Remote work with a 3yo is absolutely brutal

Jan 141 min read

How is anyone managing this? I'm supposed to be in back-to-back Zoom calls all day but my son keeps bursting into my home office asking for snacks, wanting to show me his drawings, etc. My manager keeps asking why I'm not responding to Slack messages fast enough. Daycare is crazy expensive so we thought remote work would save money but now I'm just stressed all the time and barely getting anything done. Wife works retail so she can't help during the day. Anyone figured out a real solution here or is it just impossible?

6 comments112 views

Comments(6)

EEricNew DadJan 15

I gave up trying to have back-to-back calls. Now I build in buffer time and just accept that my calendar looks weird with gaps. My boss gets it.

LLuis M.New DadJan 17

Have you talked to your manager about maybe shifting your meeting times to early morning or afternoon? Even if it doesn't fix everything it might help.

DDanielExperiencedJan 15

Daycare or preschool part time if you can swing it. I did 3 mornings a week and it changed everything about my ability to actually work.

RRick M.RegularJan 16

Noise cancelling headphones saved my life. My son thinks they're magic and I mute myself constantly but at least I can hear people.

MMike T.RegularJan 17

Honestly YouTube and screen time limits went out the window for me during work calls. I feel bad about it but sometimes you gotta survive the day.

MMatt B.RegularJan 17

The 3am wake-up productivity hours have become my best friend. After he goes to bed I'll catch up on work that needs focus. Not sustainable long term but keeps me sane.