The COVID pandemic changed working situations - with 55% of parents transitioning to working from home during that time. Now more and more parents in the US are working from home or working flexibly.
Balancing work responsibilities with parenting duties at home can be a big challenge! To help you manage the juggle, let's run through whether you can work from home while parenting, and cover some top tips on how to work from with a baby effectively.
Can you work from home with a baby?
Over 200 states, cities, and counties have explicit laws to protect people against discrimination because they're a parent or carer. You can follow the link below to check if your state has family responsibilities discrimination (FRD) laws:
Whatever the laws are in your state, it's a good idea to share any concerns you have about balancing work duties and parenting responsibilities with your employer.
Being open and communicative can help to find solutions. Perhaps you can adapt or reduce your working hours to suit your schedule?
Top tips for working from home with a baby
Whether you're at home or in the office, parenting duties sometimes clash with work responsibilities. We've gathered these tips on how to make it more manageable to work from home with kids:
Find a routine that works for you and your little one
First things first, remember to set realistic goals and talk them through with your manager and team. Prioritizing your tasks can help you to focus on what needs to be done first. It can also help you to block time out in your day while your baby naps to tackle the jobs that require the most attention.
If your little one's settled into a regular sleep routine, you can use this to plan your day by tackling your most pressing tasks while they nap. If you can work flexibly, you could try working before they wake up or after they go to sleep.
Share the load with your partner
If both you and your partner are working from home while juggling childcare, perhaps you could work in shifts. That way, one of you could look after the baby while the other works.
If you're a single parent or your partner's job isn't home-based, don't forget to lean on the support of your close friends and family members, like grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
Give yourself a break
You're not alone if you start to feel overwhelmed by working from home while also caring for your little one. It's important to take some time to do something for yourself when you can - like watching a series, having a pampering bath, or getting out of the house for some fresh air.
How to work from home with a toddler
While a lot of the above advice still applies, toddlers can entertain themselves for longer and they tend to have a more consistent nap schedule. So, you can be a little more organized with your day-to-day workflow.
That said, toddlers can be more demanding of attention, so it's a good idea to help them learn about independent play to reduce distractions. You could consider setting up a mini 'workstation' space near your work area or desk so that they can draw or read alongside you.
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