Working from home one day a week with my LO.

Re: Working from home one day a week with my LO.

• Jess082111 member

  September 2013

  I'm not sure what your job is but I work from home full time with a 9-month-old, and I have a babysitter that comes every day.  There is no way I would get anything done at work if I didn't have someone else taking care of her.  My job is way too demanding and I have to be available by phone and video conference during regular business hours. The nice part is that I can still pop out of my office occasionally to nurse her and spend time with her.

  
  

  It was tough in the beginning to transition to being home with her but not really being "with" her since I am working, but now that she is a little older it has gotten a lot better and I feel we have a great arrangement.  Maybe a babysitter would be an option for you vs. daycare?

  

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• nymom1015 member

  September 2013

  i would love that but i live in NYC, and a nanny is so much more expensive than day care, but maybe i can swing it on fridays.  i will see.

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• jlaOK member

  September 2013

  Sounds like you need some help for Fridays.  I agree with @hocus that maybe a babysitter for part of the day on Friday would be a good compromise.  I WFH and can only do it with a kid home during naps or if DS is watching a movie.  I usually only work w/o help if one of them is sick.

  

                                                

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• FemShep member

  September 2013

  You cannot work from home, care for your child, and hope to do both simultaneously with any success. A child is just too demanding. And here's the thing-by not recognizing that both your job and child care are full-time demands, you're not doing either well. It's better for your LO to be in a daycare with a dedicated caregiver than with a mom who is also trying to work full-time. It's better for you, long term, to not try to fool your boss into thinking that you're actually working a full day when you work from home. That'll bite you in the butt when you (or your colleague) actually needs to work from home but isn't allowed to because your boss was burned when you talked him into a "work from home" arrangement but spent more time during the day caring for your child than actually working. Please rethink your plans and either put your LO into daycare for Friday or bring in a babysitter.

  

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• jnnfrrose6 member

  September 2013

  Working FT from home isn't possible without help once your LO is much older than 6 mos.  LO needs too much attention (and probably 6 months is pushing it).  Not sure why it'd be the end of the world to put LO in DC for a fourth day.  At least your DH gets to spend Monday with her.

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• michaelaskedlauren member

  September 2013

  I agree with others. You will need a nanny if you are going to work from home. As your LO gets older (and more mobile) it will only get harder. I WFH two days a week and my nanny is here with DS.

  I live in NYC too and we pay our nanny $15 an hour, so if you find one that can come for say 5 hours on Fridays itll cost you less than $100 and youll potentially have a babysitter to use for date nights!

   

  zachary happens! | little fish

  

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• jf198400 member

  September 2013

  I remember you posting a few months ago about wanting to WFH with your baby.  The ladies on here told you that you would not be able to concentrate on both.  You have now discovered that they were right.  You know what you have to do, find childcare for Fridays. 

  
  
  
  
  

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• jd614 member

  September 2013

  If u prefer day care , is a half day an option? So maybe like 730 to 1 and you get 5 full hours of work in ?

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• shannm member

  September 2013

  Put her in daycare on Fridays.

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• daisy662 member

  September 2013

  It's only going to get harder. Get a babysitter or put her in daycare. Also, I would be shocked if you employer was ok with this arrangement.

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• ASmallWonder member

  September 2013

  Does your boss know you're trying to work with your baby home with you?  I would guess no and when if it's found out before you make alternate arrangements, you are likely to have your WFH benefit rescinded so you know what you have to do.  Your job and your child are both full time commitments.  You can't do both well and the one you're getting paid for is the one you need to focus on.

  Formerly known as elmoali

  
  

  
  

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• financialdiva member

  September 2013

  I couldn't even get any chores done this morning with DS2 around! Lol
  
  Do you have to work core hours on Friday? Can you start working at like 6am? Have SO/DH drop LO at daycare, then finish by like 2 or 3 and pick LO up early?

  

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• Maybride2 member

  September 2013

  How about a dog crate? You could throw a bottle or two and some puffs in there, maybe a few toys. Maybe a piddle pad if you weren't able to change diapers often. Of course I'm bring sarcastic. You can't take care of a baby and work at the same time. The answer here seems quite obvious - you need childcare on Fridays. Whether that be someone coming to your home or going to daycare, half a day or a full day - you need childcare.

  

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• EastCoastBride member

  September 2013

  Does your boss know your child is home w/ you?  I'm sorry- but I REALLY don't get how supposedly intelligent women actually think that "WFH" = "Have my child at home w/ me".

  You have a demanding job.  You really didn't realize this would be an issue?

  You need daycare for Fridays.

  I don't have a demanding job, I WFH on Mondays.  DS is still in daycare.  Because I'm not being paid to stay home and take care of my kid. 

  "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
  ~Benjamin Franklin

  
  DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10

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• st.augbride member

  September 2013

  I was able to WFH with dd there when she was younger, like 5-6 months old (right when I went back after maternity leave) but that was because I would wear her in a carrier and she would take these epic naps with only 1-2 hours of awake time in between. I would still need to make some stuff up in the evening, but I really could get everything done. However, now that she is almost 9 months, it would be impossible. She is very demanding and I wouldn't dare attempt it now. I only do it if the kids are sick and I have to be here with them. Even then, often dh and I will both stay home so we can stagger it and each get work done without taking the day. In your situation, I would just do a shorter day in daycare and make up for the lost hours later.

  

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• Jenny952 member

  September 2013

  Does your boss know that your child is home with you on Fridays?  I bet he/she would rethink the arrangement knowing that you were not actually working FT while at home.  I work in HR and our telecommuting policy states that you have to have childcare while WFH.  I would get alternative childcare for Friday, whether another day of daycare or a babysitter, and soon, before your job performance starts to suffer and your boss retracts your WFH arrangement.

  
  

  As your LO gets older, it will actually get harder to WFH with her there.  You'll be chasing a toddler, one who wants all of your time and attention, and will have even less time to do work.  Besides, once she gets older, she'll really enjoy being at daycare and spending time with friends and doing fun activities with other kids.  You'll be much happier and so will she.... and you'll setting up your WFH arrangement for the long-run.  Good luck!

  

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