Work From Home With Kids

Can You Work from Home with Kids?

Yes… but let’s be honest, it’s not easy in the early years unless you have solid childcare support. I’m sharing my own experience here, so take what you need from it.

When I started my Virtual Assistant business in 2011, my son was around one. He cried every night until he was three and never played independently. I leaned heavily on my mum and even then, I only managed about two hours of work a day.

As my children grew, so did my business and my income. That wasn’t just because I had more hours to work, but also because I had the headspace to think more strategically. That might sound fancy, but all I mean is having time to step back and ask: what’s working, what can I improve, what systems do I need and what kind of content do I want to create?

There’s more to being a VA than just ticking off client tasks.

What Working from Home Looked Like for Me

In the early days, I was a mum first. My VA work was a side hustle. I wasn’t earning much, but I also wasn’t spending much, just popping to the park and needing petrol money. I was lucky to be in a partnership where my husband took on most of the financial pressure while I looked after our son.

Then came baby number two. She was the opposite of her brother, easy, chilled, happy to entertain herself. When my son started nursery at three, I could work a little more after my daughter’s maternity leave. I made the mistake of putting my son in for five mornings a week at nursery. It felt like we were constantly rushing, early wake-ups after broken sleep, getting both kids ready (which took at least two hours), driving to nursery, then racing back to squeeze in a few hours of work.

Thankfully, my mum helped by taking them for two to three afternoons a week, which made a huge difference. My work was pretty sporadic, but that actually suited life with two young children. I didn’t work long hours and my hourly rate was very low at that time, but it was enough.

The big shift happened when my son started primary school and my daughter started nursery. They both were sleeping until around 5am, which felt like a win! I put my daughter in for three full days at nursery using her funded hours and paid for lunches (which felt extortionate at the time!).

Eventually, I was able to work three full days a week. That gave me longer stretches to focus and really helped increase my income.

If you’re deep in the baby or toddler stage, just know – it does get easier.

Image description: School bags and clothes scattered on the floor when my kids get home from secondary school – just part of the daily routine when you work from home with children.

Work From Anywhere?

Not exactly.

In the UK, we’ve got data protection laws like UK GDPR. If you're handling sensitive information like client databases or payment details, you need secure internet (no public Wi-Fi unless using a VPN), encrypted devices, and compliant data storage. This blog called Digital Nomad Life The Legal Side by Koffeeklatch covers this in depth here. 

Plus, "work from anywhere" just doesn’t apply to me right now. I still need to be near home in case the school calls for sick days, forgotten PE kits, or bumped heads. Now that they’re in secondary school, I have more freedom, but I still get calls and requests for lifts.

So, I choose to stay based in my home office.

And honestly? I love it.

I’ve got my comfy chair, reliable tech, all my stationery to hand and no distractions. I don’t even work in the garden (too many bugs and too much glare from the sun!).

I might try a coffee shop one day… but at £5 a coffee, I’d rather save the money (and the calories).

What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

Here's a snapshot of the kind of work I do:

• Write newsletters

• Do bookkeeping using Xero or FreeAgent

• Create and schedule social media content

• Design graphics and PowerPoint presentations

• Upload podcasts to websites

• Proofread documents and create eBooks

I work around five hours a day client work and then I have my own admin on top of that. Fridays are flexible and I’ll sometimes work a Saturday if I want a bit of extra income or the week’s been busy.

Most of my work is recurring. I’ve built up a solid client base over time and take on one-off projects too. That mix keeps things interesting and reduces risk as I have multiple clients.

Is Being a Virtual Assistant Hard?

Yes and no.

The work itself is mostly straightforward, especially after so many years. The hard part is juggling multiple clients and their deadlines. You’ve got to stay organised and keep on top of everything.

For me, the first four hours of the day are golden. That’s when I do the hardest tasks and easier jobs get done later. It can be repetitive and the workload can feel heavy at times, especially if I’m pushing for a higher income that month, but I still love the flexibility. I can take an afternoon off for coffee shop visit or even a spa day when things are quiet.

Advantages of Being a Virtual Assistant - Pros and Cons

Pros

• Flexibility – School runs, appointments, seeing friends during the week.

• Low start-up costs – Just a laptop, internet and some key software.

• No commute – More time and less stress.

• Variety – Your work becomes more aligned to your strengths.

• Earning potential – Once established, the income can be decent.

• Lovely clients – I seem to attract people I enjoy working with.

• Home-cooked lunches – Beats soggy sandwiches!

• High profit margins – My business currently runs at 84% profit. I only pay for software that actually helps.

Cons:

• Multiple deadlines – You’ve got to be on the ball.

• Never fully off – Your brain keeps ticking.

• Repetition – Can feel dull at times.

• Feast or famine – Takes time to smooth out the income.

• Isolation – You have to like your own company.

• Wearing all the hats – You do everything: marketing, IT, accounts.

• Income ceiling – Unless you scale, there’s a limit.

Final Thoughts

Working from home with kids isn’t always smooth and some days, it’s downright chaotic but it is possible.

The early years were hard and I had to build my business in pockets of time, often running on little sleep, but it paid off. I now have a flexible job I love, I’m present for my children and I’ve kept that sense of independence and contribution that was so important to me.

If you’re reading this while rocking a baby or wiping yogurt off the wall, just know, the season you're in won’t last forever. Things do get easier and you don’t have to do it all at once.

Start small, keep going and give yourself grace along the way.