How to Work from Home with a Baby

 

Working from home with a baby can be tricky. Babies sleep, and when they do sleep, it’s usually during the times you need to work, or vice versa. How do you keep your schedule? How do you manage your time? How do you make sure that both of you get everything done? Here are some tips on how to work from home with a baby and stay sane in the process.

Get Up Early

Working remotely while caring for an infant means you’ll need extra time to take care of your baby (and of yourself), so try rising before your little one wakes up. This way, you’ll have some time to shower and dress in peace before getting breakfast ready or making coffee. Later in the day, when you know your baby is winding down for his or her nap, crack open that laptop and spend an hour or two working.

Have A Schedule That Fits

Working at home with a baby means you’ll have more flexibility than someone who needs to get in by 9. And that can be both good and bad. For example, my kids are never more than 30 feet away (even when sleeping), so I rarely take meetings via phone or video—that is, unless I’m traveling for work.

Take Breaks

Studies show that people who work long hours are less productive and more stressed than those who take frequent breaks. Your baby will let you know when he or she needs you—don’t be afraid to leave your desk for feedings, diaper changes, or soothing your crying baby. Working parents aren’t expected to spend all their time on work-related tasks (though it’s easy to get caught up). If you need to check your email once in awhile, that’s okay!

Work During Their Sleep Times

The optimal time for working from home is during baby’s naptime. If you’re lucky enough to have a partner who can keep them occupied, even better! Don’t forget that you can use an app like Do Not Disturb Me or its more feature-rich sibling Work Mode Pro ($3.99) while they sleep.

Manage Distractions

Find a good balance between your working hours and family time. If you are new at working from home, you’ll need to keep distractions to a minimum when your baby is sleeping or in another room. You’ll also want to set aside some office hours during which it is OK for your partner or nanny or other caregivers to come into your office space. It may take some time, but you will find what works best for both you and your work-life balance.

Dress Up

Your business is you, and sometimes your clothing choices can send out an impression of professionalism that your professional interactions don’t. When you have a baby at home, spending time getting dressed each day can feel frivolous—but being presentable for work will pay off in job performance and life satisfaction. Make sure you’re ready for work no matter what happens! Even if nothing else in your day goes as planned, you’ll be happy that you went above and beyond on your appearance.

Look After Yourself

It can be tempting to drop everything and focus on your baby when you’re working from home. But before you do that, it’s important that you take care of yourself. Whether you work around or in addition to your child is up to you—but if nothing else, make sure that your body and mind are healthy enough to be able to do what’s required of them. The easiest way? Eat well and get plenty of sleep.