Working from Home or Telecommunicating with a Toddler
Working from home might seem like a dream job for a stay-at-home mother with a toddler; however, there are both advantages and disadvantages to the situation. These will depend greatly on the nature of the job as well as the child's personality and behavior. Parents should consider the following pros and cons when deciding to telecommute with a toddler.
Pros
Can watch your child while you work
The parent can enjoy the best of both worlds. He or she can enjoy the toddler and get the money from working. He or she might like to work and not want to give it up. Many such jobs have flexible hours. It will work the best if the toddler can entertain himself or herself for a while and if the job can be done at random times.
Money
Babysitters and daycares are very expensive. A parent can earn the extra money that so many families need without spending a good part of it on a nanny or daycare. The money from the stay-at-home job might allow the parent to avoid a job outside the home, giving the toddler and parent more time together.
Cons
Impossible to do the job right
In some cases, the parent will simply not be able to perform the job as he or she must with a toddler in the house. Part of this depends on the actual job. For instance, if the parent needs to be on constant conference calls with clients and a two-year-old is screaming, her position could be compromised. She might not be able to concentrate while her toddler is in the background. If a parent really needs to concentrate for a long time to do the job right, then she might not be able to get the time or the opportunity to do that with the toddler.
Too stressful
Even if the parent can both perform the job and care for the child, he or she might not want to do so. It might simply be too stressful and difficult to go back and forth between both. Raising a toddler is a full-time job in itself.
Cannot properly supervise the child
If the parent is working when he or she should be watching the toddler, than that can be a problem. Toddlers need almost constant supervision, and of course that is the parent's number one job. Also, even if the child's safety isn't at risk, the child might need more interaction with the parent than would be provided with the parent telecommuting.
There is one answer to whether working at home is right for a parent of a toddler. Parents should evaluate their own situation in the context of the points above to decide whether it is right for them.
