Children change everything. This can apply to your career, too.
The emergence of COVID and unplanned circumstances caused me to be a stay-at-home mom for my daughter’s first year of life. Though unexpected, I valued my time with her, however I knew I needed to rejoin the workforce to support our family. It is what needed to be done, but the very thought caused me great anxiety. How would I be able to juggle a job and be a mom?
What seemed impossible is now my reality. Make no mistakes, it is not easy or stress-free, but it can be done.
Here’s how you can prepare working remotely with a toddler or baby…
Do a Test Run
You probably imagined what working remotely with your child looks like and made a plan. The question is: will it work?
One week prior to my start date, I made a plan to “work.” I moved my desk to the living room where Berry spends most of her time during the day. Since I didn’t have actual work to do yet, I shopped online, organized emails and watched videos to mimic working. I soon realized, this plan was not working.
Berry treated the desk like a new toy: opening drawers, pulling things out, and pulling wires to see where they led to. It was madness! This led to an impromptu shopping trip for baby-proofing supplies to end her attacks on my office supplies. I thought that would solve the problem, but I was wrong.
Once baby-proofed, Berry no longer had drawers to open and shut and fun things to put her hands on. Now instead of a new toy, Berry viewed the desk as a barrier between her and me. Every time I tried to work at the desk Berry wanted picked up or would stand there and cry. The plan needed changed once more.
I ended up moving the desk back to where it was originally. I needed to find where I could work most efficiently and identify quiet spots in the home where I could take important phone calls.
I had a plan, changed the plan, changed the plan again, and then found what works. I am glad I did this before starting my job to eliminate potential stress and problems.
Have a Plan A, B, and C for Childcare
You wouldn’t be expected to work efficiently in an office setting carrying a baby or managing an energetic toddler during a meeting. Just because you’re not working in a workplace environment, doesn’t mean you’re not working. You still need help! When working remotely, having family members, friends, or a nanny to assist is crucial.
I recommend for the first couple weeks of employment to have someone watching your child every day. This way you can focus on being trained, learning the necessities of the role, familiarize yourself with the flow of work (slow times vs busy times), and make a professional impression with your peers. Once you become more familiar, you can opt to schedule help less often on days or times that are slower.
It is important to have more than one option for childcare. I am fortunate to have family members help watch Berry while I work, but there have been times when one is sick while the other is out of town and the babysitter is unavailable and I have a two hour long training to conduct. The more options you have, the less chances of you being without help when you need it.
It is considerate to give “days off” to those that are helping you watch your child. Watching your child for long periods of time on a regular basis can take its toll, especially on older family members. As to not overwhelm anyone, having more than one option is helpful.
Create a Safe Space
It is likely there will be times when you need to step away to take an important phone call or have a quick video chat with your boss. This is why it is a good idea to setup a safe room for your child.
For me, it’s my daughter’s bedroom. It’s a smaller room, which allows me to setup cameras to see all angles. I use her baby monitor camera and I also purchased a Ring Indoor popup camera. This way I can pull up the video and still keep an eye on her while I am attending to work.
Don’t leave your child unattended for a long period of time, even if you can see them on camera. Check the room for anything dangerous before placing your child in there. I always double check the window is locked and all child locks are secure on her drawers and closet. I also make sure she has access to toys to occupy her.
Hot Tip: Babyproof the safe room to the full extent. Your child may not be able to reach something now, but guarantee they will learn how to when you’re away. Take it from me!
Expect to Work Outside of Scheduled Hours
Throughout my day I am constantly interrupted by diaper changes, grabbing snacks and random spurts of play with my daughter. To make up this lost time, I sometimes need to work outside the normal eight hour shift I am scheduled, or I work through my allotted lunch break. Every job role is different so you may be unable to do this, but typically there are tasks in every role that don’t require immediate attention that you can do later. Recognize those tasks and save them for slower times.
Don't Feel Guilty about Taking Time for your Child
Taking a few minutes out of your day to take care of your child is acceptable and not something you should feel guilty about. Think of all the interruptions you would have throughout your day if you were working in the office. The conversations with coworkers, the walks down the hall to the restroom, waiting to use the copier, the coffee breaks. As long as you’re not abusing being at home and working hard, don’t sweat giving your little one lots of love throughout the work day!
