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WFH with kids, what hours?

11 replies

namnamnam22 · 07/04/2022 17:47

I’m looking to return to WFH, my baby is now 7 months. I’m hoping to do 16ish hours.

I was wondering what shifts/hours people do with their little ones in the house? I’ll have childcare most of the time but I’m thinking I may need to do a short shift with my little one in the house with me

OP posts:
modge · 07/04/2022 17:48

None. You will need childcare for all your working hours. I doubt your employer would agree to you WFH with a baby to look after at the same time.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/04/2022 17:50

With a 7mo I'd say you need childcare for all your working hours (or the other parent there).

So I'd find a nursery or childminder you like, see what hours they can accommodate and build it around that.

MJ123 · 07/04/2022 17:51

I agree, sorry OP.

You'll be half concentrating on both and getting neither done.

Do you really want to have to ignore your baby who can see hear and smell you while you work?

TulipsGarden · 07/04/2022 17:51

You can't work with a baby at home. Trust people who had to do it during lockdowns.

rattlemehearties · 07/04/2022 17:53

Well many many people unfortunately had to try this in lockdown so they are speaking from experience. This is not possible.

converseandjeans · 07/04/2022 17:54

You can't wfh with a baby to look after.

I do some hours from home & mine are 12 & 14. They let themselves in after school & sort themselves out. They know to be quiet if I'm in a meeting.

I think anything under 11, so Year 7, is too young to work with no childcare.

SantaHat · 07/04/2022 17:58

A lot of companies also have their own rules in place about requiring you to have childcare in place when WFH. Depending on your job, I would imagine any kind of wfh without childcare for a 7 month old would be near impossible.

transformandriseup · 07/04/2022 17:59

I do an hour in the morning with my toddler before nursery and it is just about manageable but I really struggled in lockdown when she was a baby and I found I had to catch up when she had gone to bed and during naps. It's not fair on your baby, your employer and yourself.

LittleBearPad · 07/04/2022 18:00

You need proper childcare in place, I’m sorry but you do

namnamnam22 · 07/04/2022 18:53

Thanks all for your responses, we have agreed to do majority of my shifts on my childcare days and I’ll do my short 3 hour shift of the week once DH is home from work 🙂

OP posts:
TheSnowyOwl · 07/04/2022 18:55

My youngest is at nursery for all of my working hours as I can’t work with a toddler around. I’ve started having a long lunch break to pick up my eldest from school and then carry on working whilst she potters about the house for an hour until DH finishes work (we both WFH so she’s not alone in the house).

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