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How do you juggle WFH with a baby?

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Re: How do you juggle WFH with a baby?

#11

Post by adastra22 »

tptacek wrote: post #10
tobinfricke wrote: post #3

I'm sure that some people are able to make it work, but in general the answer is: you don't. Taking care of a baby is a full time job in and of itself, associated with frequent interruptions and sleep deprivation.

People do it all the time. We did it. In our industry, in two-tech-worker families, there's a norm of staggered parental leave. Contrary to a lot of popular opinion, taking care of an infants or toddler isn't a full time job. In fact, even if you're especially attentive, there are long, long stretches of downtime.

Taking care of a newborn baby is absolutely full-time job. I don't know how to interpret "we did it as two full-time tech workers" other than "we grifted our employers by getting paid full-time to work part-time as we juggled having a baby at home."

I'm as pro-natal as they come, but a newborn should have your full undivided attention.

Re: How do you juggle WFH with a baby?

#12

Post by zimzam »

tptacek wrote: post #10
tobinfricke wrote: post #3

I'm sure that some people are able to make it work, but in general the answer is: you don't. Taking care of a baby is a full time job in and of itself, associated with frequent interruptions and sleep deprivation.

People do it all the time. We did it. In our industry, in two-tech-worker families, there's a norm of staggered parental leave. Contrary to a lot of popular opinion, taking care of an infants or toddler isn't a full time job. In fact, even if you're especially attentive, there are long, long stretches of downtime.

Parental leave is definitionally not working.

Re: How do you juggle WFH with a baby?

#13

Post by tptacek »

adastra22 wrote: post #11
tptacek wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People do it all the time. We did it. In our industry, in two-tech-worker families, there's a norm of staggered parental leave. Contrary to a lot of popular opinion, taking care of an infants or toddler isn't a full time job. In fact, even if you're especially attentive, there are long, long stretches of downtime.

Taking care of a newborn baby is absolutely full-time job. I don't know how to interpret "we did it as two full-time tech workers" other than "we grifted our employers by getting paid full-time to work part-time as we juggled having a baby at home." I'm as pro-natal as they come, but a newborn should have your full undivided attention.

We raised two. They turned out great. It was not a full-time job.

Re: How do you juggle WFH with a baby?

#15

Post by tptacek »

zimzam wrote: post #12
tptacek wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People do it all the time. We did it. In our industry, in two-tech-worker families, there's a norm of staggered parental leave. Contrary to a lot of popular opinion, taking care of an infants or toddler isn't a full time job. In fact, even if you're especially attentive, there are long, long stretches of downtime.

Parental leave is definitionally not working .

It's also temporary.

Re: How do you juggle WFH with a baby?

#20

Post by blackeyeblitzar »

The reality is that raising a baby requires full time attention of one person and really even more than what one person can give. Our social and economic systems have not evolved to recognize this reality and support it properly. Even with one person full time, you do need help to catch up on chores or to just take a break or to keep yourself in a good mental state. Otherwise, you aren’t going to be able to give what is needed. Anything less, and you are definitely dropping the ball SOMEWHERE to make it work - you’re either hurting your own health or depriving your child of parenting/attention or whatever else. There’s no shortcut and I simply do not believe anyone says everyone just makes it work. Sorry they only do that by providing a reduced amount of parental attention to their baby, full stop.
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