How I Work From Home With a Baby

Ever since Lily was born I’ve been working from home building my little web design business. When COVID hit and forced people to work from home it was business as usual for us. However, many were struggling to balance working and having their baby at home.

Recently one of my sister’s friends asked on Instagram if anyone had any tips for working from home with a baby. My sister passed on what she knew of my routine, so I thought I’d share how I work from home with a baby.

Business Boundaries

Establish a Routine

I’ve worked hard to get a solid routine down with Lily so I know when I can and can’t work. Lily’s morning naps have always been short and sometimes non-existent. Luckily she tends to nap hard in the afternoons. We’re also now starting to drop the morning nap completely, so having that established routine is crucial.

I reserve my mornings for quick meetings or tasks that I can pause and come back to later, such as internal work. I also try to fit exercise in the morning, whether it’s going for a walk with Lily or doing a workout while she plays.

Since her longest nap is in the afternoon that’s when I can really buckle down and focus. I’ll schedule my longer meetings during this time and focus on client work. Oh, and I also take my lunch break. 😉

I use Calendly to schedule client meetings. That way the available slots coincide with Lily’s naps and my availability. I also have clear boundaries set up from the beginning, so my clients know when my meeting days/times are.

Batch Work

Besides client work, I have several tasks that I aim to complete on a weekly basis. I divide them up into different days so I don’t get overwhelmed.

Mondays are my admin (emails, reports, etc.), but they’re also when I schedule personal care appointments that have to be done on weekdays (therapist, chiropractor, business coach, etc.). Joshua has Mondays off, so he’s able to watch Lily.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my meeting days and my editorial days (when I work on blog posts). Wednesdays are for creating and scheduling posts for social media, and Fridays are for catching-up and performing maintenance.

Batch working tasks like these ensure that I get certain things done and I know what to expect. It also allows plenty of breathing room should the unexpected happen or I have a fussy baby day.

Baby Boundaries

Create a Baby-Friendly Work Area

I spend the majority of my day in the office room. This is also the room that has been baby-proofed the most.

Everything within Lily’s reach is either hers or baby-proofed. My IKEA EXPEDIT shelf houses a wide variety of toys, teethers, and stuffed animals, so she has plenty to keep her entertained. Then on the very top shelf where she can’t reach is all my decor. 😉

I have a pet/baby gate that I put up whenever we’re in the room. It has a small door so the animals can go in and out as they please.

All the drawers have child safety latches on them. I swapped out my real plant for a faux one. Joshua installed these cord organizers under our desk.

Not only do they clean up our cords but they prevent little hands from accessing them. 😉 And we’ve got a box outlet cover by my Star Wars shelf. All the outlets in the house are already baby proofed.

Our office room is also on the same level as the nursery, so I’m always close by. We use the Nanit cam and I have the app set up on my iPad.

You Do You, Boo

These are the things that have worked for me ever since I started working from home to build my business. Lily comes first which is why I’ve structured my whole schedule around her. It also helps that I use a tool like Dubsado to automate a lot of tasks within my business.

I also want to acknowledge my privilege and how fortunate I am to be able to work from home with my baby. I know not everyone has that option let alone the means to structure their day the way I do. My hope is that for those you who do have to make it work you find some of my tips helpful. ✨