High daycare costs are driving more new moms toward the idea of working at home. In fact, it is actually easier to tackle time on the computer with an infant than it is a mobile toddler. But like all jobs, it requires a little bit of strategy on your part to ensure that you can successfully balance taking care of your infant while still providing an income.
The search for a work-at-home job should start well before your baby makes an appearance. Finding the right job with the right amount of flexibility is not easy. Some jobs such as talking on the phone simply aren’t going to work because of restrictions on noise levels. It is essential that your job can adjust to your schedule.
Your home schedule is another important piece of working at home that you should look at. You and your infant have a set schedule of nap time, play time, feeding time, and bedtime. Nap time and bedtime are the best times to tackle work projects. However, you have to be careful to schedule yourself some sleep time, cleaning time, socializing time and relaxing time. Otherwise, you will wear yourself out.
You also have to learn to let some things go. You simply can’t do it all, or at least you can’t do it all in one day. Perfectionists have the hardest time with making this particular adjustment to working at home.
Break up large work and home projects into much smaller pieces. Instead of trying to clean the whole house, make a goal to clean up a single room or clean the toilet. But don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t get done. Time is often the biggest enemy of the work-at-home parent.
Don’t forget to socialize outside the house. It simply becomes too easy to stay locked in the house day after day and forget that there is a world outside. It can take a huge toll on your mental health as both a parent and an employee. You need that face-to-face interaction with people to maintain a little bit of sanity.
Working at home with your infant requires maintaining a balance of family, work, and personal time. Flexibility in both your job and yourself is essential. The hardest part is remembering to take time for yourself.