WFH full time with toddler full time

[HoneyBee03]

How are people planning to do this? DS is 20 months and I'm in a bit of a panic. I know that I'll just have to figure it out but he's not at the age where I can sit him down with a film, and there aren't many activities he will do for long. We live in a flat so I can't let him roam around the garden.

Do I just sit him in front of the TV all day? I'm worried that won't entertain him enough. Thankfully he still has a nap so that will give me a break, and I can do another hour when DH gets home from work. I'm just dreading the rest of the day, work is really busy.

And when do we think childminders will reopen? People are saying September for schools but I assume it would be earlier for childcare as we usually get cover over the holidays? I'm not sure how I'm going to get through the first week, I cannot do this for months. I'm really stressed.

Luckily my childminder has agreed to stay open as she only has a few kids age 4 and under and a couple of school run kids. It's a godsend. She thinks it will be a phased return at the earliest after Easter - with pre schoolers going back first with older kids who legally can stay home on there own last

When I've had to work from home with children there I've generally had to to make the time up after bedtime but that was max for 2 weeks - the good thing is that lots of people are in the same boat so employer are going to HAVE to be flexible and realistic

Oh I'm jealous! Our childminder said that Ofsted told her they would revoke her registration if she was found to be open after Friday. There's so much conflicting information.

Thankfully I have a brilliant, understanding boss and I know I'm not the only one doing this, I just feel a bit out of my depth! 8 hours a day is a long time for a toddler to entertain themselves and I'm not sure what I'm doing. I don't think I can work in the evenings either, I doubt my brain would be functioning at that time!

Good to know this might only be this way for a month, makes it a bit less daunting.

@HoneyBee03
I think that is just an empty threat from Ofstead - how would they know if they are staying open or not? I pay my childminder via bank transfer - effectively cash - so I highly doubt she declares a large proportion of that income anyway? Also as parents pretty sure we don't declare anywhere what our professions are - whose to know we are not on the list of professions for which childcare is to stay open for anyway? I think there are lots of ways round it if you and the childminder is happy/comfortable with the risks x

My DS is 3 and I am not going to attempt to look after him and WFH at the same time. It's not realistic. I am looking for a nanny/babysitter to do 1 day a week and the other days will be split between me and DH. (I work part time anyway so we can manage, if I was full time I'd be looking for more than 1 day a week.) My employer hasn't yet confirmed whether they are offering paid or unpaid leave but if necessary I will use some annual leave. I had a couple of weeks leave booked in April and May but can't go anywhere so might as well cancel those and use the leave for doing childcare.

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted that's true, we do pay via a government childcare account for tax free childcare, but I don't know if I can convince her to stay open. She's really gutted and not being paid now so I feel like if she was willing to take the risks she probably would have already.

I don't know where I'll find a babysitter from to be honest, anyone I know who is off work is isolating or at least distancing themselves. Maybe I just need to work out how to keep him entertained while I'm working.

Childcare.co.uk? Local babysitting / nanny agencies?

I've seen a lot of facebook posts with people advertising the tthey're willing to babysit or do childcare. Obviously with the proviso that neither they nor the children in their care are ill. It's definitely worth checking out local facebook groups, childcare.co.uk etc. If nothing else, finding someone to have him for a few hours a few mornings a week would give you some child-free time to really focus on work.

Also, your DH needs to step up. It's not just your responsibility (unless he's a key worker). So if he is currently going into the office, he needs to start doing some WFH at least and/or reducing his hours so he can take his share of the childcare. This virus is creating a ridiculous environment where women are being overly impacted and that is a real problem.

I suspect a lot of people will be offering babysitting/nanny duties soon if they are out of work and that should be whole heartedly supported - my only concern would be children being with people who haven't been through as rigorous checks

I’m in the same boat. My DS is 19 months old and I’m suddenly WFH. My DH is still expected to go into the office from 9-5. No chance of babysitter as all relatives are in the vulnerable group.

I set up my work computer at home yesterday during his nap. I have an Ethernet cable stretched right across my living room to reach my dining table (no room to get the table closer due to door layouts!). Computer didn’t work. Had to call IT and during the call the dog wanted to go out for a wee and the baby woke up crying.

No idea how we’re supposed to do this. I work part time and I’ve been told it’s fine because I can spread my working hours over the week. Great. So I’m doing 11 hours of childcare a day then have to do about 4 hours of work every day to get my hours in.

I know I shouldn’t complain as people are losing their jobs. I just have no idea how to entertain a toddler who is into everything and concentrate on my work.

I’ve resigned myself to doing an hour before DH leaves for work in the morning, hopefully an hour at nap time and the rest from 8-10/11pm once he’s in bed. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep up that pace.

I’m going to try giving him an empty cardboard box and things to put in it. Cars, sponges, balls etc. He likes unpacking the shopping bag and might buy me 30 mins. If you find anything that works, let me know!

Ffs no-one should be offering babysitting. Work in the gaps, work at night, stick the TV on all bloody day.

It's good to hear from other people in the same boat and how you're managing things! I know there's going to be a lot of us and everyone has such a unique situation to deal with. For me I think it's more the shock that the childminder closed, for some reason I assumed she'd stay open all the while the children she has were well.

And yes I am reluctant to let a random person into my house to look after DS with everything that's going on. I also live rurally where there aren't a huge amount of people to call on. None of my family live nearby.

I will manage! It's just quite a difficult to thing to adjust to and work out what activities will keep him occupied (that don't just involve endless tv). Maybe I'll have a hunt through some other threads for ideas to entertain him.

MrsLeclerc
"My DH is still expected to go into the office from 9-5."
Unless he is a key worker and his job absolutely cannot be done from home, his employer should allow him to WFH and he should be arguing strongly for this. He is a parent too.

Hi OP my 2.5 yr old will be home next wk and I officially work 9-5. So my plan is start work emails c. 7am once up and my LOs eating her breakfast. Get her dressed and let her have 30mins of cbeebies. Then have a break to play with her. Then sit outside her room with my laptop whilst she plays with me in close proximity. Take my lunch early to go for a walk together. Then give her lunch, whilst she eats I do more emails, then she naps, then when she’s up we play again/ read together - then cbeebies whilst I work and then I work whilst she eats dinner.
I’ll prob pick up the odd email in the evening too.

It’s not easy but I will try and make it work, fortunately my bosses understand the flexibility required. My colleagues wfh who need to
Home school will also be doing such things.

OP my DP is on the key worker list so our toddler will go to the childminder. She was worried that she wouldn't have any children but will now have 2, so she will have an income.

The alternative was because my DP works shifts, was for him to ask for shifts on specific days. Then we would have to work around each. Then again it helps that our employers have always been helpful about working around children.

@AnotherEmma
If it's a choice between her husband going into the office or him getting the sack/made redundant I know which one is choose - not every employer can support working from home

Employers can't just sack employees because they request flexible working, WFH etc. Especially not under these circumstances.

Luckily some employment rights do exist!

I feel your pain. I’m on mat leave but due back in a couple of weeks- I have a 3 year old and 1 year old. The one year old isn’t bothered by TV and needs attention all the time- I might get an hour or two while he naps in the afternoon. They’re up between 5 and 6 am and asleep by half 8, but the idea of then getting up and working from 9-12 is exhausting, I’m pregnant too so shattered anyway! No idea how it’s going to work, but can’t afford for it not to!

I have 5 year old and nearly 1 year old, I work approx 3 days per week.
I will do something like 5-7am, 1-2pm when baby in bed, and then evenings.
I will also have to take a combination of some annual leave, special leave, and then move onto unpaid leave.
We do qualify for key worker places but there will be others who need it more than us, so I’m just going to have to suck it up.

"We do qualify for key worker places but there will be others who need it more than us, so I’m just going to have to suck it up."

Have the school and nursery actually told you that there are limited places? Why not tell them you are key workers but only want a place if available after other more essential workers have been given places?

I don't understand the martyr attitude tbh!

I don’t see it as being a martyr, I see it as being considerate towards others who are under extreme pressure AND also trying to contribute to the reduction of social contact to lessen the virus spread.

Some great tips here on working around the kids! I'm going to not expect too much of myself next week while I get used to it and work it all out. No-one else I work with is in the same position, most don't have kids or if they do they only work a few days. So it's nice to hear from people on here doing the same thing as me.

@AnotherEmma he is considered a key worker and it’s in a call centre setting. They’ve changed from shifts incl weekends to standard 9-5, Monday to Friday.

@HoneyBee03 I put DSs high chair next to my workstation (dining table!) and managed to do a bit by drawing out snack time. I gave him bits at a time and then turned him towards the window to look for cars, birds etc.