How to Work From Home with the Baby?

[Anonymous]

12:03 here.

OP, I don't think people are trying to be negative; I think people are trying to help you learn from their experience. Before I had DS, I asked everyone I knew if it was possible to work from home with a baby. Everyone said they exact same thing. Before they crawl: maybe. After they crawl: NO WAY. These were my friends and they were sincerely trying to be helpful. Now, when anyone asks me the same question, I emphatically say NO WAY to working from home with a child of any age. Our nanny was sick on Monday, and even though I've been working at home for over 3 years, I barely managed to eke out 2 hours (and DS is only 4 months old). I ended up being stressed out all day, and then in the end taking a sick day, because I'm not going to bilk my employer for hours I didn't work. It's not fair to anyone.

[Anonymous]

Have you been explicit with your employer about the fact that you do not have child care when you are working from home? If so I am surprised they are expecting much at all from you that day, as you describe in your OP. Especially if you have the kind of job that requires you to be available at certain hours, ie. for conference calls.

I would also caution you not to count on a 3-hour nap. Naps are ever-changing, as soon as you get settled in a routine things shift around.

Like virtually all the pp's, I am not trying to be needlessly negative, just stating the reality for most of us (myself included) who work from home (we also have full-time childcare).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again. One last tip -- figure out a plan for return phone calls. I suggested that you make all your calls during baby's nap. But what will you do when the person you are trying to reach is not there and you have to leave a message? Do you leave your home number, and if so, are you okay with them possibly getting your home voicemail if baby is screaming when they call back and you can't get to the phone? What if they don't call you back until the next day, in which case you miss the return call because you are now in the office? Do you even want people to have your home number, or have two different numbers in their rolodex for you, or can you forward your work phone to your home phone on those days?

In my experience trying to juggle a sick baby and trying to accomplish "must do" items, this was one that I never figured out well.

Our phone system at work allows me to forward calls to my cell phone, so people calling my work # can reach me at home on my cell phone. (I chose cell rather than home # so they wouldn't get the family answering machine if I didn't answer.)

For the record, I used to work from home one day per week and took DD to day care--per my employer's policy and because it is really hard to get more than a couple of hours of work done if she's at home with me (and, as pps have said, it's not exactly quality time). Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm not trying to be mean and all 'oh you'll see' but to prepare you for the envitable. As I'm sure you know, those 3, 1 hour long naps won't last for ever. And your baby is going to have an ever changing sleep schedule which means an ever changing work schedule for you. I have a 10 1/2 month old and I say this honestly, I couldn't keep my work at home day if she was home. One, it would be IMPOSSIBLE - she's crawling and into everything. And two, it wouldn't be fair to her. Sounds like you are just settling in to this arrangement but please just be aware that your DC is going to have ever changing needs and that while being at home with you is wonderful, being at home with you trying to check email might not be.

[Anonymous]

OP, I am really not trying to be negative, either.

But watch out for ANY plan that relies upon your child taking a nap. If you do not have a demanding job, or you have conference calls, memos, and emails that can be delayed if need be, than you will be OK. But if you have anything that is of a time sensitive or pressing nature, and it HAS to happen at a certain time, or by close of business today -- and your game plan is you are counting on that 1 hour nap (or 2 hour nap, or any nap), BAM that's the time when the baby is likely to not fall asleep, or he will choose that moment to learn how to climb the sides of his crib and will fall head first onto the carpet. Or whatever.

There's a reason nannies generally do not get hired if they also are working a side business during the day. Child care requires an adult to be available to watch the child. There's a reason most jobs do not allow people to bring their infants and toddlers to work with them. Work requires an adult to pay attention to the work.

At a minimum, see if you can line up some occasional sitters whom you can call at 2 PM on a Tuesday if it becomes apparent that you have some very important work that absolutely has to be done, or a sudden conference call comes up and the child isn't going to sit and watch a video.

[Anonymous]

The few times I've had stuff to do while my daughter was home sick unexpectedly, I have not been productive. And frankly, it gets harder when they get older because then they're conscious of the fact that you're around, but not paying attention to them. The most I've ever gotten done was a couple hours work during her nap, but she doesn't nap well, so I wouldn't want to rely on that.

If your employer is really aware that you're home with the baby on your work-at-home days, then this may be ok. But I don't see how this is sustainable for the long haul. At some point you're going to have a sudden hard deadline that doesn't get met, which could make you look bad. I'm not sure I'd risk that.

People are giving you their honest opinions because you asked the question "how to work from home with the baby." They're telling you it didn't work from them. You can't really get ticked off just because you didn't get the answer you wanted. The answer: babies and work don't really mix. Toddlers and work REALLY don't mix.

[Anonymous]

I'm not even going to read these replies.

I work from home with my baby. I would tell you how I manage, but according to posters in the SAHM thread, I am either a terrible worker or a terrible mother.

However, I am the boss so my situation is different than yours in a sense. And I don't have to work certain hours, I just have to make sure my projects are complete...so that might be different than your situation too.

There's this forum called workplacelikehome. You should go there and ask if anyone works with their kids at home and how they do it. I bet you'll get some helpful answers.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

15:16, please educate us as to how you pull this off!

[Anonymous]

15:16, I think the fact that you're the boss makes a big difference - if I didn't have to worry about being available during office hours on my work from home day, then working with a child at home would be a different prospect altogether.

[Anonymous]

OP here - Thank you 15:16, that forum looks very helpful! I just registered. And mine is similar where I just need to get the work done, and generally respond to emails so thanks for giving me hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Having children at home when you're "on the clock" for a paying job is one reason why so many employers resist telecommuting. Please, for the sake of those of us who had to fight for the opportunity to work at home, and who have to continually remind our employers that when we're at home, we're NOT caring for our children but are focused on the job, find somebody to come in and care for the baby on the day you're working at home.[/quote]

Agree. And I did read the part about your employer knowing and I still agree.

[Anonymous]

OP - I think you may want to rethink your nasty attitude because I have a feeling that after a couple "work at home" days your boss is the one who is going to be doing the re-evaluating and tell you either find daycare or find a new job.

I know you think you are the greatest but yes, everybody is replaceable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I think you may want to rethink your nasty attitude because I have a feeling that after a couple "work at home" days your boss is the one who is going to be doing the re-evaluating and tell you either find daycare or find a new job.

I know you think you are the greatest but yes, everybody is replaceable.

Pot, meet kettle.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you control your time why did you have to be on a call at 11? I mean it's great if you do, but you keep changing the facts.

[Anonymous]

Ahhhh 15:16 I was wondering when you'd show up...you're the one that went on and on in a thread last week about how you were so much better than everyone else because you could work and take care of your kid.

Since you can't be bothered to explain how you do this...can you at least answer whether or not your job is a "traditional" 40+ hour a week job. Because if you're not expected to put in regular hours, then I think all your self-congratulatory blahblahblah is a bunch of crap.

If you are expected to work 40+ hours, I'd love to see a schedule of when you work those hours and know what your kid is doing during that time. I doubt you'll provide that because if you are expected to put in 40 hours a week, I would guess that in reality you are working far less and not fooling any of those people who you "manage."