Tips for Parentwerkin’ - That’s "Parenting While Working"
Updated: Aug 5, 2020
I feel like I've probably complained enough about how difficult it is to work from home while also parent your womb fruit at the exact same time. It’s a task that is basically not humanly possible. I saw a post that said something to the tune of, “There is a reason we are stay-at-home parents, full-time working parents, part-time working parents or teachers...those are four different jobs not meant to be done simultaneously.” I felt that in my soul. It gave me permission to admit that this is hard AF! I can’t decide what’s harder, having a toddler full time during this time or a school-age child whom you have to homeschool. Either way, parents around the country are doing the best they can to make this new arrangement work for them.
So how are Ben and I making it work? I got the idea to share these tips from fellow Blogger Mama, Caitlin Ladd, on St. Louis Moms Blog.
Communication - Every night we discuss what’s on the docket for each of us for the next day. We try not to schedule calls until we know what works for the other person’s schedule. We communicate all day as things pop up. Pre-pandemic we kept a joint Apple calendar to help us organize our lives outside of work, so we’re no strangers to working together on schedules.
Separate working spaces - I totally get this is not possible for everyone! We are lucky enough (for now) to have enough space to make this work. I am stationed in what will be P’s nursery and Ben is in our “workout room.” Both rooms have doors that lock to avoid having Dom burst in while we’re on calls. We even purchased a WiFi extender to make sure we each have ample WiFi to keep our workdays going.
Tag teaming parenting - We figured out that during the day, there isn't a need for both of us to be with Dom. That means one is working while the other is parenting from the hours of 8 am-4:30 pm. The exception to this is when Dom is having meltdown after meltdown. We have a bit of an unspoken rule that if you reach a break in your work before our agreed upon switch time, go help the other parent out. This is mostly Ben helping me out since being 7-months pregnant means I tire out faster than Ben.
Screentime - Dom is getting more screentime than he has ever gotten, and while I do really hate it, it's because we're in survival mode. There are times when both Ben and I need to be plugged into work, so we need the iPad to keep him occupied while we work.
Patience - I think the phrase "give yourself grace" is being a bit overused (by me as well), but never has it been more true that during a pandemic. Ben and I try to give each other the grace to do what needs to be done to survive. This means he may make a different parenting decision that I wouldn't have. I may load the dishwasher in a way he hates. But this is a time to give each other the space needed to stay sane. The nitpicking can wait....a month or so.
What are some things you and your partner are doing to manage both work and parenting during this pandemic?
Whatever you're doing to stay sane, keep rocking it.
xoxoxxx,
Rashida