How on earth are we both supposed to work full time from home?

[beepbeeprichie]

Let me start this by saying that I absolutely get that DH and I are not NHS workers and we are salaried, so I know there are others in much, much worse situations. But... how the hell are we both going to work full time from home with 2 preschoolers? One or two days then Netflix could keep them occupied but honestly I just don’t know how we will manage. Both high pressure jobs. If I work the early morning to lunch and DH works til dinner then we will both have to work all evening and it’s just so grim. Surely firms cannot expect the usual productivity?

I normally work 3 days but I think I'll do 8-12 over 5 days instead and then I'll have all afternoon with the kids.

Do what you can when you can.

Weekends won't mean anything so you could even spread your workload over 7 much shorter days.

Pick out the items which are essential. All the other bumf/filler can wait til everything's back to normal.

DH and I are doing 8-1 and 1-6 over 7 days, but we're both much more productive at home so hoping to be able to have some flexibility. I think my boss understands it's going to be a massive juggle (3 DCs, 1 with ASD) and he trusts me to just try my best.

Single parents, I salute you I really do.

Good point about seven days to spread workload.

But I think if you are in a couple doing a split shift arrangement, a day of rest would be good for you to all spend together.

I have no idea. I have three kids of varying ages. I’m worried about their screen time. In theory yes I could get up at 0500 and then work at night. But seriously? How long doing that until I’m utterly worn out and burnt out and unproductive? I’m planing on doing some learning with the kids then leaving them to do some work books. Then hopefully outside for some play in the garden whilst I work. I’m dreading it and thinking about resigning

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

I used to work out of the home in a full time office job with kids in wraparound, and then from home with two kids that still needed to go to school / activities, and also from home during school holidays where I have my two plus a relatives two (all under 8).

I can honestly say that working from home during the 6 week holiday has been my most productive and enjoyable time all year.

Get up when the house is quiet, make yourself a cuppa with some thick fluffy PJs on, get yourself set up on the sofa with a duvet & laptop or at your desk with a blanket. Then get as much as possible done before the kids get up.

I love being able to work knowing there is nowhere I have to be that day. Knowing I don't have to do the big stressful school run with the mad rush in the morning. Knowing I can get a good bulk of my work done before I've even made the kids their porridge.

Sometimes at 4pm, with all the work done, I'll stick a movie on for the kids with a bowl of popcorn and bugger off for a mid-afternoon bath.

Then in the evenings I can relax, or if I'm feeling productive I can do another couple of hours.

It's all about mindset IMO. I know it's hard, and it seems like the world is falling apart, but think about all the little benefits. Think about the lack of commute. The flexibility. Make breakfast at 8am after a few hours solid work a reward. Everything is about seeing mundane shit as "rewards". I swear some of those baths at 4pm have been the best I've ever had, because I'm self-employed, and work completed directly = money for me.

I'd say try to embrace the self-employed mindset.

I've had to lie to my employer about childcare because even in this unprecedented crisis they expect me to not have to care for my children at all during working hours. DH's employer is a lot more reasonable so he's going to be picking up a lot of the slack. I'll do what I can, it's going to be a fucking nightmare.

We are able to have flexi-time as long as it's reasonable. Two parents working full time isn't heathy without childcare, so told will be expected to reduce hours (and pay) by 30-40%. Single parents only likely allowed a maximum of 25% of normal hours.

No point working unless most of the time is at the same time as you can phone/chat with colleagues. Only a few hours out of core times allowed.

Its a reasonable plan overall, as lower wage bill will mean fewer lay-offs as customers dry up.

We've been clearly told anyone reducing performance or caught lying about childcare during worked hours is immediately on unpaid leave until they can come into the office.

It really depends on how much you need to be in direct, immediate contact with others. I do a lot of work that I can just plod through by myself, without input from anyone else. I could work at night whilst my dd sleeps, if I wanted to!

No idea how to do this. I have a 3 year old and 1 year old, up at 6, in bed at 8.30 if I’m lucky, and 1 year old still wakes up overnight, I’m pregnant so will struggle to get up at 3am or work from 9pm as am so tired. DH does a job where he can’t work from home and does long hours, so it’s just me. If it’s the odd day when one of them’s ill, I try and put TV on for a bit and work when the younger one naps, but that’s still only an hour or so, and then I play catch up the next day, but I can’t see how it’s workable for me to get my job done when this goes on for months.

Easy OP. One of you works through the night.

Get up at 4-5pm
Have breakfast (you)
Prepare tea for kids
Bath and bed routine
Have dinner around 9pm.
Start work at 10pm.
Lunch at 2am.
Finish at 6am.
Help with early morning routine. Relax, glass of wine. TV etc.
Go bed at 9am.

Husband does the opposite.

Always somebody awake to see to the kids.

Sorted.

“One of you works through the night”
Really? For months?

I have a feeling the mental health fall out of all this will be huge

My workplace has concluded that some staff simply cannot be as productive as they would normally be when WFH now the schools are closing. They have a child / children to care for and cannot do as much work as would normally be expected of them. Why can't more workplaces be understanding in this time of crisis?

I got the impression in our briefings at work that they were only probably expecting about 50% productivity going forward but the plan is to keep the projects going with some people wfh if they can and others going into work on a shift system but they are certainly not expecting 100%

I'm so worried about all of this.

I'm 16 weeks pregnant, had a miscarriage before this pregnancy, I'm in isolation for 12 weeks as per MW advice and for fear of something happening to the baby, and now my daughters nursery had closed and I'm expected to do my normal hours for work at home, whilst looking after my DD, which I just can't do.

We have no family nearby and the closest family we have is high risk and over 4 hours away. Even with my DH working from home this is going to be an absolute nightmare; if work don't accept more flexible hours (evenings/weekends) or let me spread out my hours over the week I know I can't do it.

I understand why the schools have closed. I don't dispute why they've done it. And millions of us are in the same boat. But I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of how much stress and anxiety I can handle with this pregnancy without worrying if I'm going to be out of a job because I can't balance work and childcare at the same time.

I don't know why I'm writing this really. There's no magic answer. Everyone else has the same worries. I guess I'm hoping that vocalising my concerns to someone who might understand will help.

I think this will be a great thread of support when it all start next week!

Something I hadn’t thought about was that weekends are going to be meaningless so spreading over 7 days is a good idea.
But absolutely, mental health is going to be a real challenge.

I already have all of mine and home and DH and I have been working at home all week. Things we find hard:

Space - we have an office set up in the spare room but nowhere for a second office. I am in the kitchen.

Broadband - bit hit and miss with 5 of us potentially streaming as DH and I do video calls. So far it's been ok.

Calls - we spent a lot of time on calls. This is hard beacuse you often have a child suddenly wander into the kitchen or yell. And the dog likes to bark at random points.

Taking a break - we take a break when we can to chat with the children one of whom is primary age and get some fresh air.

Productivity - definately dropped off. I have a strict to do list and try to keep going with this.

Team - I manage a team and I check in with them all every day

Good luck

@InASense I love your mindset and that is exactly how I look at it too.

How can any sleep be had through the day though MissGuernsey with the noise of the children who cant leave the property? I think that through he night is a bad idea and will jeopardise mental health massively.

Schools closing and pubs remain open...only in the uk

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

I work permanent nights in a Mail Distribution Centre alongside colleagues who have done this since the late eighties! A few months. The poor snowflake.

Yesterdayforgotten

Wear earplugs. How do you think night shift workers sleep in the school holidays when their kids are at home!

Ok so

I’m a nanny. We are the only childcare allowed to still work

I have expanded/altered my hours for all my families. Meaning they can all WFH knowing the kids are out of their hair.

Have a look, see if that works for you?

Dh work have said they wont pay him if hes working from home and has the kids.... so he either goes to work or has the kids. Hes the highest earner. I'm a key worker. Just waiting to see if our kids get a school place. Nit sure if I want them to or not!