5 Reasons Why Working From Home With a Toddler is a Curse

Work from home is a boon or a curse for mothers?

Working from home with a toddler around looks like this.

(Photo: The Quint)

Once upon a time ‘Work from home’ sounded fun. But now that it is becoming the new normal, it’s no more fun.

Thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, we are all trying our best to be responsible citizens and stay behind closed doors. But working from home is getting harder with a 14 month old running around the house screaming “Mamma! Mamma! Mamma!”

There are a million reasons for why I want to go back to office, so badly. But I decided to list down 5 reasons, why this work from home culture is a curse for mothers with toddlers.

1. Clingy And How

I am telling you these children can smell mommy from quite a distance. Even if I am working in the other room, she knows 'mamma is around' so all she wants is me. Which is surely an amazing feeling that my child wants me but when I am working and my baby keeps nagging to be around me, believe me, one can't work. And do not forget, we live in Mumbai’s pigeon hole houses.

2. Nanny Thinks You Are on a Paid Holiday

My nanny has been with us almost for a year and she is very efficient and responsible but because I am home, all those qualities have flown out of the window. Suddenly, she wants me to decide what the baby will wear, eat, and even hand her to me if she is crying, all this while I am trying to meet my deadlines.

3. Laptop Becomes Their Fav Toy

Since I have started working from home, I have realised that my baby girl has lost interest in every toy in her toy box. All she cares about is the laptop and earphones. Protecting the laptop at any given time is my top most priority.

4. The ‘Mom Guilt’ Factor

I expected work from home to be a breeze. I’ll work and whenever possible will spend lots of time with baby which means zero mom guilt. And then reality hits me. Sitting in the next room trying to finish an article which you have to submit in half an hour and hearing your daughter cry in the other room just breaks your heart. You want to go and hug her because that’s the only think that will calm her down but if you do that you will end spending the next one hour with her and your work will suffer. Grrrhhh....the horrible feeling.

5. Cutest Distraction Ever

How can you resist that cute face? You know you have work to do and deadlines to meet but you succumb to that naughty smile. Because someone said, “These days will never come back, work can wait.”