Kate Betts

The pandemic has not been easy. There are many, many challenges that families are facing and dealing with together. Many metro-Atlanta area schools have gone to online learning in response to the coronavirus pandemic. That has created many new challenges for parents who are having to work from home. Not only are you having to support your kids as they do online school, but you have to juggle work and home responsibilities. Here are some tips for balancing work-from-home, kid care, and online school.

Juggling work-from-home and online schooling in Atlanta

1. Be open with your boss and team.

If your kids are going back to school, that creates a whole new set of challenges. You might need to adjust your schedule, or you might need to make some changes. We are in a crisis situation, so hopefully your manager will be understanding and willing to work with you. If you don’t reach out to your manager with a request, you’ll never know if they could have helped you out. Everybody’s in a similar boat, and your boss might very well be accommodating if you need a bit of leeway. Let them know that you’re still dedicated to your job and the company, and be realistic about what you can commit to and what you can do as navigate work-from-home and online school for the kids.

2. Enlist the support of family.

Even though you might not be able to have visits with the grandparents or aunts and uncles, is there a way you can schedule video calls with them? For example, maybe one of the grandparents can video chat with the kids to help them with their math homework. Though they might not be able to be there in person, your extended family can still lend a hand by video calling – whether they’re helping with homework or just occupying the kids so you can attend a meeting without interruption. And besides, that gives your kids an opportunity to have some social time. They can stay connected with their family.

3. Create a schedule with your family.

It can be really helpful to plan out a schedule with your family. That way everyone knows what everyone else is up to. Don’t forget to include time for breaks. You need some time to have a breather, and it might make you feel better if you’ve allotted a specific time to have a break and check on the kids to see how they’re doing. Have set meal times together so you can catch up. Routine is great, and it also gives you the chance to have some interaction so no one feels too lonely – that can happen if you’ve been working or doing schoolwork alone all day.

4. Make sure everyone has their own space.

Everyone needs to have their own place to work. You need your designated work-zone and your kids need theirs. So, set up your workspace and create a mini home-office for your kids. Stock it with the school supplies the kids are going to need. If your kids are old enough and you feel comfortable closing the door to your office space, you can reduce distractions. Peace and quiet are important for kids and grown-ups alike.

5. Think about how the kids can help around the house.

There’s a lot of housework that probably needs to get done. Are there little tasks or chores your kids can do to help out? Maybe you can create a sticker system for good behavior for your younger kids. Can your older kids be encouraged to pitch in? Everybody needs to pull together during this time. All the responsibility for housework doesn’t have to fall on your shoulders. Try to come up with a fun way for the kids to do some chores (suited for their age, of course). It’ll keep them occupied, at any rate.

6. Re-prioritize tasks.

With the current situation, it’s really important to evaluate which work tasks are essential for your job. These are the things you are going to have to balance and juggle along with taking care of your family. Sure, you might have been able to get more done at the office, but this is the new normal for the time being. You have to find the balance. So, check on your deadlines. Find out what items are still top priorities so you can devote your attention to those things. And if you need to call on a co-worker for assistance, you can make sure you’re asking for help on those things that are really, truly necessary.

7. Take care of yourself.

This is a really difficult time. You need to be able to take care of yourself. That means eating well and taking care not to get dehydrated. Try to get plenty of sleep and have time to relax. Manage your stress with things like meditation. You’ve got to look after yourself to keep your energy up so you can juggle work-from-home and caring for your family.

8. Be good about communicating.

You also need to be good about communicating with your family. If you’re not letting them know what’s going on, frustration might build up. Share your thoughts sooner rather than later. Be sure you’re letting your family know about what’s going through your head.

Work-from-home and having kids doing online school can be a huge test of work-life balance. This is a really tough time for a lot of people. But remember – we’re all only human. Be kind to yourself. Juggling is not easy. You and your family are in this together.

Get insurance quotes.

Our team can help you get Atlanta home insurance quotes and Atlanta car insurance quotes. We like to make insurance as easy as possible. We also like to help people save money on their insurance. You can get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us. We’d be happy to help with your Atlanta insurance needs.

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The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on a lot of parts of life. As a result of COVID-19, lots of businesses have had to shift to allowing remote work. But a recent article from the AJC explains that teleworking might hang around in Atlanta long after the pandemic is over. We’ll explain why that is and give some tips for working from home. It’s something that could be long-term for a lot of people, so it’s something that we all need to learn how to do.

Will work from home in Atlanta last beyond the pandemic?

The pandemic has meant that instead of battling Atlanta traffic in the grueling city commute, lots of people are staying in and working from home. The reaction can be mixed – some people enjoy remote work, other don’t. The AJC article points out that some employers have realized their employees are getting more done by working at home. While in the past teleworking was not something that was really encouraged by employers, who feared their employees wouldn’t actually get much work done, the pandemic has forced businesses to adapt to remote work in order to survive. It’s a far cry from pre-pandemic times when employers might not have even had formal policies.

The AJC outlines some of the findings from an Atlanta Regional Commission survey. According to the survey’s findings, commuters used to work .8 days a week from home before the pandemic as compared to 4.6 days a week now. The survey also found that about 70% of employers said there would be more work from home, while 23% said there would be more full-time remote employees. (And 1 in 5 employers could reduce the size of the physical workspace.)

The survey also got a sense of some of the benefits and drawbacks of remote work, according to the AJC. Benefits included saving money, less commute-related stress, and more time to sleep and spend with family. On the other hand, drawbacks included difficulty separating from work during off-hours and contending with distractions. While the survey revealed that more people felt they got more done at home than less, it also showed that the line between home and work could get fuzzier for a lot of people. So, all in all there could be positives and negatives that come along with the future and work from home.

Tips for working from home.

Since it looks like working from home is going to stick around for a while, despite concerns employers have typically shown about work from home, we’ve put together some tips for working from home. As it’s looking like remote work could be a long-term thing rather than a short-term interim thing, keep these tips in mind.

1. Have a designated workspace.

You have to scope out a good place to set up camp. Pick a spot that’s going to be practical and, ideally, free from distractions. It needs to be a quiet spot. And the trick is to keep work to your home office space. That’s the designated “work zone”, so banish all work-related things or tasks to that space.

2. Create a schedule.

It’s also important to have a set schedule. Try to keep the same hours as you’d have at the office. Don’t fall into the trap of working during off-hours. You don’t want to get overwhelmed with work, and so you need to have some limits in place. That’s essential.

3. Take care of yourself.

You also have to be sure you’re taking care of yourself. Be intentional about getting exercise, eating healthy meals and snacks, and getting an appropriate amount of sleep. Don’t feel guilty during your off-hours for not working. It can be hard to switch your brain off of work-mode, and you might feel like you could be working more even during your off-hours. But remember, having time to rest and have breaks from work helps when it comes to recharging and refueling your energy.

(Another part of this is being gentle with yourself. Don’t beat yourself up about the small stuff. If you make a mistake or forget something, it’s okay. This is a difficult time, so cut yourself a little bit of slack.)

4. Try not to juggle too much.

While working from home, you might feel like there’s a lot going on. And you might be juggling a lot. Remember, you can only do so much. Multi-tasking might not be the route you want to go. You might fry your brain a little.

5. Have boundaries.

When you’re at home all the time, with both work life and personal life under the same roof, it can be easy to let the two intersect. However, it’s important to keep some healthy boundaries between the two. Keep your “home life” chores in your “home time” hours. Just pretend that when you retreat to your work hidey-hole you’re really going to the office. The world will keep spinning if the dishwasher doesn’t get unloaded until after hours, right?

6. Have time to take breaks.

It’s not a bad idea to give yourself the opportunity to get up and stretch every once in a while. Get up, move around, get the blood pumping a little. Having small breathers from time to time is a way you can keep your energy up. And it can be helpful to step away for a second and take a few deep breaths to relax if you need to. We’re all only human!

7. Delegate.

Whether at the office or at home, it’s important to know when you need to take some things off your plate. If work is becoming overwhelming, is there a way you could ask a coworker for a hand? You are a team, after all, even if you’re not physically in the same place at the moment. Likewise, if the chores are stacking up at home, could you ask the family to pitch in? Sure, the kids might have online school, but are there little tasks they could take on after school that would help you out? Nobody’s a robot, and we all need a hand sometimes.

8. Be social.

It’s also important to be social – safely, of course, given the pandemic. For instance, do video calls with co-workers rather than just emailing. Interact with your team – it’s easy to be isolated when working at home, but you’re still part of a team. You can also do video hangouts with friends in off-hours. And, of curse, hanging out with your family. Having social interaction, even the virtual kind, can really lift your spirits.

So, that’s what’s going on with working from home and the pandemic in Atlanta. The fact is that working from home is something that we all might have to adjust to and become comfortable with on a more permanent basis.

And if you need home insurance quotes, we can help. Our team is here to assist with your Atlanta home insurance needs. We can get you some quotes – you just have to fill out our online form, give us a call, or message us on LiveChat. Then we’ll be on the case!

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There is a lot of uncertainty involved with returning to school for the fall. Many metro-Atlanta school districts are gearing up to start the new semester, and a lot of districts have turned to online schooling in response to the pandemic. And that leaves a lot of parents in a stressful spot, wondering how they can best support their kids as they shift to online learning and kick off a new year. The coronavirus has turned “school” upside-down. Chances are everyone at home is feeling a bit apprehensive about the shift. It might be stressful and it might feel overwhelming, but here are a few tips to help you as a parent support your student as the new year begins.

Tips for supporting your student in online learning.

1. Create a routine.

You’ve got to create a sense of routine with the whole online-learning thing. Maybe that means recreating the schedule that your children had during the normal school year, or maybe that means making a new routine that suits the online schedule. However it works out, the important thing is getting into the swing of a routine. For example, there should be a consistent bedtime and morning wake-up time. Have the kids get up, change into fresh clothes, eat something, brush teeth, and so on – just like they would if they actually had to go to in-person school. That can help them get into the right head space to tackle the school day.

2. Set up a “school spot” in the house.

Your kids are also going to need a nice, quiet place in the house to do their school work. They’ll need a spot where they can be comfortable and where they can focus on their studies. Figure out a good spot where your kids can work. There needs to be a place where the kids can retreat and hit the books.

3. Treat virtual school like real school.

Okay. Your kids might be skeptical. Real school is not the same as virtual school. But you can lead by example by treating virtual school like real school. Though your kids aren’t actually going to school in-person, they should still take it seriously. That’s where having a positive attitude on your part is really important. You can help encourage your kids by presenting an upbeat attitude.

4. Be there to listen to your kids’ concerns.

Online learning is challenging for all parties involved. Your kid might get frustrated and they might need to rant. You can listen to their concerns, but you can also gently remind them to have patience with their teachers. This is a new experience for them, too, and they’ve had to adjust very quickly to the new style of teaching. Everyone’s in this together, students and teachers alike. So yes, they might need to complain a little, but you can try to give them some perspective. Being angry isn’t going to help anything, right?

5. Encourage activity.

Your kids also need to stay active, to burn off energy if nothing else. So, what’s going to work for your family? Dance party? Kicking a soccer ball in the backyard? Maybe going for a walk? Find a safe way for your kids to get some activity during the day so they’re not cooped up in a corner somewhere doing their schoolwork. So, try to incorporate some exercise into the routine.

6. Arrange for social interaction.

Obviously in-person interaction is out for the time being, but that doesn’t mean your kids can’t still get some social time with their friends via video call. Your children will probably be missing their friends. Let them have the opportunity to socialize with their buddies with video calls – technology is great! (And apart from friends, remind your kids that there are still activities they love that are still do-able. Have fun.)

7. Encourage openness about feelings.

Your kids might be getting frustrated with having to stay home. So, you have to explain why social distancing is still important to slow the spread of the virus – although maybe try not to have the news on in front of them. Encourage your kids to talk to you about what they have been hearing so you can give them the truth, not misinformation. Make sure you’re getting accurate, trustworthy information about the situation. And along with that, encourage everyone at home to talk about how they’re feeling – including yourself. Try to get everyone to be honest about the emotions they’re feeling.

8. Be there to help.

If you need to help with anything, let your kids know you’re there to assist. The kids might need a hand, so make sure they know they can tell you about the obstacles or challenges they’re facing. That way they know you’re in their corner. Whether it’s figuring out how to communicate with a teacher about a concern or wi-fi issues, talk through it with them.

Online learning comes with its own unique set of challenges. As a parent, you might be worried about how virtual learning is going to go. As metro-Atlanta schools determine their game plans for the fall semester of the new school year, you as a parent need to come up with a school game plan for your family. There might be some trial and error, but try to keep a positive outlook going on in your household.

Get quotes.

If you are in need of Atlanta home insurance quotes or auto insurance quotes, our team would be happy to help. We like making insurance easy and we like helping people save money on their insurance. Get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat. Our goal is to help Atlanta families get the insurance they need.

Source:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/unicefusa/2020/03/25/helping-children-adjust-to-remote-learning-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/#4ebd98116a82

Having a mobile home means that it’s a good idea to get Atlanta mobile home insurance. But you might be wondering what mobile home insurance does and how it can protect you. We’ll go over some of the essentials about the coverage. And while you’re at it, we’ll explain how you can get quotes.

What does mobile home insurance do?

If you get mobile home insurance, your policy may include coverage for:

• The mobile home
• Attached patio or deck
• Storage shed
• Clothes
• Appliances
• Entertainment equipment
• Personal possessions

A mobile home insurance policy can provide coverage for your home – it’s not like a regular home insurance policy because it’s designed to cover your specific risks. (You may even be able to add coverages to your policy – we’ll get into that in a second.) The policy may do the following:

• Protect improvements
• Cover the loss of use of your mobile home
• Cover the actual structure of the mobile home and other structures that are on your premises from losses like fire, windstorm damage, falling objects, lightning, and explosions.
• Protect your personal property, such as electronics, bicycles, furniture, and clothes
• Cover your liability, meaning it can help you if someone is injured on your property. It can pay for the medical expenses if a non-resident is injured, and it can help cover damages/defense costs if there’s an accidental covered incident.

Of course, it’s really important to read through the policy thoroughly to see what is and isn’t covered. Asking questions about things you might wonder about or need some further clarification on is never a bad idea.

Additional coverages.

You may want to consider adding some coverages to your mobile home insurance. You might be able to get the following coverages added to your policy:

• Emergency removal – This can pay for the moving of your mobile home to another place if you’re in the path of a disaster (like a fire or tornado)
• Trip collision – This coverage can provide protection for when you’re moving the mobile home to a new permanent location
• Worldwide coverage – Protect your belongings if they’re stolen or damaged when traveling to another permanent location
• Fire department charges – This can give reimbursement for the charges if your mobile home is in a place that isn’t serviced by a fire department
• Extended coverage – This can cover valuables or give extended coverage for electronics
• Water backup – Can protect against damage that results from water backup through the sewer, drain, or sump pump
• Additional dwelling rented to others
• Identity theft insurance

So, those are some of the basics of mobile home insurance. It’s intended to protect the unique risks that a mobile home faces. But, as we mentioned earlier, there’s no understating the importance of reading your policy carefully. (Make sure you know what is and isn’t covered by your policy so you don’t get any nasty surprises down the line.)

Get mobile home insurance.

If you’re wondering how to get Atlanta mobile home insurance, we can help. Our team would be happy to see what we can do to help you get the coverage you need. Just fill out our online form, give us a call, or message us on LiveChat.