Keeping the kids entertained whilst still working at Easter:
The advantages of working from home and utalising your companies hotdesks.
You've got the best of both worlds – you can do some work at home from a home office and spend time with the kids during the Easter holidays.
When the inevitable boredom kicks, siblings start fighting and it all gets a bit too much, you can leave the children with your partner and escape to the office for some peace and quiet. Or if your partner, the grandparents, aunties, etc., aren't available to babysit, you could always take the children to the office with you; the change of scenery will do them good and help keep boredom at bay. Either way, if you have the flexibility of a coworking space or hot desking facility you are definitely in a privileged position.
Plan a working calendar around when are the children off
I know, I know, organising time off?! School calendars in Britain vary from county to county. Virtually all schools have two weeks off at Easter. Plan your working days accordingly so it optimises not only your time spent working but also the time spent with your children.
Putting some variety into the Easter break will help keep the kids entertained and help you get on with some work. For example, on the first day of the holidays spend the morning at the park, on a bike ride or in a cafe with the children. After lunch, put a good children's DVD on whilst you get on with some work in your home office.
Alternate home working and office time
On day two, pack up a wide selection of toys, books, paper and crayons, and take the kids to the office with you. They may not be able to stay in your open co-working space but is there a space you can get for the day in your coworking hub? Generally speaking children love to see where Mum and Dad work and the prospect of going to their office with a huge box of toys and activities for entertainment should mean you are able to get on with some work in the office.
You could carry on like this throughout the holidays. Alternating between spending quality time with your children at a park or on a walk and working at home where they have access to all their toys, books and DVDs and spending time at your office giving them a change of scenery, will ensure your children enjoy a varied Easter break. It will also mean you're not prevented from getting on with any work.
Easter weekend
Of course it's not just the kids who need some time off routine and work. You do too. Take the Easter weekend, from Good Friday to Easter Monday off completely. Instead of 'sneaking' off to the home office to write a presentation, update a spreadsheet or work out a staff rota, put work out of your mind. Spend the time doing Easter egg hunts with your children, dressing up as the Easter bunny and having some good old Easter fun.