Comments on: The truth about telecommuting and childcare http://gigaom.com/2011/10/13/the-truth-about-telecommuting-and-childcare/ Wed, 22 May 2013 04:40:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Pat Katepoo http://gigaom.com/2011/10/13/the-truth-about-telecommuting-and-childcare/#comment-664973 Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:53:42 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=419795#comment-664973 When proposing a telecommuting arrangement, it’s smart to make it clear to your manager that you have made child care arrangements. I provided some wording here: http://workoptions.com/telecom-depcare.htm

]]> By: dytecture http://gigaom.com/2011/10/13/the-truth-about-telecommuting-and-childcare/#comment-664757 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:55:38 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=419795#comment-664757 It’s definitely more challenging to balance work and home life.

]]> By: Anne http://gigaom.com/2011/10/13/the-truth-about-telecommuting-and-childcare/#comment-664411 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:43:38 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=419795#comment-664411 I work from home as a medical transcriptionist which requires quiet and concentration (most doctors speak as about as clearly as they write!) but also means I have complete flexibility about my hours – as long as the work gets done it doesn’t matter what time of day or day of the week I work. I schedule the majority of my work time either at night when my sons (aged 5 and 6) are in bed asleep or the times my youngest is at kindergarten (3 half-days per week) or daycare (one full day per week). My husband, a teacher, supervises the boys when I work on weekends and school holidays.

I can manage an hour or two of work if just one of my boys is home, especially if I’m doing admin stuff or overtime as I can just log off if I am getting too many interruptions without worrying about not fulfilling my rostered hours. I actually cut down my hours last year as I was having to work about 10 hours/week when my youngest (then aged 3) was home. I couldn’t give him or my work my full attention which wasn’t fair to any of us and I could see it having an impact on his behaviour.

Trying to work during the day with both of them home is a recipe for disaster if there’s no other adult to deal with them. It doesn’t matter how quiet they’ve been for the last two hours, as soon as you log on World War III breaks out over a toy or which DVD to watch and it doesn’t matter how many times you ask Child A if he wants a snack or drink while you’re up making one for Child B, he will only decide that yes, he does want one after all exactly 8 seconds after I’ve sat back down, unlocked my PC, put my headphones back on and typed 3 words.

My youngest starts school next year which means can either expand my hours (I currently work about 20 hours/week) or work only during schooltime. As they get older and more self-sufficient I’ll also be able to work more when they are home.

I’ve heard of some WAHMs who hire a young teen to play with kids, help with snacks, etc, after school as if something goes wrong (someone gets sick or is injured, for example), you’re still there to deal with it rather than paying higher rates for an older, more experienced babysitter you would leave completely in charge of your kids while you went out.

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