You may decide to pause working and provide a simple reminder such as, “Mommy is not able to answer your questions or talk to you while this timer is counting down. (point to timer) Do not interrupt me or talk to me because I am working. When the timer goes off, I am all yours.”

Or you may decide to pause working, listen to the interruption, and decide based on the need to handle it or to make the request wait.

All your decisions in this matter should be based on your child and their age and stage. Older children should be able to work independently on their own whereas working at home with younger children will require more time and training.

Expect to remind your child at first.

• Remind them the timer is going and you can’t talk now.
• Remind them to listen for the sound and to come back then.
• Remind them you will be all theirs when the timer goes off.

(Remind them to ask the other adult that is home.)

Depending on your child and their age, you may need to repeat this often.

Remember there is going to be a training period for you and them.

If you have a child who is easily distracted, I have found using their name, making sure eye contact is made, and getting the instructions repeated back to me has helped.

I say, “When the timer is going I am working. You can not interrupt me unless you are bleeding or on fire. When the timer is off I will be happy to help you. Now, what did I say?”

Yes, this is annoying. Yes, it works.

If they interrupt me, I first stop the timer. I show them the timer and tell them it was going. I show them that the timer didn’t go off yet AND I reassure them I am all theirs when it DOES go off.

I don’t argue. I state the facts and restart the timer and continue to work.

When Interruptions Persist

If the child continues to interrupt no matter what you do I recommend doing two things:

1. Shorten the work time block, start small even with only 5 minutes! Slowly build up to more time.
2. Change the outcome of being interrupted.

You know your kids best. Adjust the time and remind them until they get it.

Sometimes my kids stare at me without talking or tapping me. It can be really unnerving. But eventually, the top of my head gets boring and they go away. Ha!

If you are worried your kids will be bored while you are working you can give them a quiet box. I use these even with older kids. You’ll find more information about how I use Quiet Boxes both for younger kids and older kids here. 

How To Use A Timer With Kids When You Work At Home

Using a timer is a great way to help you and your kids learn how to manage time. I really like doing block work. It makes me zero in on the task, knock it out and move on.

It even helps me with the “social media time suck”.

This is when you jump on Facebook or Pinterest to do something and then 2 hours later you’ve learned how to braid hair, picked out your summer garden plants, and decided a baby goat needs to come live with you. I’m only half joking! Ugh! 

But with a timer, you only have a few minutes so you pop on to do what you gotta do and pop off. Lazer focus!

Using a timer is a GREAT simple little hack you can use to get more work done, guilt-free.

Do yourself a favor, dig out a timer, and get started today. Soon you’ll be knocking off your task list and having fun with your kids!

Time management for working moms who homeschool is often a struggle. I share my step-by-step process of how I fit time to work, homeschool and “mom” in my life.

READ: Simple Scheduling for Your Crazy Working Homeschool Life

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