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Original poster

WFH with a nine month old

49 replies

Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 08:33

At the moment I'm working 38.5 hrs around all 7 days of the week. I'm also looking after our 9 month old. He's is not in nursery for several reasons (one being cost, it would be more cost efficient and better all-round for me to drop hours if really needed).

Over the past few weeks I've seen that it's reasonable to do 6 hours a day but I certainly need a rest day as the one week I didn't do it I felt completely overwhelmed.

It doesn't help that we go to bed fairly early (around 10) so I try not to work in the evenings as it eats away our time together.

I manage about 6 hours starting just before 8 and finishing around 6. Which isn't that bad but of the baby has a bad day, need to go the shop or something unplanned happens it wrecks the "balance" for the rest of the week.

OP posts:
Duchessofealing · 08/08/2020 09:24

It’s two months, your employer is aware - just push on through. If your job is easy (you seem to imply it is and it’s the hours that grind you down?) then you can keep an eye on the baby whilst you work - I’ve often had a child on my knee during COVID whilst working (admittedly not a baby). Take the money whilst you can - we are in for some tough times ahead. If your partner can take half a day annual leave each week to help could that work to give you a break?

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 09:26

My workplace in that way is in its infancy. Our contract is one page long and doesn't clarify many many things. There's almost 80 of us now and my boss (the owner) is still the one who takes not of annual leave. We're slowly getting to more professional standards.

20 hours is not a problem. Any child under three naps at least 2 hours, plus whatever work I do when my party is here and across seven days is absolutely doable. That pay would also have been very similar to my maternity allowance and why it made sense at the time.

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Duchessofealing · 08/08/2020 09:27

X-posted with your last post. If the baby needs 100% attention then you either have to sacrifice time with your partner or some hours. Or your partner take some paid annual leave one day a week.

ivfdreaming · 08/08/2020 09:30

I did it for a couple of months until baby could crawl/roll etc and then it became too dangerous as she needed much more close attention than just being plonked in a baby chair and getting to nap all day

It's not fair on the baby not to have your full attention

Most work contracts state that working from
Home can't be used in place of childcare (obviously Covid has relaxed things in the short term until schools go back)

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 09:31

Thanks @Duchessofealing but you get the point. It's the not the work itself, it's the hours. It's very simple and can be done with almost my eyes closed. In fact most of my colleagues are stoners and can do the job while smoking, so it isn't that difficult.

I think dropping some hours is the most sensible thing but can't fogy out how many

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CrotchetyQuaver · 08/08/2020 09:41

i don't know how you're managing, and i can't see how you willl for much longer. it was around 9 months when mine started crawling that she became a complete danger to herself and needed constant supervision.

can you find a mornings only nursery/childminder place close by they can go to and then make up the work time whilst they're having an afternoon nap? that was how i managed to get through the early years with my two. long afternoon nap and a later bed time. are you entitled to any tax credits you're not claiming to help with costs? i don't see how you can carry on as you are for much longer due to baby's increasing mobility

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 09:47

We make too much to get any help via IC so our best bet is the 20% which although nice isn't a lot! Which is why we're trying to maximize as much as we can. FT nursery is around £1100 over here. My salary is just below £1300.

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yourestandingonmyneck · 08/08/2020 10:44

What is it that you are doing? You said it's menial work?

BrieAndChilli · 08/08/2020 10:52

Care to share what job/company you work for - think there’s a lot of us that would love an easy job we can do from home while caring for children!!!!!!!!

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 10:57

It's QC/QA for an online music publishing company. They're actually hiring but you have to live within commuting distance (so in Cornwall). It pays MW though which is the biggest problem

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yourestandingonmyneck · 08/08/2020 11:05

So what does that involve? I was thinking if it was something really menial, like stuffing envelopes or something I could possibly see how you could do that whilst also dealing with / entertaining a baby....but even that would be a push.

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 11:08

It's listening to music, which is why it's doable.

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Gazelda · 08/08/2020 11:15

What's your older child doing all day? It doesn't sound as though he/she is getting much attention either.

I'm sorry if this comes across harshly, but I don't think you're being fair to your DC. And with your MSc starting soon too, they are going to get even less of you.

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 11:19

She's only with me 1/2 the time (the other half she's with her dad). Shey only been with me one week since I got back to work (then the summer holidays came and she spends the first half with her dad). Second half she'll be with me but I'll be taking some time off.

OP posts:
Pinkflipflop85 · 08/08/2020 11:25

You lost me when you said that any child under 3 naps for 2 hours during the day!

If you're one of lucky ones they might, but not all kids got that memo 😂

SnuggyBuggy · 08/08/2020 11:28

I wish someone would remind my 2 year old to nap for 2 hours every day. OP come on you know these kids are being neglected

beargrass · 08/08/2020 11:42

Mine DID nap a lot and slept a lot at night at this age (I realise I was lucky!) so I actually can see how some work would be possible if the nap times are regular. This was the case for us.

But I also don't see how you could work because I used those nap times for down time, my lunch, housework, laundry...I honestly couldn't have coped with using that time for work and then (I guess) doing all the other work at night. It's too long a day, it would have broken me.

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 11:47

We have lunch and breakfast together. And I don't do much housework. My partner does about 75-80% of it.

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yourestandingonmyneck · 08/08/2020 11:55

Listening to music and what though? What does the job actually entail?

Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 12:00

Listening and then clicking some buttons, accept/reject/ send template. Sometimes you have to figure out samples but the system is semi automated in that way. Sound quality has to be ok (a robot can't do that yet). If it's very well produced check that it's not on other platforms already. It's something that could be easily done on the phone if they developed an app.

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Original poster
Fressia123 · 08/08/2020 12:02

I sometimes deal wuthire complex cases that need my language skills but I save those for when the baby is deeply asleep.

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redsockbluesock · 08/08/2020 15:43

lo

doadeer · 09/08/2020 19:40

I work 16 hours around my 18m old and that's hard! I get a morning a week when DH has him 8-12 but he sleeps 11.30 until 2pm every day so I'm very lucky. I work the other hours when he sleeps and finish anything a Sunday afternoon. I've worked at home for a few years and since DS was 7 months but I'm used to working intense bursts. But it's hard. 39 hours sounds really really tough!

Original poster
Fressia123 · 09/08/2020 21:35

I'm on my 39th hour! 30 mins and I'm done

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