*Looking for the video? Scroll down to the bottom!*
Let me begin by saying I know how lucky I am. I have the ideal situation — a great, work from home full time job with good flexibility & good pay. Also, I thoroughly enjoy my job so there’s that bonus!
But what does life look like for me now? Everything has changed for me recently. I moved from Washington, DC to Indiana at the end of October, just about two weeks before Jacob arrived (two weeks early!).
Then I chose to start working again when he was only 6 weeks old. Looking back, I already think everything I did was a bit too much too soon. But..you live and you learn.
Everyday here is a little different because I have a babysitter 2-3x a week and the other two days, I just wing it so I will tell you a bit about both! It may sound boring? I don’t know. Things I don’t include here are the bi-weekly Moms morning meetups I go to (usually at the Library or something) and the bi-weekly MOPS group I attend at a church. Sometimes, I also go to my sister’s house to work for the day and we help eachother out with kid stuff.
What do I do? I’m do digital & social media work full-time for National Review. I also do a little freelance consulting work here and there, as well as keeping up this blog with material & occasional sponsored posts.
How many hours do I work? 8+ hours a day, 45-50 hours a week because I do work some hours on the weekend.
Typical Schedule: Work-at-Home Mom
3am: Wake up to Jacob kicking & moving in his Pack n’ Play. He is not awake but he is noisy. I usually get up to go pee and try to fall back asleep despite the noise.
5am: Hear Rick moving around (he gets up at 4:30 for work) so I tiptoe out of the room to reluctantly start my day! I’m usually really tired from a very unsatisfying night of sleep next to a restless baby. He doesn’t get up to eat during the night much anymore but…the kicking is out of control.
5:15am: Make coffee, pull out computer & begin working.
5:15-7:30am: Work, work, work (eat breakfast) and pray that Jacob doesn’t get up for the day until a normal time.
7:30am: Jacob is up. He takes a bottle, gets a diaper change & new clothes for the day & we hang out.
8am: Might do a quick, 30 minute workout video
8:30-9:45am: Jacob plays on his activity mat or chair happily entertaining himself while I get more work done — woo hoo!
9:45am: Put him in the Swaddle Sack and rock him to sleep (hopefully!)
10-3pm: WORK
10am: Babysitter arrives (2-3 days a week)
10:15am-11am: Daily editorial call with co-workers
10-12pm: Hopefully he naps but you never know. If babysitter is there, I work in the living room or head to Barnes and Noble for a few hours.
12pm: Lunch for both
12-2pm: If I’m home, I put Jacob in his swing, chair or sometimes in a baby carrier and try to work for an hour or two. It all depends on his mood if I’m able to get things done! If sitter is there, obviously, I am able to work work work. Luckily, I have a million different things to keep trying to make him happy!
2-3pm: Time to eat again and try for another nap. We don’t have a consistent napping schedule, we’re getting there. Hopefully he falls asleep and I can continue working. Sometimes I end up getting things done from my phone while he lays in my arms.
3-5pm: Sitter usually leaves around 3pm and then we begin the wait for Daddy to come home! This is my least productive time because Jacob is less happy in the afternoons! Sometimes I just play with him on the floor for an hour or take a long walk, if he will have it! Thank goodness spring weather is here!
4:30-ishpm: Rick gets home from work and I try to give him a minute to unload but pretty quickly hand Jacob off so I can get back to work. Working in news and politics, there is always more to do!
4:30-6:30pm: Continue working while Rick takes over parenting duties.
6:30pm: I usually cook dinner (Hello Fresh! $40 off your first week with this code: JVEAKD — I’m obsessed with them!) and sometimes we take a quick walk down the block to the mailboxes to get some fresh air.
7pm: Time for Jacob’s last feeding of the day and bedtime, which usually takes about 30-45 minutes from start to finish. We bundle him up in the Magic Sleep Suit and rock him to sleep.
7:45pm: Sometimes we eat dinner now, sometimes we eat before bedtime, depends on the day.
8:00pm: Relax, turn on the news and I usually have my computer out to finish a few last things for the day. Rick and I also try to actually talk and be our “old selves” for a few minutes before we fall asleep!
9:30: Almost always in bed by 9:30, praying I fall asleep quickly before the kick monster comes out!
I am not much of a vlogger but I tried cause the lighting was good and I just got a new haircut, plus I put on make up today so yay! I really wanted to Periscope this but I was a little scared to just “go live” so…baby steps:
If you are a work-at-home mom, what tips do you have? How do you make it work for you?