Options for Working when You Have a New Baby

In an ideal world, all new parents would have the opportunity to devote all their time and energy to their new babies, and would not have to worry about work for several months at least. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. While some people’s employers do permit ample maternity and even paternity leave, many people are not so lucky. But the good news is that, whether you have to go back within days, weeks, or months, there are options for achieving a strong work-life balance. In the end, these options may not work for you, but they are worth at least considering. Part time: The oldest and most reliable option for new parents who want to find a good work-life balance is working part time. This does not work for everyone, but if you have a spouse with reliable employment that can cover most of the bills and your employer is open to the possibility of reducing hours, it can be just what you need. And even better, if there is a way for both you and your partner to work part time and still pay the bills, you can create an almost perfect situation. Telecommuting: Thanks to 21st-century web-based technology, many office jobs do not truly need to be in the office at all. Employers maintain the old ways of doing business due to the obvious benefits of having employees on site, but it cannot hurt to talk to your boss about whether there is any wiggle room for telecommuting with your job. If you suspect it will be a tough sell, then you might propose telecommuting only some of the time—say, two days out of the week, or whatever you think is best. Revised hours: Perhaps it would be possible to compress your work week into three long days of ten to twelve hours so that you can spend the entirety of the other days with your baby. Again, this situation works best if you have a spouse who can enter a similar agreement. If not, you can still make it work beautifully if you have family who can help out or if you can afford childcare on the days that you work. Creative scheduling: If your employer allows it, perhaps you could deviate from the normal work hours to get your work in during times when your spouse or family can be with the baby. Of course, this only works if your employer does not have rigidly set ours of operation. In retail and customer service, for instance, there generally is not much wiggle room. Working from home: If you have work experience that can translate into some sort of home-based business, now might be the time to take the leap. Of course, working from home requires great discipline—you have to be able to force yourself to get your hours of work in, even when face with countless other distractions—but it will be easier when you keep in mind that it is all for the benefit of your family. Freelancing: Thanks to the web, freelance work in all sorts of fields is now more accessible than ever. It can be difficult to get started, especially if you have little or no experience freelancing, but if you are able to put together a strong resume and work portfolio that demonstrates your skill and experience, you can take your career in exciting new directions—and best of all, you can do it while taking care of your baby. By Lisa Pecos