Working from home

J

janeheath

Guest
I'm currently in a full time position and earn an OK salary. I have the chance to work from home starting soon the money is OK too. The job is a repuatable career that I have covered in the past.

My wife is expecting a new baby, and she thinks that this will be a great move thus we don't have to pay creche fees.

Still unsure on what to do, I hate the thought of paying all that money for creche, but then wonder if i could juggle looking after a new born baby and working from home???
 
Depends on what the job is I guess. If you are required to work from home from 9-5 and be available for business phone calls and/or conference calls etc., I'd say it would be difficult. If however the job can be done during any eight hours during the day as long as the output is there, then I'd say it would be a lot easier. It would help if you could generally describe the job requirements.
 
I wouldn't recommend trying to work while minding a child. A friend changed her 5 day aweek to 4 days after her mat leave. She was in the office for 3 days and had to do one day's work between her 2 days at home. She gave up after a couple of months and now just does the 3 days. She'd be working all monday evening then during the baby's nap time on tues (if he was cooperating) then working tuesday evening and the same on wed. She decided it wasn't worth it as she wasn't getting any usual adult time in the evenings, and she spent the days nearly wishing the baby would just sleep even though the whole idea of part time was so she could spend some quality time with him. It just doesn't work.
 
I work from home whilst my wife looks after our 2 year-old and even that is difficult !
 
I think that this would be extremely difficult if you had to work full days and mind the child at the same time. Your focus wouldn't be on work or on the child to the level that you would need. For an older child this type of arrangement can work much better. If you did end up working from home, I think that you may still need childcare but you would be at hand should any issues arise, cut down on commuting, be thre for occassional sick days, appts and so on .. Best of luck with whatever you decide upon !
 
Someone I know quite well works from home while minding their 2 kids who are generally plonked in front of the TV all day. Their employer doesn't know that they are minding their kids and although its none of my business, I won't be 100% surprised if a P45 lands on the doormat if they ever find out. In my opinion this person is abusing their employer's flexibility and ripping them off. Other cases may differ from the one I've described so take note that these are specific, not generalised, comments.
 
Looking after a baby is practically a full time job and babies don't respond well to being asked to wait until yout conference call is over for attention.

I disagree about it gettin easier as it gets older. A 2 yesrs old is very good at demanding attention and definitely do not amuse themselves for hours at a stretch, until they are writing on walls etc.

I know someone who gave up working from home when her 3 year old learned how to go around the back of the PC and just turn if off when she left neglected.
 
I'm now working from home doing media monitoring whilst looking after our baby. Now and then this gets a bit tough, but generelly the hours suit, plus the work is enjoyable.
 
Think of it the other way around ...would you bring your child to the office and be able to mind them/work the hours required? Not an option, IMHO, as you would end up doing neither....working properly or child-minding properly.

Remember though that the money you would be paying to the creche can partly be saved if you work at home (petrol/trqavel expense, eating out at lunchtime, coffees, etc)
 
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I took up older as meaning a school going child. At least then one could work from home during the school day, and child mind while the child is at home.
 

let alone the lack of consideration for the children........
 
when I referenced "older" I meant more in the age bracket of 12 /13 .. Definitely not a toddler!! to be honest I would consider trying to work from home full time while minding a toddler a recipe for disaster, as the child would not be supervised properly and could lead to accidents etc. If you can find good quality childcare and work from home as a backup that could work out well and as pointed out in an earlier post, you would be saving money in other areas.
 
I third the opinion that you can't work and childmind at the same time. This may be a situation (depending on the work) where an aupair (if you can find a good one) would be a good solution, relatively cheap childcare, but you are there with them all the time. (though I think your average aupair works 20 hours a week)
 
Everyone who says 'noooo, you couldn't do this' can you please state whether you have been in the position as that would be the only true barometer as everyone is different.

I know of 2 colleagues with young children (approx 1 yr) and they seem to be coping fine on talking to them about it.

IT job btw.
 
I love to work from home a couple of times a week, but Mrs Askar looks after the 12 month old and the 5 year old. If your work is pc based (e-mails, document review, etc) it is easier than if you have to do phone calls. You definitely do need an office space in the home away from screaming kids to do the latter. I don't think I could work from home and look after both of the kids (especially not the youngest), but I do enjoy the interraction with the family at different times through-out the day. I also find that it can be effective way to get things done away from usual office distractions. Its not for everyone though; some people like to have a separate home and work place environment.
 
I am talking from personal experience and I have spoken to others who have tried it.

My productivity over a day was less than 50%, and I had no control over
when the child needed attention, if this clashed with necessary phone calls.

The point has been made a number of times that working on your own with no interaction and no set times to do anything would be easier.

I do think that the opinion of anyone who has looked after a 6 month old and knows that there is little time left in the day for anything else is
a valid opinion.
 
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