Any tips on working at home with baby?

[Snowfalls108]

Hello all.

So DS is now 4 months old and in 2 weeks I'm due to start working at home. I'm just doing 15 hours a week and it's flexi time so hopefully it should be possible to fit it in.
Has anyone else done something similar? Any tips for ideas to entertain DS while I work?

Thank you!

Hmmm... I would say don't do it! IME you end up feeling guilty for not working to your full potential and guilty for not spending quality time with your DS.

As it's only 15 hours, could you do it all while he is asleep? Or could you do some at the weekend if/when your DH is at home to take over?

I worked 20 hours from home when DS was about 9 months to around 14 months - it was crap as I ended up staying in our village all morning to make sure he would have a nap in the cot so I could work, then having no time to do anything decent afterwards on an afternoon, plus I was reliant on DH getting home from work at a reasonable time, which wasn't guaranteed and caused loads of friction between us.

I now work on small freelance projects and do a lot on weekends, evenings or the odd afternoon when I have family childcare.

If I do have to do a quick email/call when DS is around now, I put Cbeebies on or sit him in his highchair with crayons and/or a biscuit. Depends how much entertaining your DS needs but you might be able to get away with bits of work while he is awake with minimal toy rattling etc? I think when my DS was 4 months it might actually have been easier to work than when he was older, as he used to sleep for hours in a sling while I read MN!

I agree with Intergalactic

You can probably get some bits done whilst he sleeps, but when I was freelancing without childcare I mainly worked in the evenings and weekends. Worked okay between say 12months and 2 years as both my dc would have a 2-3 hour sleep after lunch. It's a very fragmented way to work though, can be stressful and unsatisfying.

Personally I would try to get at least 1 day or 2 half days per week childcare and then it is easier to do the bulk of the work and fit in the rest.

I work from home and have done on and off since my eldest was a year, so a bit bigger than your little one.
I kept a box of toys and interesting things in the room I worked in. He only had them when I was working so they kept him entertained for a bit. I also took to working in the morning when he was less cranky and more able to play by himself.
I saved all phone calls and complicated tasks for nap time/time when he was being looked after by someone else. If you can get any childcare at a regular time in the week even an hour this is the time you publisise as a good time for people to call you. If you can get a second session don't publisise this, use this for out going calls. If you can arrange some informal childcare swap with a friend or neighbour for an hour or two a week it is worth it's weight in gold.
Oh and until you get yourself sorted leave the housework till last!!

As the children have got older (mine are now 3 and 5) it is easier...if I have to work (and I try not except when they are at School/Playgroup) then I resort to DVD and snack time. I have also been known to set them up a desk and had them colouring while I work. Remember you are going to try working a two day week while doing a full time job looking after a child. If it is not working out after a while look for some childcare, you get the work done quicker in blocks, done 10 mins here and there the job takes twice as much time as it needed too, taking away quality time with your child.

I love working from home and the flexibility it gives me, however you need the disipline to stop work and close the door behind you at the end of the day.

HTH

Claire

I think that you will get really exhausted without any childcare.

Also (unless you have a cleaner or other help) then the household chores will also have to be fitted in at some point by you and/or dp if you have one.

Once a child reaches a few months old, they start to sleep a lot less. You could end up with a child like my dd2 who doesn't sleep much in the day, and takes ages to settle at night. This was very stressful and I wasn't working from home, I just wanted a quick coffee in peace. I would have been stressed massively had I had real work that I needed to fit in during the child's official/anticipated sleep times.

Do it in the evenings. Only way - and not much use if your lo doesn't sleep well

I went back to work full time when my ds was 9 months old and to try and cut back on childcare expenses and spend more time with him I decided to work from home one day a week. I found it pretty easy at first, but as he grew older I felt I wasn't doing my job well that day or doing being a Mum very well either!

Up until he was one he would happily sit at my feet and play for ages, just happy I was there tapping away on my laptop whilst counting his own toes, but once he hit one I found that he was trying to get my attention so much I would just give up and not do anything until he went down for a nap, then just end up cramming it all in when I could and getting stressed out. He's so sussed now I've only got to turn the computer on when he's in the room to check my emails and he comes over, climbs on my lap and switches it off or pulls the wire out!

I ended up throwing in the towel and reducing my hours and much prefer a whole day with him unhampered by work worries (I just seem to spend the day shopping and cleaning now )...

I think that, depending on your lo, you'll probably be okay til he starts getting mobile and more demanding of Mummy's undivided attention, then if you have the option of spreading it out, sit down and work in the evenings and nap times. Don't expect to get a massive amount done whilst he's awake...

Not too negative I hope... if you've only got 15 hours a week to get done I reckon you'll be fine as long as you don't mind doing it in short chunks rather than solid sessions.

Thank you for all your replies. I am able to be flexible with the hours.
Unfortunately childcare just isn't an option as the price would be more than my salary! I can imagine that as he gets more mobile it will be more tricky. I think hopefully I should be able to get quite a bit done while he has his naps.
I do have a cleaner so that helps, and my DH is very good at the cooking and general housework. So hopefully if we pull together it should be ok.
Thanks for the tips Claire - I think I might be able to do a childcare swap with a friend. If she looks after my LO for a few hours one morning and I'll look after her LO for a few hours in the evening.

I'm going to buck the trend and say go for it. It's doable, baby will sleep for a few hours a day and you're only doing 15 hours a week.
I've been doing one day a week for the past 18 months, dd2 was seven months when I went back to work. It was fine 'til about two month ago and I've decided this week to put her in childcare for a short day. So you've got a while whilst it's doable and who knows where you'll be in a years time, reassess then. Good luck.

I was also thinking that so long as your baby naps during the day then it should be doable. My LO napped three times a day for 1 hour each time up to 12 months so I got alot of reading done during these times. The problems arise when they hit toddlerhood - they reduce or end their naps and are much more demanding of your attention. My 19mo DD plays very well by herself for 30 mins or so at a time especially if I am in the same room but she is very vocal and does a running commentary on everything she is doing even to herself! So I've learned to read with her chatting away in the background, but I doubt I would actually be able to do proper work work.

snowfalls I'm pregnant with my first baby (due in May) and also plan to start working from home when LO is 4 months old. Plan to do 12 hours per week for 2 months, increasing to 16 hours per week for another 2 months before returning to work in Jan 2010. Will then do a combination of office/home.

Would be interested to hear how you get on as I can also be flexible with the hours and have a cleaner once a week to take the pressure off a bit! Hopefully my Mum/Sis will be able to help by looking after LO for a couple of hours once or twice a week too.

Good luck - I'm sure if you get in to a routine you should be ok. Needs must and all that

I am self employed and was back in office with DD at 4 days old. Very easy when tiny as they sleep alot. Now with DS work like mad when he sleeps ( now 4 months old, DD at school) and also in the evenings once both in bed. With DD had a drawer in the office with scrap paper pens childrens glue, stampers etc and she would keep busy for an hour at a time, she called it was 'working' when she got to about two. At one year old she went to a child minder for one morning a week, again worked like hell whilst she was away. Never felt guilty as she then interacted with other children but also spent tiem with me in the office.

Yep, nursery/cm or other childcare.