19 Tips On How To Work From Home With A Baby

Have you found yourself working from home with your newborn or toddler? Then you need to remember that there is no rule book for how best to manage a work-life balance with your children.

While adapting, you need to know that you are doing the best you can now. Keep it up, mama!

Here we share our top tips to make the journey less cumbersome and more enjoyable.

Tips On How To Be Productive From Home With Your Baby/ Toddler

Looking at your innocent angel-looking toddler that is naturally busy makes you think that it will be a walk in the park handling them and being productive, right? Your toddler is busy, alright- but busy keeping you busy (if that makes sense to you!)

And while it is true that if you are working remotely with a baby, you might need some childcare, you can still be able to accomplish things without the much-needed childcare. You have to accept that you have to work in short bursts - a bit like the same concentration span your little one has.

Working from home with the baby and being productive can be done despite their constant need for attention. Here are some tips on how to work from home with a baby.

• Dress As Though You Are Going To Work

The mind has the power, it is said, and it is very accurate. Waking up and preparing yourself like you would if you were not working remotely will help you have the feeling of actually being 'at work'. Dressing professionally will make you leave the comfort of your pajamas and make you more alert during work hours.

You can always change into more casual wear when it is an evening. This strategy helps you break up the day, helping you have the mindset of work and leisure. Although this is a great strategy, you can also find it more comfortable working in your tee and leggings, which is an excellent advantage of working remotely.

• Take Advantage Of Working When Your Infant Is Napping And Make It A Schedule

When you are working from home without childcare, enforcing a nap time for your toddler is essential for your little one's health and development and critical for you. If you can encourage a long nap, the better.

A great tip with your toddler's nap is to keep a routine, making it easier for them to adapt. If your job is flexible, you can always wait for your little one to snooze away for you to knock off essential phone calls or to focus intensely on a project.

• Agree On Some Screen Time For Your Infant

As much as you might want to limit screen time for your toddler, it might help if you work with the baby remotely. It might be time you invested in baby-friendly movies that will keep your toddler occupied and give you much-needed quiet time to work in an uninterrupted sprint.

You can also opt for educational screen time options for your little ones to binge on as they sing along to the entertaining pieces.

• Take Advantage Of Soothing Baby Accessories

Suppose your tot is old enough that they can sit on their own. Then do not feel wrong about placing them in the playard & on play mats with a few of their soothing accessoriesThen do not feel wrong about placing them in the playpen/ with a few of their soothing accessories. You can move your child's play pen close to your working desk or in your office to keep an eye on them as you work. 

If your toddler can use pacifiers and teethers, they are great baby accessories that work towards soothing fussy babies. Infants' swings and seats are soothing baby accessories that help lull the baby to sleep.

While your baby entertains, you can knock a few things off your to-do list with the assurance that your little one is safe. Alternatively, if your baby is not mobile yet, you can opt for an activity mat as these will allow you some time as your baby entertains.

• Work When Your Infant Is Calmest (After Nap Or Meal)

Working from home with newborns as they nap is best, But if your work schedule is tight, you will have to work when your tot is awake. The best time for you to work with them when they are awake is right after they have woken up, eaten, bathed, or from a stroll.

When your little one is full or just from enjoying a nap, they tend to be calm and play independently.

• Use Tech To Your Advantage

Working remotely calls for using a good amount of technology- for simply typing or virtual meetings. Download your work software to your phone and tablet. The chances are that you will need to move around a bit as you care for your little one.

Thus ensuring that you carry around your tablet/phone will give you more flexibility as you continue working. Uploading some of your documents/ files to a cloud service, e.g., google docs or Dropbox, means that you do not have to be at your computer to access them.

• Work Across Multiple Devices

If you work from home with kids, this alternative of working across multiple devices will help as you spend lots of hands-on time with your little ones. And setting up your work processes and software applications so they can be accessed across multiple devices will help.

The possibility of your workload revolving around typing is excellent. If that is the case, you can always download software that will allow you the opportunity to draft notes with your voice rather than a keyboard when your little one wants you to pace.

• Communicate With Your Workplace

Let your workplace know what is going on, and ensure that they are on board with your new schedule as you work from home with an infant. Excellent communication with your manager while you work from home will allow you a schedule that revolves around your infant.

You might request to be excused from video calls or have a request to start your shifts early mornings when your tot is napping. Knowing beforehand when to schedule meetings will also help you maximize your time.

• Try Dictation

If you are working from home without child care, you know that keeping your hands to yourself can be a real challenge. This makes exploring some dictatorial software a great tip.

The dictation software solution allows you to create everything from correspondence to project plans by just talking into a microphone. How easy! And though you will still need to go back and add formatting while making corrections, it's a game-changer when you cannot focus on your keyboard.

• Make The Most Of Your Baby Carrier

Your little one will surely enjoy quality time with you while you get some work done. As you know, your baby loves cuddles. Therefore, they cherish being strapped to your chest/ back in a baby sling/ baby carrier.

Wearing your baby and typing while standing up allows you to stay productive as your baby snuggles. You can even rock your little one gently to get them to fall asleep. You can purchase a sling/ carrier or make one yourself at home.

• Use To-Do Lists

Planning out your day and week as best as possible helps you focus on the most critical items in the face of distractions. Knowing what you will be doing and when can offer you peace of mind.

Having a to-do list will also help you decide when to start your work day and how you would like to juggle your schedule between parenting and working for better productivity.

• Remove Other Distractions

Working from home, mum's schedule already has your plate full. Therefore removing other distractions like social media might help as they tend to waste time, and time is of the essence.

If it is a task keeping off social media, you can always get apps that will help you block access to the "time-wasting" apps during working hours.

• Work while Breastfeeding/ Pumping Milk

If you pump breast milk, a hands-free pump will give you the flexibility to get some work done. While there is nothing wrong with taking a break as you breastfeed or pump milk, being hands-free can offer a little more versatility to your workday.

You can try combining breastfeeding and pumping with a low-key task, hold a video call with the camera angled away, take phone calls or read reports.

• If Both You And Your Partner Work From Home, Share The Responsibilities

Switching off caring duties with your partner will allow you several productive chunks of time throughout the day. If you and your partner live together, then teamwork is the game's name.

Organize your work routine based on each other's schedules. If possible, your partner can look after the baby while you spend some time focusing on work.

• Try Being Flexible With Your Work Hours

If possible, try revolving your work hours around your kid's schedule. Remember, you are at the complete mercy of your newborn. They will tell you when they will wake up, take their nap, have their meal, and so on. 

Therefore it would help if you learned the patterns in their behavior and then fixed your work hours.

• Be Practical About Goals And Do Not Feel Guilty About What Realistically You Can't Achieve

Being more creative and flexible in how you work and using the hours you have at your disposal will help you be realistic when setting goals. Create reasonable goals that are efficient and productive rather than goals that are non-achievable and will leave you feeling drained. 

Some of the tips we have shared will go a long way in ensuring that the goals you create are achievable and avail you peace of mind.

• Take a Time out For Yourself During The Day If Possible

If you are working from home mum getting cabin fever is natural. One crucial skill that you will need to cultivate is stress management. If you can during the day, when your little one takes a nap, you can take some time to do something for yourself. 

This might be taking a nap, watching a series, exercising, or having a pampered bath. Experience different activities until you find what works for you and your new family.

• Work Whilst Your Infant Plays- Invest in Time-Saving Baby Gear

Your little ones are always set to get your attention fully. But as they play alone, you can complete some short bursts of work. The kind of work that you attempt to do while your little one plays should be one that can be interrupted.

You can also invest in time-saving baby gear like a good sling or carrier. With the help of the baby gear, your young one can feel more cuddled and snooze away or enjoy the gentle rocking.

• Seek External Support If Necessary

Caring for a newborn while working can be downright overwhelming. And no one is judging you, so do not shy away from asking for support externally. You will never know how much help you can get until you ask.

Remember that if you are not in a good place, you can not help anyone, including your little one. Get help, be it as little as needing to sign out of a zoom call earlier, seeing a therapist, or attending a support group.

Tips For Specific Infant Age Groups

Working from home when you've got kids of any age requires you to think strategically and plan accordingly to be the best employee and parent possible. Here are some tips that are directed to specific infant age groups

Tips For Working From Home With A Newborn

If your newborn has already settled into a system, they will most probably sleep for three to four hours during the day as they need long naps. You can use these "free hours" that your little one will be keeping healthy to get your most pressing workload done. The workload that requires your full attention can be accomplished as your newborn gets some quality eyes shut.

And though your newborn will be sleeping for long periods, remember that they also need to feed in between their naps. This means you will get frequent distractions as you breastfeed them. But if you pump milk from your breast, your partner can help feed the young one relieving you from the pressure.

You can also incorporate baby-friendly accessories to help you care for your newborn as you work. A bay carrier, sling, or wrap will help you wear your baby as you work. Having strapped your newborn, you do not need to keep on getting up to tend to them throughout the day; there are bonding with you and learning you!

You can also try extra baby accessories like a bassinet that will allow you to move your newborn close to you as you work. The bassinet will allow you to accomplish your work as your baby is beside you, providing you with the peace of mind you need.

A crib is also an excellent option for working from home with a newborn. And you will be a lucky parent if the width of your doorway allows you to move your baby's crib from room to room. This way, it will be easier for you to move with your little one to your workstation or the kitchen or patio.

Remember that your newborn should always sleep in their crib or bassinet with no blankets or sheets for their safety. They can even sleep next to you in their crib as you work.

Tips For Working From Home With An Older Baby

As your newborn gets older, they will try and shun away sleep so they can stay with you. While it will help to bond, you still need to be productive even when your older baby is awake.

You can use a play mat or a playpen to give your child some alone time. Place some favorite toys or an activity center on the play mat and let your baby enjoy their playtime as they learn new things. You can also use mats that have mirrors, as this will intrigue them much.

With the self-play which fosters growth in your little one, you can squeeze in some work uninterrupted. If your baby is a swing, bouncer, or glider fan, and you happen to have one, then use it. Though these accessories will offer short-time stints, they will give you the much-needed attention and peace to be productive.

At this age, your older baby probably has two naps a day, i.e., one in the mid-morning and one in the mid-afternoon. This is when you should focus on the critical work task that you need to be done; when your baby is sleeping, hit your work hard.

How To Work From Home With Toddler

Working from home with a toddler has its fair share of challenges. While your tot is at a stage where they can comfortably independent play for short periods, they also know how to keep you busy.

At this stage, your tot might still be taking the naps in reduced measure. But you can use these short spans to work. To support your tot's solo play, you can create a safe place for them and use the reward system once they co-oporate.

You can also create some space at the end of your desk and get them to do an activity they love as you work and agree on a time to go on a break.

Guideline Of A Daily Schedule When Working From Home And Caring For Your Baby

While creating a routine is best for you and your family when you work from home, here is a sample of what a normal day would look like:

Managing Tantrums, Fighting, and Other Behaviour

If you work from home with kids, there is bound to be fighting ( sibling squabbles) and temper tantrums. Here are ways to curb and possibly eliminate tantrums:

• Give a countdown to an action
• Allow small wins
• Acknowledge good behaviour
• Avoid saying "no" where feasible
• Try and get a giggle
• Provide your infant with options to pick from
• Incorporate the concept of taking turns

Summary

Juggling the responsibilities of your work and your newborn may seem impossible. But with the above helpful hints, you can establish that delicate and vital balance.