Mum's genius flow chart will keep the kids out of the home office in lockdown

mum's working from home flow chart
You don't want to get to red. Photo credit: Facebook/Kate VanDusen Danielson

If you have children AND you're working from home, it's fair to say the COVID-19 alert level 4 lockdown has been somewhat testing. The place that used to be a sanctuary is now daycare, school, work and home all rolled into one - and things are beginning to wear a little thin. 

Luckily one US mother is here to help, with her genius flowchart helping giving other mothers WFH a little breathing room. 

Nonprofit founder Kate VanDusen Danielson posted images on Facebook of the chart which she has attached to the door of her home office. 

The chart reads "Hi there! I'm working!" followed by five statuses, each marked with a colour. Reading from green to a dark red dot, the statuses are: 

  • Come on in! I’d love your company
  • I'm busy, but you can interrupt me if you need something
  • I’m in a meeting, but these people know you exist and you can say hi real quick
  • I’m in a meeting, and unless you’'re bleeding or on fire, I don't want to see or hear you
  • If you come in this room or make a noise in this house, you will shortly be bleeding or on fire

Danielson uses a peg to mark the colour which represents her status. 

She told Metro she knows the sign is working, as sometimes she hears her kids telling each other to be quiet as "mum's on deep orange". 

A second sign provides answers to some of the "Frequently Asked Questions" she might receive during the day. 

The images of the clever parenting method have gone viral on Facebook, racking up almost 2500 likes and over 5000 shares. They were so popular with other parents, Danielson provided the template for people to make their own. 

"I need this for my desk at work," joked one commenter. 

"I'm one interrupted call away from tying my children up in the corner," wrote another parent. 

"I'm printing mine out now - too bad only one of my children can read," wrote another.