Tips for Working at Home With a Baby
If you work from home and are expecting or have a baby, get ready for a drastic change in your working style. Babies are probably the most disruptive to a home office because they canīt be sent off to play or plopped in front of a video when you have a tight deadline.
0-3 months. When your bundle of joy comes home, you should probably take some time off anyway to adjust. The first three months, you are all adjusting to the new schedules, lack of sleep, etc. Itīs tough, and if you can avoid working for at least a month, all the better.
New babies, sleep a lot usually (a few of us get stuck with babies that hate sleeping), and this makes it easier to work. Change your work hours to match the babyīs sleep schedule and youīre fine, as long as you manage to get some sleep as well!
3-6 months. Now your baby is old enough to stay awake for longer periods of time, but heīs pretty dependent on you to keep him entertained. A very good investment at this age would be a bouncy chair! Sit your baby next to your desk and you can bounce him with one foot while typing. If you are very good, you can even sing and talk to him while you work.
Luckily, babies of this age are all about discovery, so you can keep them busy for short periods of time with new things. Try sitting the baby in front of a mirror for a while, or hang a toy within reach of his feet so he can kick it. Giving a baby pieces of clothing that have different textures (silk boxers, wool sweater) can keep him occupied for a few minutes as well.
You need to be able to take advantage of the small bits of time you are allotted. Always be ready to type quickly, or make a phone call during those few precious minutes when your baby is examining a new toy or playing with his feet.
Take lots of breaks to pick your baby up and play with him, even for a couple of minutes. Heīll be happier because he doesnīt feel that youīre ignoring him, and so youīll have more peace and quiet.
Up until your little one starts trying to type himself, you might even be able to do some work with him on your lap. If you have to go out, do it when heīs fussy so heīll settle down in the car or carrier. Never, ever make important phone calls unless the baby is asleep or safely in another room. Itīs very unprofessional to have a screaming infant in the background during a business call.
6-9 months. At this age, babies are better able to do things alone. You can put your child in his high chair or walker and give him some toys or blocks or a cloth book to play with. His schedule will be pretty predictable, so you can schedule calls and online meetings.
Usually, your baby will be happy just to have you nearby, so keep him close to you as you work, and heīll stay content with his own things, at least for a bit. But donīt forget to pay attention to him sometimes, as well. Take him out of the chair, go for a short walk, play pat-a-cake, anything to entertain him. Then give him a new toy and keep working.
9-12 months. You now have a fully mobile child, whether heīs just crawling or already starting to toddle, itīs not so easy to keep track of him from your desk. At this age, itīs handy to have a laptop so you can follow your little monkey around the house.
Keep small finger foods near your work area and a cool sippy cup so you donīt have to be running to find snacks and drinks every half hour. Itīs a great idea to have a toy box with toys just for work hours, hide some away so you can bring out a new one at intervals.
With any age of baby, itīs great to have a babysitter or Motherīs helper come in once in a while when you have a lot to do or a looming deadline. Or schedule time with your significant other, you work, she looks after the baby for a few hours on the weekend, or after work.
Iīm not saying itīs easy, but it is doable, people manage every day. But always keep in mind why you chose to work at home. Donīt miss out on precious time with your children.
