How to Work From Home With a Baby or Toddler

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Being a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) and struggling to find balance, I wanted to pass on my wisdom for how to work from home with a baby or toddler to help you.

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How to Work From Home With a Baby or Toddler

TBH, I feel like this post has been living inside me for a long time. I’ve gone back and forth with writing it because every few months our routine changes and then I need to adapt again – so keep that in mind. Whether you work from home like me or just need to get things done and are having a hell of a time doing that and found yourself googling “how to work from home with a baby or toddler,” I’ve got some helpful tips that have been the absolute, only way I can get shit done.

First, I’ve shared on social media just how much of a challenge this has been for me lately. When Blake was born, I never really took any time off and just jumped right back into work because I’m self-employed and my family relies on my income. Things were so much easier whenever she was a baby and slept more and now that she’s 17-month-old and into everything, each day has a different challenge for me to tackle. I’m not an expert, but if you’ve found yourself wondering how to work from home with a baby or toddler, this will help alleviate some stress.

1. Get as much done as you can in the morning.

In our home, morning are still a little bit quieter than the rest of the day. We all get up with my alarm at 6:15am and get things moving. Chris takes Branden to the bus and I get Blake breakfast and we slowly begin the process of having a productive day. I feed Blake her breakfast slowly, while she’s strapped into her apartment friendly high-chair and get as much stuff done on the computer as possible while I guzzle my coffee. While she eats, she watches whatever her current favorite show it on T.V. and this is honestly the moment during the day where I get the bulk of my work done.

2. Set aside quick tasks for unexpected moments of down time.

Every once in a while throughout the day, there are toys or an unexpected movie that will capture Blake’s attention for a longer amount of time then I ever thought it would and this is when I start cramming in the smaller tasks that can be done at rapid fire. Deleting emails (in fact, don’t even keep your inbox open to responding to everything as they come takes up too much time), responding to emails, scheduling social media – whatever! Do this now!

3. Work around their schedule.

Some days, Blake takes a longer morning nap and will skip her afternoon nap and some days I put her down for her morning nap early enough that she’s tired for an hour nap in the afternoon – roll with the punches and work around their schedules.

4. If something can be done when they’re awake – do it then!

Working out, washing dishes and taking a shower can all be done while also keeping an eye on Blake, so I make sure to do those things whenever she’s awake and not waste nap time on them. This has been one of my biggest strategies for getting the important things done on time.

5. Make a busy box for active toddlers.

This has been a HUGE saving grace for me! Toddlers love getting into things, right? So give them something to get into that you have put together yourself and know is safe. I dedicated an entire post to how I created Blake’s busy box for you to follow so that you can make one for your busy toddler, too.

6. Accept that Netflix will be your BFF.

Don’t fight it, just go with it. If your battling internally for how to work from home with a baby or toddler, you just need to accept that sometimes Netflix will be the babysitter. If you have an important deadline, that’s okay. No one is judging you and if they are then I’ll beat them up.

7. Plan a couple outings a week to avoid boredom.

Blake gets bored being at home everyday and I do, too. So I make sure that a few times a week we play at the park or have a day date at Starbucks, just to get out of the house and restore our sanity. It helps keep the flow of things balanced.

8. When all else fails, hire a babysitter for a couple hours a day.

I haven’t hired a regular sitter yet, and don’t use one except for a few nights out here and there with Chris, but it’s getting to that point where I might need to soon. I hate spending money on a babysitter, but when I do, I’m able to get SO much accomplished – even if it’s just for 10 hours or less a week. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish whenever you have some helping hands around.

Bonus tips for how to work from home with a baby or toddler:

Start each morning with positivity – you’ve got this!
Set your intentions each morning, too.
Know what tasks each day are MUSTS and what can possibly roll over into tomorrow if need be.
Don’t forget to make time for yourself and connecting with your baby or toddler. After all, that’s the reason you chose to work from home to begin with.
Take deep breathes during the hard moments.
Save housework for later – it can wait.

Looking for more mama inspiration? Here’s some articles you’ll love:

Okay you lovely mamas hanging by a thread (yes, I’m talking to myself, too), it’s hard – I get it. And the thing is that no one else really “gets it” except for your fellow hustling moms and that makes it a million times more difficult. People think that it should just be easy for us because we’re home or people just look at you with empathetic eyes, without offering any help. I’m with you and promise you that it will get easier, just take it one moment at a time.

Fashionably Yours,

Allison