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Home › Articles › Child Care › Little Employee of the Month

Little Employee of the Month

Working With Your Toddler So You Can Work at Home

By Laura Cone

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Imagine you are in the middle of an important phone call with a client when you hear the sound of your toddler's bookshelves crashing down. You are worried your client will think you are unprofessional, and you are terrified your toddler might be hurt.

For parents who have work-at-home jobs, home-based businesses or even housework, it's a daily struggle to keep a toddler occupied and safe. But it's not impossible to meet deadlines with a toddler who needs constant attention.

Business Calls to Voicemail
Giesela Grumbach, a licensed clinical social worker and a family life educator with the University of Illinois Extension in Matteson, Ill., says a nap schedule is the key. "If you have to take phone calls, it may be best to do that at the child's scheduled naptime," Grumbach says. "You are talking about a toddler who may be impulsive. They are not going to be able to say, 'Excuse me, Mom, I need to talk to you.' Some are more demanding than others. They don't understand phone calls. They are still self-centered. That's not a judgment; it's their state of development."

When it comes to making phone calls, Grumbach suggests getting up early and taking advantage of naptime. Don't answer the phone if your toddler is crying or having a tantrum. If you have to make or take a brief phone call, make sure you explain the situation to the person on the other end of the line, in case your toddler disconnects your line or decides he needs your attention.

Even though it's tempting to turn on the television for your toddler in the other room, Grumbach, who is a mother of two, says parents still need to watch their toddler. "A parent needs a combination of activities that may help to keep the toddler busy," she says. "It can never be hands off on the parent's part. You still have to attend."


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