The toughest time to try to work at home is when babies start testing out their legs. While most parents look forward toward this particular milestone, for those who choose to work at home it is actually a huge obstacle. This is because, unlike babies, toddlers now have a new sense of freedom and they will test every boundary they have. As a result, toddlers need a ton of attention. Working at home just doesn’t fit in quite as well into this new schedule.
One way to tackle this new problem is to work after your toddler has gone to bed. Usually, this means giving up a few hours of sleep. However, you should not try to work until 3 or 4 am every morning when your toddler wakes up at 6 am. You won’t be able to keep up such a schedule for very long even if you need the money.
Another way to tackle this particular problem is to enroll your toddler part-time in a day care. It may seem counter-productive to do this, but you can actually get more done in the short time they are away than you can when they are constantly getting into trouble.
If you aren’t too keen on a daycare, hire a babysitter or recruit a relative to come over for a few hours. Make it their job to keep your toddler entertained so you can work for a few hours. However, if you have overly critical relatives, you might want to stick to the daycare option for your own sanity.
But mobility isn’t the only problem that work-at-home parents face when they are working at home. Toddlers can get very messy. As a result, a dirty house is a distraction from work. There is a great temptation to just pick up an object which leads to another object. Then suddenly, the whole day has completely disappeared and not a single dime has been made.
At some point, you just have to prioritize what’s more important during the spare minutes that you have. Realize that your priorities can change and be flexible enough to accept that.
Finally, take some time to vent your frustrations. Between your toddler, your work at home job, and all the little things that are undone, you will find your stress levels shooting through the roof. You will need to find a few minutes for yourself before the stress becomes too overwhelming.
Working at home with a toddler is a huge challenge. Their mobility and inquisitive nature aren’t really conducive to a working environment. Oftentimes, the biggest challenge is deciding what is the most important thing to accomplish in the time you do have.