To think I can work from home with a 1yo

[Pollypanda]

I am currently on maternity leave, returning to work in November when DS will be 1. Work have allowed me to work from home 1 day a week to help alleviate nursery costs which I’m grateful for. However, general consensus amongst family and friends is that I’m mad to think I’ll get any work done whilst trying to look after DS.

I am office based, managing a small team without much direct client contact. Most of my communication in done via email due to the nature of my industry. So I won’t be juggling client calls, meetings, etc. Any calls I do get will be from my team.

AIBU to think I can do this no problem?

Sorry but just too add to the majority I also think YABU.
Forgetting that it’s more than likely your work will suffer and you’ll not be able to get it done...what do you think your 1-yr old should be doing while your working? Who will be interacting with him and playing with him? Obviously my DS plays independently a little during the day while I get stuff done but not for 6hrs.
I do sympathise with childcare costs but is there no other solutions?

I’m going back in November after a year Mat Leave and we’ve just had to be creative! I’ve dropped one day and condensed the rest of my hours into 3 long days so only needing 3 days childcare instead of 4/5. (I can do an hour or so at home so could do 30mins here and there on an evening or weekend). Then DH asked to condense his hrs at work and they’ve agreed to let him do a half day on a Friday. Plus Grandparents are going to collect him from nursery 1 day each at lunchtime (they couldn’t commit to a full day but 4hrs felt ok for them).
So we’ve ended up only needing 3 x half days a week. You could look at other nurseries/childminder to work your hrs a bit better?

Our staff are ouput based, so whilst we have 'hours' we're not bothered so long as the work is done on time and to quality.

I'd say give it a shot OP. You'll know if you're delivering your contracted work. Though you'll probably end up doing some at the weekend or adding time to the other days.

Er no, I think it is entirely impossible esp once your child starts to walk and run.

I have worked from home since having dc and it’s worked out well on the whole. Dh and I run are own business and I do all admin, bookings etc.

Some days I get lots done and others I need to work in the evening but generally it’s fine.

As your boss has suggested it I should think it will work out ok as they will be understanding and flexible. Try to create a balance between the two which may take time but you will get there.

A friend of mine is a counsellor and often did telephone consultations whilst caring for her dc, and she has 4!

I worked from home until DD was 3.5 and went to preschool. It was quite doable. However, I was self employed and managed my hours I.e. wasn't committed to putting in the full 8 hrs a day. If I did have a big project I could always make up time one DH came back from work and took the DD.

If you don't have to be on email all the time you can definitely do it. 1 year olds don't need entertaining all the time. They sleep, they play on their own next to you. You can take the baby for a walk and catch up on emails while he is looking around form his pram.

I would definitely try it though if I were you. Too good of an opportunity to pass up! Hope it works out ok, I'm sure you will find ways to make it work.

Lots of people out there run their own business while looking after a child. Some workplaces abroad allow people to take their child to the office with them every day. It's possible.

I don't think there's anything wrong with giving it a go but I think you need to be realistic as to what you're going to be able to do.

Even if your husband gets home and is willing to take over at 4pm, is there any guarantee your child will settle for him? Will DS be happy to play with daddy/settle for daddy knowing you're in the room next door? I know I've read lots of threads here where one partner WFH and the other finds it a real struggle to keep the child busy/quiet and not wanting to go and see the other parent.

I work from home a lot. It's not childcare. My dd goes to family when not at school. She's now 11 and can, at times,be plonked in front of a film or given a more rewarding project to do if I can think of one.
But I couldn't and wouldn't when she was tiny. And would be resentful of colleagues who did it.

I’ve had to do it over the summer with a five year old and it’s hard enough at that age! I basically have to use the iPad as a babysitter.

Yabu. 1-2 is possibly the most ridiculous time to try and do this as the child will very mobile and literally "into" everything including things they definitely shouldn't be.
I think anything beyond occasionally checking your email will be very difficult indeed.

I can't even work effectively from home with a 9 YO!
I feel I am neither being a good Mum or a good worker and feel pulled.
Sure, he's fine entertaining himself but he needs to talk and ask questions and keeps trotting into my garden office.

I do work from home full time but I have very good childcare in place most of the time. I muddle along some days and it works out in the end, but no way would it work with a 1 year old. Not a chance. And he was not a difficult baby.

With a decent sleeper /napper, it would be doable, but not in your core hours. With my child's timetable, I'd need to :

6-8 - work before toddler gets up
2.5 hours of naps in the day

Which leaves about 3 hours left on the evening, say from 8-11.

I'm not sure I'd want to do it every week though, and obviously some naps end up shorter than you'd like.

I work from home and whilst I've mostly got childcare in place, I often also work during evenings /naps.

You may be able to get an extra 15 mins twice a day with cbeebies.

This is the reason so many employers dislike (can't trust) staff with flexible hours, working from home etc.

DH took a 2-year sabbatical to write a paper when DC2 was born. We had a full time nanny, an office on the third floor etc but he still found it tough.

I think you'll find it impossible or your child will be sat in front of the TV for hours a day.

YABU unless you have a relative or a full time nanny in the house with you.

Magpiefeather is spot on.

But that depends on whether your DH is able to do all the childcare/dinner etc from 4pm onwards (after being at work most of the day, will he???). Also, do not underestimate how tiring looking after a 1 year old is - you will probably be knackered by 4-5 pm when your main working hours would have to start!

I work from home and have since DS1 was 1 (Now have 2 DC), the most hours I’ve ever managed on a weekday were 4-5 hours and that was stretching it and being lucky with nap time! I usually can do 2 hours comfortably, 3 on a good day.

E.g. I could usually do 1-1.5 hours (broken up throughout the day) while DC was in playpen / playing on floor in my office / eating a snack next to me etc. Then throughout nap times which could be anything from 45 mins to 2 hours.

I could have probably squeezed in 6 hours a day work when both of mine were 12 months. My youngest is now 16 months and no way. He needs constant supervision and interaction. If I turn my back he's climbing on things, finding anything he shouldn't etc. He's also a nightmare if he doesn't get out for a few hours a day so we go to groups (on non nursery days).

From age 2-3 you'll get the constant 'play with me, give me food, look at me, watch me' etc. Also at that age groups and things are really beneficial. Now my eldest is 4 I could just about work from home for an hour or 2 while she watches PH masks. I work from home and don't think it'll work. You'll be exhausted and your child will get bored.

Nobody seems to be reading the OP's posts. DH is home at 4. She needs to do 6 hours of work (which, if you are efficient, probably equates to 4-5 without messing around in the office being interrupted by colleagues). I think you can fit in that many hours without neglecting a toddler and it's only one day a week.

Hopefully at some point you can get a half day place at nursery.

I feel I should add, I think you should totally do it, and just see how it goes, but keep in mind you might need to change your plan.
I also should add that despite me working from home one day with my almost 2 year old, my work is always done, my projects are always on time and in my last review (which was last month) I got glowing feedback, so although it is massively stressful, it is possible. My boss is very understanding about my childcare, but it sounds like yours and your DH's bosses are too. Good luck!

I'm amazed work have allowed it it help with childcare. If you're being paid to work you need to arrange childcare imo. Working from home can help by giving you a bit of flexibility and a shorter day but it's not a substitute for childcare

Just one last thing... another lady in my team works from home 2 days a week and she has an 11 month old. Maybe my boss is just insane?! Starting to think so...

It gets harder as they get older and more demanding.

We forbid working from home with a young child present (if there is no other adult providing the childcare) in flexible working applications for the reason that it cannot be done.

There is no way someone can supervise a young child and work effectively. A 10 year old yes, but not a baby or toddler.

You would be better off compressing your hours so you do 4 long days in the office and then have an actual day at home instead.

As a one off in an emergency it is ok - but not one day a week every week.

If you have to do six hours between 9 and 8.30, and your husband gets home around 4, it probably is just about doable provided you can guarantee getting your head down at 4 p.m. and doing 4 and a half hours uninterrupted work.

Is it an option to do the wfh day at the weekend/on a day when your partner is off? He can then do the childcare and you can work. I did this for a year or so when I had x3 in nursery so paying an astronomical amount! Working Sundays wasn’t particularly fun but it made a big difference to our circumstances.