Help me figure out how to work from home with a toddler

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your work know if your “plan?” That would be completely unacceptable at my workplace. All remote employees must have proof of childcare.

You need a babysitter. It’s not fair to your employer, your husband or your DC.

This is really pretty blatant.

Op. My job pays very little. They do not have a child care policy.

NP. They will once they hear your kid screaming in the background and you constantly distracted. What you are proposing isn't feasible unless you have a "teleplay" type job, but that doesn't sound like your situation at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your work know if your “plan?” That would be completely unacceptable at my workplace. All remote employees must have proof of childcare.

You need a babysitter. It’s not fair to your employer, your husband or your DC.

This is really pretty blatant.

Op. My job pays very little. They do not have a child care policy.

NP. They will once they hear your kid screaming in the background and you constantly distracted. What you are proposing isn't feasible unless you have a "teleplay" type job, but that doesn't sound like your situation at all.

I think it's fine. Her husband should come home early. Nap time and 1-2 hours of tv is fine. Most kids zone out while they watch tv anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your work know if your “plan?” That would be completely unacceptable at my workplace. All remote employees must have proof of childcare.

You need a babysitter. It’s not fair to your employer, your husband or your DC.

This is really pretty blatant.

Op. My job pays very little. They do not have a child care policy.

NP. They will once they hear your kid screaming in the background and you constantly distracted. What you are proposing isn't feasible unless you have a "teleplay" type job, but that doesn't sound like your situation at all.

Op. The thing is, I don't know my work schedule yet. I have training taken care of because my SAHM friend is going to help me. My training is for 6 weeks. My work hours after training could be anywhere from 15-35 hours per week starting off. I don't want to jump into daycare yet until I know more about my needs. I do not want my son watching 5 hours of TV. We actually recently started screen time and he's really into it. 1-2 hours per day would be the max I am comfortable with. I think the only way for this to work is for my SAHM friend to do childcare. She lives 5 minutes away and she has a toddler as well. I really want to compensate her in some way but she's not open to it. Maybe I can pay her in Starbucks gift cards or something like this to show my appreciation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your work know if your “plan?” That would be completely unacceptable at my workplace. All remote employees must have proof of childcare.

You need a babysitter. It’s not fair to your employer, your husband or your DC.

This is really pretty blatant.

Op. My job pays very little. They do not have a child care policy.

NP. They will once they hear your kid screaming in the background and you constantly distracted. What you are proposing isn't feasible unless you have a "teleplay" type job, but that doesn't sound like your situation at all.

Op. The thing is, I don't know my work schedule yet. I have training taken care of because my SAHM friend is going to help me. My training is for 6 weeks. My work hours after training could be anywhere from 15-35 hours per week starting off. I don't want to jump into daycare yet until I know more about my needs. I do not want my son watching 5 hours of TV. We actually recently started screen time and he's really into it. 1-2 hours per day would be the max I am comfortable with. I think the only way for this to work is for my SAHM friend to do childcare. She lives 5 minutes away and she has a toddler as well. I really want to compensate her in some way but she's not open to it. Maybe I can pay her in Starbucks gift cards or something like this to show my appreciation.

Stick with it. Things may fall into place OP. You're so lucky to have a friend willing to help you out. It's rare to find a friend like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that for the weekdays you need a sitter or mother’s helper. You can try to time naps so that toddler goes down at 12:45 and then get a teen from the neighborhood to take him to the library or park or play quietly with him from 2:30-5:30.

As for soundproofing, I would put padding or bubble wrap on the walls and door, cover the crack under the door and set up a white noise machine. Also try using a headset with a microphone so that it is picking up sound right near your face and gets less of the ambient noise.

But I agree that there is no way a toddler won’t require time and attention for 3 hours, let alone be quiet that long. Could you find an afternoon preschool 3 days per week?

Op. I haven't heard of afternoon preschools? Unfortunately my salary is very low. Childcare would be all of my paycheck. I am not sure if it makes sense to work but I really do not like being a stay at home mom.

This isn't feasible. You are expected to work during your work hours, right?

It won't go well with a toddler.

[Anonymous]

This won’t work even with childcare. Evenings is when you hang out with family. Find a 9-5 type of job or similar.

[Anonymous]

I feel for OP.

The job is probably a call center gig that’s work from home. Say with an airline. The training sounds about right.

It’s

[Anonymous]

You’ve received some good advice in good thread but seem to have an excuse why nothing will work. Are you looking for us to tell you that it’s ok to sit him in front of the TV alone and he will be quiet for several hours? Because he won’t and it’s not ok.

Even if childcare will negate your salary, you said you’re taking this job because you don’t like SAH. So as someone else said, take the long view that this job is getting you back into the workforce and that it will lead to a higher salary down the road. Use your new salary to pay for a few hours of childcare.

[Anonymous]

That arrangement sucks. Also, you say your hours will be 1-9 p.m. but in a later post say you don't know what your hours will be
I don't mean to sound rude, but frankly, I would put off the job until your child is in preschool, it sounds like you could get this job anytime. What did you do before you had your DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your work know if your “plan?” That would be completely unacceptable at my workplace. All remote employees must have proof of childcare.

You need a babysitter. It’s not fair to your employer, your husband or your DC.

This is really pretty blatant.

Op. My job pays very little. They do not have a child care policy.

NP. They will once they hear your kid screaming in the background and you constantly distracted. What you are proposing isn't feasible unless you have a "teleplay" type job, but that doesn't sound like your situation at all.

+1 Even if they don't have a policy, I feel like it's just a common professional standard that you cannot have your cake and eat it too by working from home while caring for young children. In an emergency, sure, but to go into a job with that intent is in my opinion unethical. You cannot really be focused on the work at hand and certainly aren't working for the entire time you're claiming if you're bouncing back and forth with a toddler.

[Anonymous]

OP: You don't want your child to have screen time, but then you are going to be working. You want your cake and eat it to.

Who exactly is going to watch the toddler while you are on the phone for work?

Your child is not going to go along with this scenario and just sit there and watch you while you work and be a happy little camper.

[Anonymous]

And how do you envision getting your child to bed while you are working? They aren't going to let you stop working so you can do read a story and tuck them in.

You haven't given this any thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And how do you envision getting your child to bed while you are working? They aren't going to let you stop working so you can do read a story and tuck them in.

You haven't given this any thought.

I haven't given this any thought? I do have a husband. He's perfectly capable of doing the bedtime routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: You don't want your child to have screen time, but then you are going to be working. You want your cake and eat it to.

Who exactly is going to watch the toddler while you are on the phone for work?

Your child is not going to go along with this scenario and just sit there and watch you while you work and be a happy little camper.

Op here. I am not concerned about the early shift. My friend can take care of my son until his dad picks him up from her house. They live 5 minutes away. It's actually the time when they will be home I am concerned about. I am looking for suggestions to reduce noise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Op. I don't know how to find a mother's helper. We live in an apartment community and our neighborhood is the center of most major employers and apartments. Most families live further out. We live in Florida. It's a weird area.

Are you always this helpless?

Listen, you aren't going to be able to work - especially being on the phone!! - and care for a young child. Period. It's hard enough to just be in the same house and work while someone else is watching the kids. YOU need to figure something out, nobody is going to be able to tell you "OK, go to this website in Florida and here is where all the mothers helpers post."

Sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen.