Working from home?

ky29

My boss is giving me the option to work from home full time, and only coming in the office 1 day a week. 

My other option is, my boss gives me a part time working from home job - but my pay is drastically cut. 

I'm wondering for those who have worked from home with a LO, how difficult is it?  I wouldn't need to be at my computer constantly, and will have some flexibility.  Neither of us know if this is going to work, but he's willing to try if I am.  I figured why not?  I just want to make sure I'm not being totally naive. 

heaterb12

Will you be setting up child care?

RachiCakes

Yea, nap time is really the only dependable time frame you have to get anything done...and I say dependable very loosely! My kids were great nappers for the first 18 months so I could definitely depend on 1.5 hours in the morning and another 1.5 in the afternoon to get things done. This was when they were a bit older though...a new infant is all over the place!

kac22

Working from home with a kiddo is super hard. I'm my own boss so I can work whenever I want to but like PPers said that's pretty much only during nap time or after bedtime. Especially now that she's older I can't even sit at my computer for 5 mins without her getting into something or what not. 

Honestly, I wouldn't even consider it unless you can hire outside help. 

emu0013

I work from home 100% and my DD goes to daycare M-F. I drop her off when she gets up and pick her up at 4:45. My company required that I fill out paperwork that indicated I would have childcare. I can not imagine trying to work with her home. She is home today sick and its quite challenging.

ky29

Thanks for the input!  I wouldn't be opposed to hiring a nanny for at least a couple hours a day.  Something to look into. 

willadieselstm

I have the luxury of working from home if DS is sick, or I am sick, or have an appt, etc.  Let me know you... days that DS is home.. I get nothing done!  Its almost impossible, and he is now 2.5  I couldn't imagine nursing/taking care of a newborn while also being expected to legitimately work from home. 

samiamagirl

If you're going to have to be at your computer at designated times during the week and get a certain amount of hours in, it's going to be very difficult without extra help. But if you have the luxury of focusing in work during evenings, weekends, and nap time it could possibly be doable. But exhausting.

itsmevkb

Unless your employer is okay paying you to care for your child vs actually doing the work they are paying you to do, you'd need some form of childcare.  I've worked from home part-time during my maternity leaves and always had someone either at my home or I took my children somewhere for care for the portion of the day I was working.

ellab043

I often work from home, but I have to send LO to school and then aftercare to accomplish anything. If I home with her and she's sick it's a useless day mainly because we can't go more than three seconds without a "mommy...." 

marym94

Hi! I work from home full time and I love it! I do have a full time nanny bc I am busy from 8-5 everyday- but whenever i get a break i get to see my little guy (when he was tiny i could BF) and we get to have lunch together most days.. also get the time I would typically be commuting  to work, to spend with him... i really feel lucky to have this situation and strongly recommend it if it in an option for you.  I absolutely could not do it without our nanny bc I work most hours of the day, but it is ideal and I am really enjoying it (especially being pregnant too!). Good luck!

brittburck

I work from home and our baby will be going to day care full time. There is no way I could give work or the baby the amount of time needed if I tried to do both. Working from home for me is the same as if I were in the office.

MJ14323

I'm going to be talking to my boss about working 4 days a week instead of 5. The day off, I will be at home with the baby. I do have a job that doesn't need the typical 8-5 work hours, so I'll be able to make up that 1 day on evenings and weekends. I'm hoping they will go for it as I'll assure them that my performance won't change. This will help us pay for only part-time day care as well since DH works 4 days a week and my MIL has offered to watch the baby 1 day a week. 

Question for you all - When do you plan on bringing it up to your boss about a change in schedule?

I'm also hoping to negotiate my maternity leave for longer if I work part time towards the end. (Coming in to the office the 2 days a week DH is home and MIL is watching the baby) I was thinking I would do it all in the same conversation? Any advice on this?

Linds1083

So hard to work from home. I do it a few hours a week and end up doing it once DD goes to bed. The first 6 months are hard to predict they will nap. Sometimes they fall asleep and wake up 40 min later. Now DD is 15 months old and naps for 2 hours in the afternoon. That would be the only time I could get anything done. She requires pretty much constant attention during waking hours! It's a lot different than I pictured it before becoming a Mom.

Snapdragon750

It was extremely difficult for me, and that was with DH also working from home on a flexible schedule so he was able to watch DD for a few hours in the morning so I could have a block of time.  It was okay when she was little, napped a lot, and was pretty immobile, but as she got older this became very difficult, as she would cry and bang on the door wanting me, and DH just didn't get the stuff done around the house while I was working that I would have had I not been working, and it was frustrating.  Eventually we swapped and DH did my job, and now I don't work at all.  I find just maintaining the house to be nearly impossible with a toddler around.