At the height of the pandemic in 2020, my son was born. When it was time for me to return to work, I was not yet comfortable putting him in daycare. With COVID circulating, I could not imagine my newborn in a setting away from home. As a teacher, I had to conduct distance learning, and I chose to keep my son home. My new workspace now strangely involved two monitors, a backlight for Zoom, and a Pack ’n’ Play filled with toys.
Six months of teaching — with my son literally on my lap — was not an easy task, and it showed me that organizing my time was a must. Now many mothers either have to work from home out of necessity or are choosing to do so. For the moms heading into this new way of life, there are ways to make it work.
Who’s at home: Work-from-home stats
Be good to you: Work from home tips
Aside from managing your time, your overall well-being is most important while caring for your baby and handling your job. Try out these tips to help you feel successful at the end of the day:
- Create breaks within the day. Find moments where you can rest and reset.
- Create an "already done" list. Focus on the things you have achieved that day while parenting and working. "Write down your completed to-dos, all of your projects — large and small," advised Daisy Dowling, CEO and founder of coaching and consultanting firm Workparent, on her blog.
- Enlist your partner's — or friend's or family's — help. Allow them to take over kid duty while you put in some solid time "at the office."
- Hire outside help. Seek out a high school student, who might cost less than a college student or an adult.
- Sneak in a quick workout session. Put on a 10-minute yoga video or place your baby in a carrier and take a brisk walk outside. A few minutes of getting your blood pumping might be the relief you need.
- Avoid feeling guilty. Let go of the feeling that you aren't doing enough, and celebrate what you are accomplishing.
