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Thursday, 14 August 2008 03:00 |
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In this second of a two part series we"re going to discuss what
can be done to balance between child care and giving your child
the attention he deserves.
To balance out the care your child gets between the child care
center and yourself, assuming that both parents have to work or
in the case of a single parent, there are several things that
can be done.
This isn"t always easy, but try to work out a flexible work
schedule with your boss. If both parents work a day job maybe
you can arrange to have one of the parents working either at
night or a staggered shift, say starting at noon and working to
8 or 9. This way one parent will be home with the child most of
the morning and the other parent can be home with the child all
evening, leaving only a few hours each day that the child is
actually in the care of a day center. This may not seem like
much but every hour is something.
Another thing a parent can do is see if it is possible to take
the child to work with him or her for at least a couple of days
a week. Some work places actually have daycare facilities
inside. While it is true that the parent will be spending most
of the time working and not with the child, there is still the
ride to work, lunch and break times and the ride home that they
can spend together. Just this little bit of time to break up the
day can make a big difference in your child"s disposition,
especially if he is old enough to look at the clock on the wall
and know that in a short time mommy or daddy are going to be
picking him up for a nice lunch together.
If neither of those are an option then there is another
alternative that is actually becoming very popular especially
among mothers. That option is to become a Work At Home Mom or
what is commonly referred to as a WAHM. A work at home mom is
just what it sounds like, a mother that does her work out of the
house. Today, with the advent of the computer, this is easy to
do. There are many legitimate opportunities a mother can find on
the Internet that can pay her for the work she does at home,
from stuffing envelopes to typing ads. Of course she has to
carefully check out each opportunity before getting involved, as
there are many scams out there, but once she finds something
with a good reputation, usually a company that is a member of
the BBBOnline, she should be able to make a decent enough income
to justify her staying at home. It may not be as much as what
she would make in an office but when you factor in that there
are no transportation costs, no lunches to pack, etc., the
income may be more than enough to get the family over the hump.
The bottom line is this. We don"t have children to dump them in
a daycare center. Children need their parents. There are ways to
make that happen. It just takes a little effort and a little
compromise.
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Thursday, 07 August 2008 18:01 |
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Juggling children and work can be a challenge, whether you work
outside the home or you are a work from home mom, but, in some
ways, work from home moms face more challenges than moms who
work outside the home. After all, when you"re in a traditional
office, you don"t need to worry that a coworker will burst into
the room and scream "Mommy, he took my doll," just as you are
beginning an important conference call.
So how does a work from home mom manage to keep her children
happy and busy while she is trying to get her job done?
First, you need to let your children know when you are not to be
disturbed. Set up a schedule that includes playtime and work
time and remind them that if they don"t disturb you while you
are working, you will be able to give them your complete
attention during playtime. As a reminder, use a do not disturb
sign on your office door when you absolutely cannot be
interrupted.
Of course, it is easy for your children to behave while you are
working if they have something to do. Fill a box with games and
toys that can only be used while mom is working. Make sure you
add a new puzzle, coloring book, or small toy on a frequent
basis, to keep your children interested.
If you don"t work on the phone, it is a bit easier to keep your
children content when you are working. Set up an office space
just for them, complete with a small table and chairs. Fill a
lunch box with some of their favorite snacks and a few juice
boxes each morning, so you aren"t inundated with requests for
food and drinks. Add a children"s magazine, simple puzzles,
coloring books, and art supplies. When your children are able to
work along side you, the number of interruptions should decrease
drastically.
For moms who really need peace and quiet, but have small
children, a mother"s helper can be a great solution. Since you
will still be in the house, you do not need a fully trained baby
sitter to help out. Instead, look for a teen who has little
babysitting experience, but likes kids. She will probably be
happy to watch your children while you work for the cost of a
few good after school snacks and a few dollars.
Finally, sometimes it"s just not possible to keep your children
quiet and content while you are working. If your child is ill,
you may just need to decide to take the day off. After all, the
reason you are working from home is to have the flexibility to
be there for your children when they need you!
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Saturday, 12 July 2008 13:00 |
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If you"re planning to return to work after your baby is born,
you may be concerned about managing both effectively. It is a
time consuming choice, but many women do continue nursing even
after they go back to work. And, in spite of the amount of time
and dedication it requires, most women who have tried it, have
been happy that they did. Here are some tips to help you manage
the two successfully.
First, decide how you"re going to feed baby while you"re away.
Some women have the caretaker feed the baby formula; others
express breast milk for use while they are away. Either way,
you"ll need to get your baby used to drinking from a bottle. At
about six weeks old, introduce at least one bottle a day, filled
with breast milk or formula, depending upon which you plan to
use when you go back to work, at a time when you will be working
later. Also, be sure to have someone else feed the bottle to the
baby sometimes. This should help your baby get ready for the new
routine.
Once you return to work, you"ll need to express milk at work for
feeding to your baby the next day, if you plan to supplement
with breast milk instead of formula. Be sure to figure out in
advance where you"ll be able to nurse. Fortunately, more and
more workplaces are creating private areas for nursing mothers.
It"s also wise to freeze some breast milk before you go back to
work, just in case you have a day at work that is so harried
that you find yourself unable to nurse.
When you return to work, be prepared for some adjustment time
for you and the baby. If possible, go back part time at first,
to make this adjustment easier for both of you. And, if you can
wait until baby is sixteen weeks old to go back, the adjustment
to the feeding change will be even easier, because the
breastfeeding routine will be better established.
There are many good reasons for continuing to breastfeed after
returning to work. In addition to your baby"s continued
nutritional benefit, you may also find that it"s easier to
return to work knowing that you still have the close
breastfeeding bond in the morning and evening. Take it slow,
work out the kinks, and you and baby should be well on your way
to a very rewarding situation.
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