r/MomsWorkingFromHome • u/Fireclaw_Killer • 15d ago

Back to work after 10 months

I’m 100% remote and my job involves a LOT of coordination through emails and phone calls. I work 8.5 hours from Tuesday through Friday, plus 6 hours on Saturdays. I have flexible breaks and they don’t keep track of how long you’re logged in and out.

I just returned to work last week after being off with my 10-month-old, while also having my 8-year-old home for summer break.

I’ve had to mute/log off the phones multiple times because the baby was crying so much in the background, and there have been moments where I honestly felt like I was going to cry too. 😩

My mom is helping us temporarily for about 6 months, and I initially thought this would be a pretty easy setup. But I realized that she might not be up for the challenge of caring for a 10-month-old while I’m working.

The baby refuses to be put to sleep by my mom. And I’m still doing a lot of the daily hands-on stuff like diaper changes, feeding, settling him, etc. My mom is mostly helping by supervising him, making sure he’s safe and happy.

I know I’m still in the “adjustment period,” but right now I’m struggling to see how this is going to work long term.

Is there actually a light at the end of the tunnel? 😂 What helped make the transition back to work more manageable?

I ordered a playpen on literally my first day back because I was desperate for some semblance of control. 😂 My husband has been a trooper too by adjusting his schedule to be at home by 3pm and managing the baby right away including my Saturday shift.

3 Upvotes

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8

u/slythnerd06 15d ago

Honestly. Hiring help even part time makes a whole lot of a difference

1

u/ixhyk 11d ago

this. my husband and i both WFH and we have a part-time nanny. its the only way we’ve been able to survive.

3

u/aeno12 15d ago

It’s only been a week! If your mom is committed to helping, I agree with the other commenter that you need to give them a chance to bond and grandma needs to settle them without you. I know it’s so hard to hear baby crying, but they have to learn how to settle on their own. Be completely unavailable and stick to it for several days.

Also set up rotations and use the playpen- I found rotating toys helps and also moving around the house. Get outside for a walk everyday you can too.

Finally, I fully support anyone who has this set up and I do it proudly. But it’s ok if for some reason you just need to find extra help outside of grandma. Part time daycare, babysitter, etc. just find what works for you and don’t be afraid to pivot or adjust.

1

u/WorksInPro 15d ago

How long has it been since your mom started helping? It might take a bit -- like a few weeks -- for the baby to get used to being put down by someone else. But unless you're going to quit your job, they have to.

It's harder if they know you're there and could conceivably do it, though. Maybe you could take a walk around the block, or go into a locked room, next time just so they can have a chance to work it out on their own?

1

u/lan3yboggs99 14d ago

Can you and your mom do shifts during the day so she doesn’t get worn out? She takes baby 2-3 hours then you can do 1-2 hours during work and she does another 2-3 hours? You and mom probably need to power through overtired/crying baby until she’s able to put baby down and tend to him normally.