Seven Tips for Working on the Road with Kids During COVID
When our kids’ camps were cancelled due to COVID-19 this summer we were crushed.
We treasure it as a time to unwind from our urban life in NYC and rejuvenate in nature.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Another bonding summer as a family it will be.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity for too long, we decided to get creative with our quarantine parameters and repurposed our camp reimbursements into renting vacation homes in nature.
After six weeks of working on the road with kids this summer here are some tips and lessons learned:
1. Triple check the type of Wifi/Cable connection with your vacation rental host and have a back-up depending on your line of work.
Since both my husband and I require strong internet connections to work from the road, it was one of the top priorities we checked on with each Airbnb/VRBO listing but we still learned a few things along the way.
We religiously read all online reviews for clues, made sure we weren’t in too remote of a location that our phone hotspots wouldn’t work as back-up, and rejected satellite internet connections, etc.
But to our surprise three of the six rental homes we stayed in used wifi boosters from their homes next door to provide internet for the rental homes. I was thus unable to plug in my ethernet cable into the wall for a super fast internet connection and seamless videoconferencing. Not cool!
We always had internet connection but if you want reliable high speed internet, correspond directly with the owner in advance to understand their set-up, ask if you can plug the ethernet cable into the wall (not the wifi booster!!!) and if they know the speed of the internet if that matters to your line of work. You can also invest in cell phone signal boosters but that is a topic for another time.
2. Identify the results you want to create each week, how long you will give yourself to create them, put them on your calendar and commit to them.
While traveling, everyone is away from their regular routine. It is easier than usual to get lost in the chaos and distractions of a new place unless you clearly outline your goals each week and the results you want to create.
Before you leave, set a realistic schedule for what you want to accomplish the first week you land and the following weeks.
Leave room for getting oriented to the new home, possible jet-lag, figuring out where the grocery store is, and what fun things there are to do as a family, etc.
If you can research them in advance you will save lots of time. In a few cities we were able to have groceries delivered the first day which made landing much smoother (many places deliver now due to COVID).
If you show up in reactive mode, you’ll definitely lose lots of precious time figuring things out last minute.
For example, we wanted to rent mountain bikes for the family while in Utah. Turns out bike rentals for younger kids are in limited supply. We called eight stores in three cities tracking down a bike for our youngest son only to have him decide he didn't want to bike at all. A little planning in advance and a more robust discussion with our kid would have saved us a lot of time and money on this front. 😂
3. Practice working from your laptop before you leave.
If your home setup will be different than your travel setup, it’s worth practicing before you depart.
Are all the applications you’re used to installed on your laptop? Will you need a detachable mouse, keyboard or high quality camera? Do you have access to your saved passwords for the websites you use frequently?
Work for a couple days to make sure you have access to everything you need for the next 1-2 months.
Scan all the documents you need so they are accessible on your laptop. Make all those initial discoveries and mistakes now while you’re still at home instead of a few states away. 🤨 You don’t want to have to call that favor in from your neighbor.
4. Order your food in advance via online apps while traveling by car.
We saved lots of time, whining and COVID exposure by ordering our food onPanera's App while driving from NYC to NC. Check to see if your favorite roadside restaurant has an app you can use to order things in advance for take out.
5. Expect hiccups, be flexible.
Even with planning, something is bound to go wrong. Even more so with COVID in the mix these days. Traveling has changed. Everything you attempt to do has an extra layer of challenge, time or expense. Things you’d never think of. Like if you need a bike repaired, they leave it in quarantine for three days before they touch it.
We had this idealistic image of renting houses on rivers and lakes so our kids could frolic in the water all day while we worked, only to find them preferring to stay inside with us. I often had to drag them out to engage in nature, where they proceeded to have a blast but only if I was present with them. This was not always possible given that I had to work.
Twice there were local accidents that blew out the electricity and cable, once for 48 hours!
All of these required a mindset of going with the flow, being creative, finding the positive and being grateful for the opportunity to be somewhere where I could stretch my legs and go on a hike at the end of the day.
6. Engage the kids in the travel plans and weekly schedule planning.
Depending on the age of your kids, let them have some control of the schedule if you want PEACE in the family.
You can decide what those parameters are as that is specific to each family.
For us, the priority this summer was getting out in nature and moving a reasonable amount before we spent another school year glued to our computers in our Manhattan box.
We have two boys ages 14 and 11.
We engaged them in the summer plans early on but looking back on it we definitely ignored some of their feedback because we disagreed with some of their wishes.
Life Coach Jody Moore recently did a podcast where she talked about not controlling our kids but instead holding them accountable to the things we think will serve them well in life. It is a different kind of energy. I thought this was good advice and very much in line with what we have experienced.
When we try to control the kids, especially if it is so we adults can feel better, everyone is miserable.
So after many family discussions and negotiations, our summer consisted of a happy mix of hiking, rocking climbing, tubing, kayaking, exploring waterfalls, zip-lining, boating, swimming in lakes/rivers/creeks and mountain biking led by a family member or a paid guide. 😁 Not as often as we would have liked because we had to work, but way more than we would have back in Manhattan.
7. Bring a lot of masks for everyone.
We have tons of masks and wash them regularly. Our favorite brand so far is the M-1 mask. It is the easiest to the breath in and most flexible for all occasions. Their website is confusing but their product is excellent. Don’t let that deter you. We love their soft material on our skin.
If you want more details on any of the above feel free to reach out to me here.