Taking Care of Business While Taking Care of Your Baby

Sometimes being a stay-at-home dad isn't enough. Don't get me wrong, taking care of your little one is the most important job one can have. But a lot of parents miss working a regular job.

Is it even possible to work and take care of your child at the same time? I've been trying to answer that question. Unfortunately, the answer is not a definitive "yes" or "no." In other words, it depends.

When I say working and parenting, I don't mean dropping your kids off at school, going to work and picking them up sometime later that afternoon or evening. I'm talking about caring for a baby or a young toddler while having a job.

Of course, in order for this to be practical, your job would have to be one where you can work from home. So you either need to find a company and boss that will give you a lot of flexibility, or, you need to start your own business, and be your own boss.

The latter probably applies to most working stay-at-home parents. A lot of them have freelance-type jobs like graphic designer, writer/blogger, and the like.

I found this article on CNN.com that talks about what are called WAHM - work at home mom. But for the purposes of this blog, we'll substitute "mom" for "dad" (WAHD). Here's a snippet from the article that shows the mostly positive side of being a working parent:

Brooke Hall, who runs a Web design business (brookehalldesign.com) and stays home with her 10-month-old son, Owen, is happy doing both. "I get to be here for the first giggle and step, and yet working from home gives me an identity other than 'mom,'" says the 27-year-old from Dublin, California. "I'm still the same person I was before the baby -- partly due to my continuing professional life."

It can be a crazy juggling act on some days, but most WAHMs say the multitasking is worth it. "The best part of the work/kid combination is that I'm not lost and drowning in diapers and plastic building blocks," says Amy McAllister, 23, of Elk Grove, California, who teaches others how to bake and decorate cakes and is studying to be a licensed acupuncturist. "I feel strong as an individual, which makes me a better mother and an even better role model to my 2-year-old son."

I think it is very important for any parent to have an identity that is more than just being a mom or dad. Changing poopy diapers has its merits, but there's nothing wrong with keeping a toe in the professional world too.

The hardest part is multitasking, if you can even call it that. When I'm at home with my DS, I'm pretty much engaged with him in one way or another all the time. Nap times are a 2-3 hour luxury that lets me get other stuff done.

While playing with my son I can still do stuff like check email and respond to messages. I can also make a call or two (as long as he's being quiet). A lot of little things can be done. The question then becomes: How far do you take it?

By that I mean, do you let your little one play on the floor while you work at the table? If you have a baby, it can be more challenging or easier depending on your baby's temperament. It boils down to how you will balance getting actual work done and giving your child the attention and care he/she deserves.

I've found that as my DS gets older, he is more independent and is happy to play with his toys for a while, usually not more than 10-15 minutes at a time - if I'm lucky. It never fails though, as soon as I try to do something, he decides to have a temper tantrum.