M+ Work: 5 Sanity Saving Tools for Working From Home During the Holidays
Because your child gets 13 weeks off. You get four. Let’s do the maths.
The average UK employee gets around 25 days of annual leave. Your child? They clock in a casual 190 non-school days a year. If you’re working from home this summer — freelancing, part-timing, launching your own thing, or sending “one sec, almost done” voice notes while microwaving pasta — this one’s for you.
Here are 5 tools that actually help when you're working from home with kids in the background, giving you back a little time, a bit of focus, and a thread of calm.
1. Noise-Cancelling Headphones That Block out the chaos
For when you don’t need to hear the fifth rewatch of Encanto, you need to focus.
Shop: Bose QuietComfort SC Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Mic/Remote (Black £170.95)
2. A Timer for 25-Minute Bursts of Work Before the Next Snack Request
The Timeqube uses gentle colour changes — green (lots of time), yellow (halfway), and red (almost done) — so even little ones can see when it’s nearly their turn. It’s perfect for 25-minute Pomodoro-style sprints: enough time to focus while they play, knowing exactly when they’ll get your attention again.
Shop: Timeqube Timer ($89.90)
3. A Wireless Keyboard You Can Move Between Rooms
Because you’ve taken work calls from the hallway, the bathroom, and once… the garden trampoline.
Shop: Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s Minimalist Keyboard (White £30.99)
4. A Weekly Planner for when the Days all blur into one
Keep work, playdates, and snack inventory visible or at least try to.
Shop: Busy B Magnetic Weekly Planner (£5.99)
5. A Power Bank to Keep Your Phone Charged for those inevitable Emergencies
Never get caught short again, whether it’s for your Google Docs or when you need to give them your phone to finish your Zoom.
Shop: Anker Power Bank, 313 Portable Charger (PowerCore Slim 10K) £13.99
Working from home in summer doesn’t have to mean chaos — just clever systems, flexible hours, and a few very helpful tools. Add an iced coffee and a low bar for success, and you're basically thriving.