For many new parents, working from home seems like the ultimate dream come true. After all, you get to spend the entire day in your pajamas and receive a steady paycheck that would otherwise be going towards daycare. Not to mention, you get to be involved with your baby’s daily routine: feeding your baby, changing their cloth diapers and playing with them. What’s not to love?
The truth is, working from home (WFH) with a new baby is a lot harder than it looks. Let’s face it, you’re essentially working two jobs! So, how do you balance all of your responsibilities without feeling like you’re failing in one or the other? Read on for some helpful advice for juggling new motherhood, working from home and everything else.
It is important that you don’t burn out when working from home.
- Get on a Schedule – Routines are good for everyone, but they’re especially important for new moms and babies. Getting your baby on a regular routine can provide a sense of familiarity and comfort, which makes the days go by more smoothly for both of you. When you know the approximate time your baby will eat and nap, you can also plan your days to maximize your productivity.
- Take Advantage of Naptime – Babies require a lot of attention when they’re awake, so use naptime to your advantage by hunkering down and getting work done. Start with the tasks that are most important or the ones that require your total concentration. Similarly, you should take advantage of times when your baby is most content (i.e., after feeds and naptime).
- Be Prepared to Adapt – You’ve gotten into a nice groove with the baby’s schedule—but don’t expect it to stay that way. Babies’ sleep and feeding habits change as they grow, which means you’ll eventually need to rethink your daily schedule once more. Fortunately, one of the common perks of working from home is a flexible schedule. Accept that baby’s needs have changed and try to roll with the new schedule. As your child grows, you may want to think about enrolling them in childcare a few days a week. Although part of working from home as a parent is great, you sometimes need a little time to focus.
- Wear Your Baby – If you don’t have a baby carrier, do yourself a favor and get one ASAP. Wearing your baby offers an array of benefits, one being how it can soothe your baby and reduce fussiness.Baby wearing also frees up your hands, allowing you to type and soothe your little one at the same time.
- Set Up a Safe Space for the Baby – For times when your baby is awake, make sure they have a safe space to play while you work. This could be a babyproof playpen or floor mat with toys that you can clearly see at all times.To keep your baby content while you work, dress your little one in a comfortable Onesies® Brand Bodysuit and provide plenty of baby-safe playthings.
- Share the Load – Is your spouse working from home as well? Figure out how to fairly divide childcare responsibilities. Even if you’re working less hours than your partner, there are still small things they could do to help you with the baby. For example, maybe you and your partner could stagger your schedules to where they take care of the baby in the evening while you finish up with work.
- Mobilize Your Work – Working diligently at your desk for any length of time can be difficult when you have a baby that demands your attention.If you keep getting pulled away from your desk, consider taking your work with you by downloading mobile apps like Google Docs and Slack. That way, you can jot down some notes or send a quick reply to a coworker all on your phone.
- Set Expectations – As a new mom, there may come a time when you need to dip out of a meeting or cut a phone call short to take care of your baby. Before that happens, be sure to talk with your boss and coworkers. Set their expectations early so they’re more understanding if you need to watch your baby. In general, people are pretty understanding of working moms, but it certainly helps to give them a heads up.
- Dress to Impress – Although it may be tempting to stay in your pajamas all day, you should try to get dressed. Putting on nice clothes (read: clothes without baby’s spit-up on them) can help set the tone for the day and will make you feel more confident at work. And these days, it’s easier than ever to find WFH attire that is both comfortable and professional.
- Have a Babysitter on Speed Dial – You want to do it all by yourself. We get it. But there will come a day when you’re working with a tight deadline and you’re stressed to the max. And if your partner has their hands tied at work as well, you’ll be super grateful to have someone you can call to watch your kiddo. Seriously, don’t wait until you’re about to have a mental breakdown to find a reliable sitter you can trust.Do it now.
- Banish the Mom Guilt – Like we said earlier, you’re basically working two jobs. Some days, you’ll feel like a super mom who can conquer the world, and other days, you’ll feel like a complete failure. On those low days, try to be kind to yourself. Don’t compare yourself to mommy influencers on Instagram who are only showing you their highlight reel. You’re doing a great job, mama!
Working from home is hard enough, but when you add a baby into the mix, you’re essentially playing life on hard mode. But take heart—with a few helpful strategies and a positive mindset, you can keep your cool while working from home and enjoy this special time with your baby. You’ve got this, mama!
