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I have been working (programming) from home for 6 years now and have 3 children (7, 5, 2). It is certainly possible, but I think the most important thing is a home office. An office with a locking door is essential. I always work in my office with the door shut. If I have a conference call or really need to put my head down I will lock the door. Every now ...

What most of the answers imply but don't out and out say which should be made absolutely clear is that if you're the one caring for the child (as opposed to just being in the house at the same time as the child and the other parent/nanny/carer) it's close to impossible in the long term. Generally the workable situations people talk about assuming another ...

We're still relatively new to the situation (7 months in; 3 if you discount the leave my wife and I took from work after our son was born), but we've definitely noticed some pros and cons, particularly in the daycare vs. nanny/SAH parent. Pro Socialization. We've definitely seen some real boost in developmental growth in certain areas due to the time our ...

From all the classes I have taken (I have a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies), we learned that the primary factors influencing child outcomes when both parents work is the happiness of the parents with their roles. Looking back through one of my textbooks (Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support 7th ed. by Roberta ...

As a former military wife, I had to work through this stuff with my son, too. The most important things you can do are to help them understand what's going on, provide a connection to Daddy when he's gone, maintain consistent routines and expectations, and give your kids a sense of control over things. I suggest: Keep a family calendar so they can see ...

You are asking very difficult question. I grew up with a working mom in a former Soviet Union, and most of my classmates had working moms. I don't think it had any negative impact. On the positive side, I was pretty independent from around 9 years old - I took public transportation and went to activities myself. Luckily she was pretty flexible when it ...

You're only 25 years old, your oldest hasn't even started school yet, your youngest is 9 months old, and you want another? Wow, your wife is in a hurry. My immediate impression is that your wife is living in a dream world, striving toward some fantasy that she perhaps hasn't shared with you yet. You definitely need to talk more - and go deeper in those ...

It turns out that most of these laws vary state to state. I did some research and this site has the US federal, and state by state laws relating to breastfeeding. In my own state, Oregon, Or. Rev. Stat. § 653.075, § 653.077 and § 653.256 (2007) allow women to have unpaid 30-minute breaks during each four-hour shift to breastfeed or pump. Allows certain ...

I've been working from home for years, have 2 kids (6yrs old and 3) and it is possible to get work done and be productive. You need to establish how and when you work and be consistent. Kids need for the rules to apply everytime so what ever you come up with stick to it. I will work with the door to my office closed if I cannot be disturbed and even a 1 ...

Toddlers go through phases quickly, and it sounds like he's in the middle of a NEVER PUT ME DOWN phase. It sounds like he is just crying as a way to relieve stress -- in his mind, he had a tough day, and when you're finally home he wants to let you know just how hard it was being a toddler all day long. (I think that is perhaps why he cries even more if you ...

I'm late to the party, but I have a little bit to add. I've been working from home with an infant/toddler for over a year. No daycare, mom works part time. The main difference is the social aspect. The secondary one is you have to take your normal amount of telecommuting discipline and multiply it by 5. As everyone else has said (it's the best advice) ...

It's normal for spouses to have disagreements, even on the big things. It doesn't necessarily mean your marriage is in trouble. It means you have a problem to work through together. Hopefully you talked about children before deciding to get married. However, even if you did, no one really understands what being a parent is like until they experience it. ...

It's just like anything else. You set limits and you enforce them. Being a video game enthusiast myself, I wanted to point out a few things you might want to consider in setting those limits. Some games are very easy to set down at any time, and some aren't. Some games can only be saved at fixed checkpoints. Some have cut scenes that can't be paused or ...

In the USA, Federal law requires accommodations be made for nursing mothers to pump, but there are a lot of conditions and exceptions, including whether the employee is otherwise exempt from wage and overtime laws, whether the employee is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, and whether the employer has fewer than 50 employees. Local jurisdictions ...

The child is 7, so the parent should still assert a strong influence on him. Assuming you are talking about home video games (xbox and such) or handhelp (DS and such): If the child can play a game and stop after half an hour, I do not think they have a problem. If they are asked to stop after half an hour and refuse to or throws a tantrum, then there ...

As a teacher and a recently back to work mom, I think there are more cons than pros. I know that many feel that there are many pros, but my experience is that by and large, your child will care more about time with you rather than money and things from you. I know when I think about my childhood I think about the time my mother took with each of us every day ...

I am sorry that you will have to work. It will be as hard on you as it is on the kid. It is also good that you are thinking about it now. Day Care This needs to get figured out quickly, because much depends on the day care you select. Schedule Figure out what your morning schedule will look like, and move toward it immediately. You may need to adjust the ...

We didn't end up using everything that we bought before our baby was born. Some things, like baby oil, sounded useful but weren't. Someone may find a particular item necessary, but as time goes on, you may develop different opinions. I would recommend buying as little as possible before the baby is born, and then buy a few things at a time as you need them. ...

Some people work on switching day and night patterns for the baby, so there is lots of being awake and eating while mum is home, and mostly sleeping and not feeding while mum is away. This has its own downsides, of course, but it is something that works for some people. More realistically, you are probably going to use bottles in the daytime, whether they ...

I think you have already listed some of the pros and cons and many families cope with large numbers of children. This question really boils down to the relationship between you and your wife, possibly mediated by a counselor as suggested by DA01. So not really a parenting question. What can you and your wife agree on?

Take a break. Our daughter must not have been more than a few months old when I just needed a break. I put her in her crib ("somewhere safe") and took a 30 minute shower. She cried. A lot. But I needed the break. It would've been worse for us had I not taken the break. Quite frankly, I don't think she cares or remembers anymore (she is 1!). Since then, ...

Get out of the house. Put raincover on a stroller and just walk around. Go to library - this is the best. In US they often have a space for kids with toys and baby books. Go to the mall. IKEA (if you have one around) might have a playspace for small kids. Go to the indoor playground. There is got to be a toy which will keep him busy for a while, for my son ...

As a new parent I know how easy it is to over think this question. By doing so you end up with a lot of things you will never use and/or don't need. My list does not differ much from the other answers; I just suggest thinking about it differently. The basic needs of your child will fall into the constraints of the basic needs of any human being. Food ...

Since neither of you knows how to cook you may wish to have a look at CBeebies Cooking Game. The game essentially consists of interactive, visual, step by step instructions of a number of different recipes. The instruction of the recipes used in the game are child friendly and easy to understand. I made tomato spirals last week with a 4 year old. I let her ...

In the particular area I live, it actually seems the opposite, here it seems a very common configuration is preschool with "extended day" care options, and full-day daycares that feature a preschool curriculum, whereas preschools that are "just" preschools are harder to find. What kinds of preschools are common probably depends a lot on the demographics of ...

Having worked in a nursery for several years, I can say that it is very common for parents to have their child or children come "full-time"- that is 7-8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Sometimes from as young as 3 months. Mostly, this was not the parents' ideal plan, but bills need to be paid, so sometimes circumstances must dictate. In my experience, what ...