Working From Home with Little Kids? Here's What Keeps Me (Mostly) Sane By: Susan Peterson

There’s a strange kind of silence that falls right before your toddler realizes you’re on a

Zoom call. You can feel it coming — the chaos is loading. And yet, here we are, laptops

balanced next to bottles, trying to string coherent thoughts together while someone

screams about yogurt. If you’re a working parent with a baby or toddler at home, you

already know this isn’t normal. It’s survival. Below are the habits, hacks, and hard-earned

truths that have helped me stay employed and (somewhat) emotionally intact while raising

tiny humans from my kitchen table.

Set Up a Space That Works (Even If It’s a Corner)

I used to think I needed a whole room. What I actually needed was a door that closes. If

that’s not an option, even a defined corner with rules — “when the headphones are on,

pretend I don’t exist” — can work wonders. I hung a curtain rod across part of our hallway

and claimed it. Not pretty, but functional. This piece on how to set boundaries and stay

focused helped me stop trying to make it Instagrammable and start making it mine.

Build a Schedule That’s Real (Not Perfect)

Every parenting blog has a sample schedule. I printed one once. My toddler laughed and

immediately tried to eat it. What finally worked was anchoring my day around her rhythms

— naps, snacks, whatever cartoon she’s currently obsessed with. I get a solid 90-minute

window in the morning and a maybe in the afternoon. That’s enough, if I’m honest about

what can actually get done. If you’re looking to sketch out your own version, this guide on

creating a structured daily schedule offers a solid place to start — minus the judgment.

Less Stuff, Less Stress

There was a moment last year when I realized I couldn’t find my laptop under a pile of

plush dinosaurs. That’s when I started decluttering in ten-minute bursts. Not to become a

minimalist — just to clear the mental static. I made a rule: nothing without a home stays on

the kitchen table. Toys rotate in and out. Laundry gets dumped in one room only. This

systems‑first approach to decluttering spoke to me because it was designed for people

who can’t do a total home overhaul — people like us.

Ask for Help — And Actually Accept It

If someone offers to take the baby for an hour, I say yes. Every time. I don’t apologize

anymore. When I needed a consistent break, I teamed up with another remote-working

parent on our block — we trade toddler time in 90-minute shifts. Online parent groups

have also become a lifeline, especially the kind that don’t feel like a highlight reel. These

virtual parent support groups offer just enough structure to feel like you’re not alone

without needing to dress up emotionally.

Give Your Kids Something to Do That Isn’t You

I’m not against screen time, but I do like having options. We’ve got bins filled with sticker

books, magnetic tiles, and this one weird frog puzzle that somehow keeps her attention for

20 solid minutes. It’s not magic, but it’s enough. Sometimes, I just need to finish a thought

before someone asks me what clouds are made of. This roundup of activities for kids to do

with minimal supervision has a few gems we’ve returned to again and again.

Take Care of Your Head Before It Explodes

The hardest thing for me to admit was that I wasn’t okay. I was holding it together for work

and for my kid, but I was running on fumes. I started taking ten-minute walks. I started

saying no to meetings I didn’t need to be in. I started writing things down instead of trying

to remember everything at once. If you’re feeling like you’re about to shatter, this piece on

the impact on your mental health of working without child care is validating — and a bit of

a mirror.

Keep One Eye on the Long Game

I love my kid. I also love the part of me that wants more — a career that feels like mine, not

just something I kept patched together. I’ve been exploring flexible ways to build that

future from my couch, after bedtime, during nap. If that’s you too, check out this resource

on earning a computer science degree remotely. It’s not for everyone, but for some of us,

the idea of learning a real skillset while raising a kid feels like reclaiming something that

got paused.

You’re Not Lazy, You’re Maxed Out

We have this terrible habit of thinking we should be doing more. All the time. But you are

already doing a lot. You’re parenting, working, managing a household, and trying to carve

out five minutes to remember who you are. That’s not a side hustle — that’s a full‑on life.

There’s no perfect balance. Some days, the work wins. Some days, the toddler wins. You’ll

keep juggling. You’ll drop some balls. But you’re here, doing it, and that counts.

Discover hope and healing through shared experiences at Birth Trauma Stories, where Catherine

and her community offer support and resources for perinatal trauma survivors.