The Pros and Cons of working from home while caring for babies
Photography by  Alyssa Govas

By Julian Jamie
@julianjamie

As parents we are often faced with a major dilemma: do we quit our careers or do we return to work after having our baby? It’s a decision we all must deliberate; one that is far from simple. One that, for me, was easy at first, but the expense and stress of putting my first child into a full-time daycare in order to go back to my retail job was very much not worth it. Once the financial strain of having a second child while living in an expensive city set in, I knew I had to take a leap of faith and work from home.

Oh, the glory of being “your own boss.” Along with making your own hours and saying “yes” to work you’re actually passionate about, the ability to work from home while caring for young children does indeed have its convenience.

Yes, I am personally grateful for the support I have from my partner and I am grateful for the ability to muster the work ethic you truly need in order to successfully work from home; but it’s not as glorious as one might believe. 

After jolting you and your teething toddler awake at midnight with a “ding-ding,” you can always reply to that email while they take their morning snooze. Or you can wait until Daddy *sings* his fifth nursery rhyme until your newborn finally falls asleep. 

When you work from home you can manage your time well, simply by putting the — don’t judge until you’re desperate like me — television on for your kids while you’re on that client phone-call. 

As parents, our mindset often changes. The way we make our money means more than the amount that’s in our bank account (as long as we can keep a roof over our heads and food in our babies’ bellies). And if you’re willing to cook lunch while breastfeeding your newborn, texting your client, casually browsing mood-boards and brain-storming next week’s project that’s due only a few days away… well then, you’re ready!

Working from home while caring for children brings a new meaning to multi-tasking. It can be overwhelming. You will feel guilty for allowing the toddler to watch too much Peppa Pig while feeding your baby an abundant amount of berries that will likely produce double-the-diaper-changes come bed-time. But what works, works. Right?

You will need to inform (directly or indirectly) your clients that a flexible schedule is important, because children will randomly vomit which means their work may need an extra few hours for completion. You may not look as ‘presentable’ for your meeting if the children woke frequently throughout the night. You may not have the on-call babysitter available for days where you will need them the most. So, ensuring you have a good support team while you work from home and care for babies can be a make or break. 

But hey- if you’re anything like me you’ll do your very best to accomplish everything with little help in order to strive and have it all. But let me warn you about something: If you’re going into this whole work-from-home-while-keeping-two-small-children-alive thing you may have to re-define what “having it all” is for you. I’ve quickly learned it’s different for everyone. Especially me. 

This does not mean that I’ve had to compromise my happiness (and by happiness I mean sanity) too much. It means that my downtime is now sitting on the floor with a * hot* cup of coffee while watching my two children play (never for long: someone will steal the other’s toy). 

You will find joy in the simple things. You will be grateful for the time you are able to spend with your children before the school years; even if that means writing a quick e-mail while you sit them in front of the television. 

Don’t beat yourself up: you may feel guilty about the choices you have to make. But in the end you’re a working mother.

You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. And if your children grow up learning how hard their parents had worked, in order to better their lives, then it’s all worth it.

In the end. 

Right?

Julian Jamie is a full-time mother of two under three. While primarily assistant editor for Mother Muse Magazine, she is also a freelance fashion and life-style writer for numerous websites, blogs and local papers. Julian produces valuable and helpful content for like-minded individuals who are experiencing the same ups and downs as this at-home working mom. Working hard from home in order to take her career ‘to the next level’, Julian is thoroughly fulfilled with the experiences that motherhood brings her.