I've got an important client call at 2pm and my kid just discovered he can unlock doors. My wife is taking him out but knowing my luck he'll get sick or something will happen. How do you guys stay focused when your home office is also your parenting office? I feel like I'm failing at both.
The door unlocking phase is rough. Our son figured that out last year and suddenly baby gates weren't enough. You might want to invest in some door locks that require a bit more finesse.
Remote work with a toddler discovering new abilities is chaos. The door unlocking thing would send me into panic mode too. Fingers crossed he stays healthy and you get through that call.
Two year olds and door locks are a nightmare combo. I feel that Murphy's Law energy hard. Hope the call goes smooth, but honestly if something happens at least you've got a legit reason to reschedule.
That's the working parent struggle right there. You're doing your best juggling all of it. Just remember even if it doesn't go perfectly, you're still showing up for both your job and your kid.
Remote work with toddlers is basically a myth. Everyone pretends it works and then you have a 2 year old screaming in the background of a client call. Good luck out there.
This is my current reality and I feel your pain. I had to explain to my boss that I might have some background noise during calls. Set boundaries where you can and maybe try early morning calls before he's fully awake?
Oh man I have been there. My advice: lock your door, mute is not off, and pray they don't discover the unmute button. I once had a kid press pause on my screen right in the middle of explaining quarterly projections.
This is why I told my boss I can't do back-to-back calls between 1-3pm anymore. Just told him I had learned the hard way. He got it.
I've had to take calls from my car in the driveway before. Not ideal but at least the 2 year old can't interrupt from there. Hang in there, this phase passes.
Could your wife handle some errands or entertainment during that 2pm slot? Even just knowing you've got an hour of solid coverage might give you enough breathing room to get through the call without catastrophe.
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The door unlocking discovery is a game changer for chaos. Have you tried one of those childproof locks on the inside handle? Might buy you some call time at least.