Working from home

[noniemurray]

Does anyone out there have advice on working from home with a 6 month old+? I'm back at work but have to work from home a lot & am go finding it next to impossible. But I'm the main breadwinner & have to do it or I'll lose my job & we'll lose our house etc... Super stressed out

What childcare areangements do you have?

You need either (1) daytime childcare or (2) to work when your OH is at home.

You cant really do a full time job and mind children (unless your full time job IS minding children).

You need to have a space where you are shut away and can't hear the baby. If you are in a small flat or something then you probably need to find space elsewhere - a library perhaps or a friend's spare room. That, or get whoever is looking after the baby to take them out a lot!

I can't really afford childcare... At present it's an ad hoc arrangement when I have to go into work (I commute so it's long hours away) but sometimes when my OH has to work there's no one to help so I end up not being able to work. It's really bad... I'm not a shirker - I'm naturally a committed & hardworking person. I read an old thread asking similar & the replies were so harsh & from working parents, themselves...

Sorry to tell you this but it is not realistic to work and looking after a baby. In order to work you need some sort of childcare.

You wouldn't take a baby into an office and work. If you work from home, you must do it when someone else can look after your baby. You really don't have a choice,sorry

Yes, sorry - you can't do it. And it will only get worse. Now ds is 9 I can manage WFH with him there reasonably well because he will play on the PS3 and watch stuff without interrupting me for several hours at a time, but it's still a struggle as he comes through and wants stuff whilst I'm on the phone, etc. I wouldn't charge a client for a full day's work if I had ds at home with me on my own.

With a baby who will soon be toddling you have no chance whatsoever. If you can't afford childcare and you're the main breadwinner your OH may need to reconsider what work he can do around your work commitments.

Thanks! Can't say I was expecting any other response than what you've said! I guess I was hoping for creative solutions that don't exist. I think making my OH understand that since we now have a child & I have to work full time that I can't be breadwinner, mummy, housekeeper, cook & everything else at same time. Don't get me wrong he's a great guy I just did it all b4 & didn't ask him to do more (silly I know) but w baba as well it's unsustainable I guess! It's hard when your sitting at home working bc to onlookers you don't seem to be doing v much!

It can't be done I'm afraid! Maybe a bit when they are napping but that's it!

When my Ds is ill and I can't go into work my boss said - just work from home! I had to explain that with a toddler you can't actually work as he won't exactly let you sit there on the laptop whilst he contentedly plays on the floor next to you. I wish!!

Exactly! Mine also said when I was pregnant: 'you might be able to get some articles written whilst on maternity leave'... Bc you know when you're on maternity you just sit around on your bum looking for ways to occupy yourself lol High ho

If you find a way to work fulltime from home and do the childcare at the same time, patent it. You would make a fucking fortune.

Not sure that a 'great guy' would have thought it was reasonable for you to have done it all before the baby came along but that's in the past. The reality of this is that you need him to shoulder his responsibilities now. Either that or find a job that pays more than yours does.

Sorry like others I don't think its possible. Unless your cd sleeps peacefully for hours on end.

A friend works part-time from home by having strict "office hours" once her DH gets home from work. But she has a set amount of work to do which aren't tied to the normal working day.

Yes, I agree with everyone else, when you're working you need childcare, whether you're going out to work or not. TBH, I'm amazed your employer is prepared to pay you to work from home without proper childcare in place.

I'd recommend you stop trying to work from home, at least for the time being, so that proper divisions can be set up between your home time and your work time (and responsibilities). Once you've done that it may be possible to reintroduce some homeworking, which can be great once they're at school because it enables you to do the after school stuff, even if you then have to work into the evening.

I've worked from home for sometime and it takes planing. You need child care or get your H on board with doing his share of child care. If he isn't the main earner he needs to do this or become the main earner.
It can be done but you need to be very organised.

I am a nanny to a toddler whose parent works from home occasionally. There is no way that they could work and look after the baby started when dc was pre moving and is now into everything. The baby is distracting enough when the parent comes out of the office for a coffee and they have the option to disappear from sight again.

If you work from home you will need childcare for the child. like others said you wouldn't take the baby to the office with you so don't assume you'll be able to work with the baby at home sans childcare

OP could you work on a Saturday? If so, maybe lock yourself away for a full 12 hrs (get a kettle etc into your office), while DH is on duty all day. Take Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off, then work 7am-1pm Thirs and Fri (with DH dropping the baby at a Nursery or CM on his way to work and you collecting after 1)? That would total up at 24 hours with only half of that needing paid childcare?

Oops missed Wednesday.

You could do it IF you scheduled 5 or 6 hours a day (6pm till 11) or 20 hrs at weeekends (9 till 7) with less on weekdays (6 till 8) - assuming you can get a job with this flexibility of hours. Your dh would HAVE TO do all the child related activities during these hours.
Would mean you having a working space in the house and it being totally understood that once you are in there you don't get disturbed.
Or you could look for. Job outside of the house with opposite shifts to your dh.
For this to even have a chance of working it would also mean that you do all childcare etc while your dh in work and he does the same when you are in work, this must also include relevant meal cooking, and housework chores split fairly. Night wakings / feeds would also have to be shared fairly.
If your dh isn't on board with this then it just won't work.
No employer will pay you to work from home while looking after a baby/ toddler and in reality you won't be able to - yes babies nap but not for 4 hours at a time twice a day. And even if they did it will only be for a few months - and what you you when they won't nap - stick them in front of the TV for 4 or 5 hours at a stretch, what happens when they are toddling you won't be able to go in your office shut the door and leave them to their own devices.