Testimony of a Work-From-Home Mom
Every day people say to me; “You’re lucky you get to work from home and spend more time with your little one”. What people don’t understand is I spend the whole day WORKING! And I mean working.
At the start of my new work-life structure between chores and the endless marathon of meetings that could have been emails, I spend less time bonding with my daughter than I hoped.
The worse part is that early on I didn’t even realise what was happening.
Day in, and day out, I constantly ignored my daughter, constantly saying no to everything without even knowing.
“I can’t go to the park right now.”
“Go play somewhere else-I’m busy.”
“Mommy can’t play dress-up with you because she has a call with Mr X”.
But it came to a point I had to answer a fundamental question (for the second time) Are my “meetings that could have been emails” more important than she is?
They weren’t!
Our relationship is way better now. And I’d love to think I’ve gotten better at Work-from-home and family time balance. Here are a few things that helped me create more time for my daughter;
- Taking advantage of my daughter’s routine: I get a lot of work done during naptime or when my daughter is at school. Not always doable but when I can it’s quite helpful.
- Built a mini play area in my office: You’d be amazed how helpful having a playmat in the far corner of your office would be.
I would join my daughter on her playmat when I’m not actively attending to calls and emails or when I need a break from work. I got the Milk It Baby Play Mats from a vendor in Lagos, TheCuddleClub.
They have a variety of sustainable and non-toxic-themed playmats. I went with the Paris Playmat because Paris holds a special place in my heart. The first trip we ever took as a family was to Paris. Sometimes, we pretend to be tourists and explore Paris from this little corner of my office.
We can see the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, and The Seine. We also use the playmat for yoga and meditation. Yes, my 3-year-old does yoga, or maybe she tries to. I swear, I enjoy this playmat more than she does. It gives me so much joy to share our day.
- Bonding over chores: Activities like shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry or decorating provide an opportunity to bond with my kid. She especially enjoys shopping, cleaning and decorating.
Recently, her dad got her the cutest baby/toddler shopping trolley and toy cleaning set. When we go for a grocery run, she brings her trolley and shops for whatever she wants-mostly dolls and of course candy, inevitably ending up in a long nap when she gets in the car. Presenting mama with a much-needed opportunity to get some work done.
- Going on family adventures: During the weekends we make a point of going on an adventure where phones and computers aren’t invited.
- Bedtime stories: I’ve often underestimated the importance of a thoughtful bedtime routine. Needless to say, I don’t anymore LOL! having a bedtime routine where you read a story together can help children stay calm and reduce stress levels which will help them to sleep better.
With all the busyness of parenting, it’s nice to have a little time for sitting and relaxing with a story.
If you are quitting your 9-5 to have more time for your little ones, know this; working from home doesn’t mean you’ll automatically have more time for your kids.
Being a work-from-home parent is more difficult in a whole different kind of way. It’s no longer about not seeing your kids while you are at work. It’s about appreciating your little ones even though you see them all the time.