Really dumb q

[anotherbitofcake]

Can you work at home with a one year old in tow?! Am trying to work out how to save on childcare costs. Work is desk based, no phone calls, flexi hours. I know the answer really but maybe there are a few people out there that manage it???!!!!

You could probably manage 5-6 hours a day depending on when your child slept and then worked in the evening/first thing.
Impossible to do a ft job without childcare I'd say.

Do you mean for the whole day? No way. IME, every time I try to do anything at all not involving a DC (even the washing up!), said DC immediately starts trying to get my attention in the most persistent way.

You might just about manage a bit of work when they nap, but then you won't have any time to do the kind of things that people generally do when their DCs nap, eg eat lunch, clean, run around like a mad thing tidying up, catch up on home chores like renewing car insurance, sleep etc!

How old is your DC at the moment? You also have to consider that the 1 year old will quickly become an 18 month old, then a 2 year old, and even more impossible to work at home with.

I also think it's really not very fair on the child. Of course no parent devotes 100% of their time to their child when they are at home - that would be crazy - but to explicitly be devoting no time to them as you are trying to work just sounds like the way to get to maximum stress v quickly - for you both.

Sorry...

I just don't think it's possible. Maybe a couple of hours while they nap / watch tv but even that would be very interrupted and stressful.

Neither your work nor your child would get your full attention - it would be too easy to slip up.

If you have DC who go to sleep reliably then a couple of hours in the evening might be possible. I currently do this once or twice a week. But if my DH is away (which he often is) then that generally means a 12-13 hour day of childcare (I have a 4yo and 1yo) followed by 2 hours work followed by at least an hour cleaning / cooking / prepping for next day etc. No leisure time at all, I would really struggle to do it every day.

Yeh what I thought. I haven't got that far yet (preg) just been thinking ahead and working out family budget and its scary! I knew childcare costs were high but think its just hit home. Was trying to think of some ways to keep costs down!