OP I'm in a similar position and posted a similar question a few months back. Like you, I got a lot of lectures from people telling me I was an ass hat for even thinking I could possibly WFH with a child. "Don't ruin it for the rest of us" was the resounding refrain. I'd like to think that if I were doing a crappy job at managing my time, my employer would get rid of ME, not take it out on the rest of the WFH workforce, but I digress.
If you ARE lucky enough to find a position with flexible hours/work location you just need to be honest with your employer about expectations for your availability. Be realistic about the hours you can do unencumbered work (like early mornings, evenings, weekends when your husband can lend a hand with DC), and maybe look into childcare for small shifts now and then. I was blown away by how many people jumped on my back for even considering doing some work from home with a child. We're adults - we can set expectations and manage our professional obligations. Don't be discouraged. There are opportunities out there, although you may have to consider P/T or odd hours because yes, it's going to get dicey trying to work a traditional 40-hour week and give your DC the attention you'd like. You could try virtualvocations.com. Requires a monthly subscription to apply to jobs but might be worth the $15 for a couple of months. You're in a good field for virtual work, so that's a plus.

For those that will inevitably flame me for even suggesting it's possible to do any meaningful work at home with a child - the OP asked for job ideas, not a lecture. Let her find her own balance. I'd love to hear that it does work for someone...surely we don't always have to choose between spending more time with our kids and contributing to the household $$ pot.

OK DCUMs, unleash hell...

What you need is flexibility, Op. Can you arrive super early so you can get home early? I try to get downtown by 730, work thru lunch, and head home shortly after 3.

I am not sure how you are going to plan this OP. you telecommute means you do work, which in turn means you need child care. Or are you thinking about working in the night and watching baby during the day? That is a sure ticket to burning out in a year.

I have been working full time from home for 8 years in IT. Only thing that saves me is commute. My child goes to full time day care. I take sick leave if my child is sick. We are like two working parent home, except I work in jammies.

Working from home is extremely difficult. I know people who have thought it would be much easier and they decided to go back into the office three days per week so they could meet their minimums. Once the child knows you are there, it becomes a huge problem. I think you need to look at the whole picture, OP.

For the record I telecommute 5 days a week. DS is in daycare just as if I was working at an office. Working at home is not a golden ticket to having the best of both worlds- sorry!

Anonymous wrote:Staying home doesn't mean you would get to see your son. Wouldn't you still need some kind of care? It definitely makes your job easier but it doesn't equate seeing your kid all day.

Don't most moms of young infants dream about a job where they could work from home, but nurse (or nuzzle!) their baby ever few hours and know baby is only a few rooms away?

I wouldn't have quit my own job if my employer had had a daycare onsite!

The average SAHM does not necessarily demand constant contact and interaction with her baby.

OP, your best bet is to try to negotiate with your current employer, no matter how hard it might seem. Telecommuting is often a privilege given to proven employees. I know when I told my supervior I was dreading returning from maternity leave, she gave me a few different options to try to convince me not to quit outright. Can you negotiate this at all? Good luck!

You could always get healthcare benefits privately (it's expensive but you seem very motivated to do this) and then work the way you want to (freelancing or telecommuting). You may pay $500-1000/month for healthcare but you will save $1600-2000 in childcare.....

Anonymous wrote:This is why you consider this when you are 20. Should a woman change her mind and decide she wants to be at home, she should not feel pressured or in a state of panic. How many women have to go through this before the light goes off. Ding. Maybe I should plan a career based on the fact that I might want kids. Ding, maybe deciding what to do at the last minute won't work. Ding, even if I never have kids I will still be able to support myself.

This is not to be rude to you OP. It is because I post the same thing all the time and people act like its a bizarre concept. You don't ask this 2 weeks before you go back to work. You figure out a plan years before you have kids.

It is rude.

This is why you consider this when you are 20. Should a woman change her mind and decide she wants to be at home, she should not feel pressured or in a state of panic. How many women have to go through this before the light goes off. Ding. Maybe I should plan a career based on the fact that I might want kids. Ding, maybe deciding what to do at the last minute won't work. Ding, even if I never have kids I will still be able to support myself.

This is not to be rude to you OP. It is because I post the same thing all the time and people act like its a bizarre concept. You don't ask this 2 weeks before you go back to work. You figure out a plan years before you have kids.

I work in IT consulting and some Federal / Federal Contractor IT support jobs are remote / telecommute. These are not high paying jobs though. A non-Fed company would just outsource it to India.

Also my consulting firm's "back office" is mostly remote - most come in 1-2 days a week. Those jobs require accounting and finance skills.

If these fabulous well-paying telecommuting jobs were really out there, I'm pretty sure tons of SAHMs would be all over them in a second. Sorry, OP, sounds like you're stuck for now.

Where do you live? Do you qualify for fmla? In DC it is 4 months (unpaid).

What do you do?

Staying home doesn't mean you would get to see your son. Wouldn't you still need some kind of care? It definitely makes your job easier but it doesn't equate seeing your kid all day.

I just had my first child on 7/12 and am already dreading having to go back to work. It breaks my heart every day thinking about leaving my son after only 8 weeks. Unfortunately, I'm the primary bread winner in our family and also the one with benefits for the family. My husband works from a company based out of another country that doesn't provide any benefits. I'm desperately trying to find a way that I can stay home with my son, but haven't come up with any solutions yet.

Does anyone have any suggestions for work-from-home jobs that would also provide benefits??