- The coronavirus pandemic has closed schools and businesses across the country, meaning parents are now working from home while taking care of their children.
- Writer Lyz Lenz, who worked at home with her two children for six years, gave some advice in a now-viral Twitter thread about sharing a space with kids.
- Her advice included hacks like creating a snack table, as well as reminding parents that they don't need to be hands-on with their children 24/7.
- "I realized how all-consuming it is," Lenz said of parenting and working at the same time.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The coronavirus has already drastically changed day-to-day life for many Americans.
Businesses are encouraging or mandating their employees to work remotely, and schools across the country are closing, leaving children and parents home together.
Many parents are now struggling to manage working from home with their kids nearby for the first time, amid the stress of a pandemic and impending recession.
Writer Lyz Lenz is experienced at working from home with her kids
Lenz, a columnist at "The Gazette" and the author of the upcoming book "Belabored: A Vindication of the Rights of Pregnant Women," worked from home for six years with her two children.
Lenz had her daughter in 2011 and her son in 2013, and she worked as a freelance writer and a permalance editor until her daughter went to kindergarten.
"I would do it at nights or on weekends," she said of her writing. "I was basically the primary caretaker of two small children."
It was never a question for Lenz if she wanted to work. "This is my identity," she said of her writing. In addition to her freelance jobs, Lenz sold two books in 2015, adding even more to her plate.
But she also said that she "didn't expect that I was going to be a work-from-home parent," and navigating how to parent and work at the same time presented a myriad of challenges.
"I just don't think that's something people really think about because we have these boundaries between work and home," Lenz said. "And when you have to mix them together, things get really weird."
For instance, Lenz once had to interview a detective about a woman who murdered her Uber driver, and she put the "Hercules" movie on for her kids to keep them occupied during the interview. Later, when she listened to her recording of the call, she realized the film could be heard in the background by her interviewee throughout the entire phone call.
"I had thought that whole time, 'Oh, things are going great,'" she said. But later when she listened to the recording, she felt embarrassed.
"There are so many moments like that," she added.
Lenz recently took to Twitter to offer advice to other parents who are currently adjusting to working remotely with children
The thread focused on practical advice, like using timers to give kids structured quiet time, letting them have designated areas for mess, and creating a snack corner where they know they can find things like Goldish if they're hungry.
Lenz reiterated throughout the thread that it's OK to leave kids unsupervised to play.
Although it's important to be present with your kids, Lenz pointed out that giving your kids space to develop on their own is also important.
"Some of the best moments of my childhood came from the fulfillment of boredom," Lenz said. She's one of eight kids, and she was homeschooled.
Lenz told Insider her mother encouraged her and her siblings to play together unsupervised. She said this allowed her to develop a sense of imagination, which serves her today as a writer.
"Of all the things I want for my kids, I want them to have those beautiful moments of just entering into another world."
She also said she wanted to offer people advice on not being so hands-on right now because she anticipated there would be a lot of resources encouraging parents to be more involved with their kids than they already are.
"Take it from me, somebody who was homeschooled, the best thing you can do for your kids is to just leave them the hell alone," she said.
"Of course it's wonderful to have time with your children, but also it's great to not. And they'll be fine."
Lenz said that anyone working from home with kids needs a break from time to time
"I realize how all-consuming it is and can be and how much, you know, you really need somebody to step in and give you a break," she said of her time working from home with kids.
"I found friends who would step in and we found a sitter who's still our sitter today." Those resources made a huge difference for her.
She also thinks it's important to remind modern parents, particularly moms, that they don't have to be hands-on with their kids 24/7, especially during a pandemic.
"The expectations of mothers haven't gone away. They've actually gotten more intense," she said.
"I think advice for parents is always like, 'Here's all the things you can do for your kids,' but sometimes the best advice can be to step back," she said. "They're smart, little humans. Just let them figure it out."
"What a great opportunity to let them just let them play and imagine."
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