Any legit work at home jobs or jobs that allow babies at work?

[smeep]

(Edited to add jobs that allow babies because I didn't want to start a new thread.)

Baby will be here in February and I'm kind of in a bind...(now ex) dp is a UAV and so my plans to stay at home with baby are out the window. I'm currently jobless and staying with a friend. I'm sure I could find a job (eventually) and put baby in daycare but it makes me sooo nervous for many reasons. Are there any REAL, legit work at home jobs?

ETA: Does anyone know of any companies or web sites that list companies that allow babies at work? Not necessarily in the office (though that would be nice!) but even those that have an on-site daycare.

[Phantaja]

I telecommute for Apple. So I'd say yes.

[Ola_]

Yes, but only for real companies. Those "work from home on your own time" ones seem to be junk in my experience. I work for a company that has a physical office and a bunch of local employees, plus a bunch of remote employees that work out of home (usually folks in the US who are far away from where we are located). They do come down a couple of times per year usually for the annual meeting and holiday event. Those of us locally also have the ability to work from home 1-3 days per week (depending on commute distance).

I would look in the area where you already have work experience and try to find a company that has a similar setup.

[sewchris2642]

Just because you work at home won't mean that you won't need child care. Your employer can insist that you be available for a set number and time of hours even if you are working at home. That can mean that you must chose work over the baby during those hours. Also employers can insist that you first work at the business site before being considered for working at home to establish a work record. Another route to working at home is to own your own business. That way you can set your hours and be your own boss. The down side is that it can take longer to earn money and you could still need child care. Day care is the only business that I know of where you can care for your own child while still working. But even then you will have to be willing to put another child's needs before yours. Working is working regardless of where you work.

I've worked at home in my own business (dressmaking) for about 26 years now. The first 16 years were part time. The last 10 years, it's been full time. I went full time when Dylan was 2-3 years old. I still used other care; either family members or day care. I have "office" hours for when I'm working. Since I'm my own boss, I can change those hours as long as I meet my clients' deadlines. But there are also time when I can't be flexible and have to chose work over family.

[1jooj]

My work at home gig started as a full time in-office gig and morphed over time, and I see that happening commonly. There are a lot of companies that offer at-home contracting opportunities, but you are often basically an off-site call center employee. So, you absolutely need childcare, because you usually can't be answering customer service/sales calls with babbling baby in arms.

So much depends on your skills and what's on the market. As others have posted, you'll still need at least some childcare. I know some moms who work in childcare in order to be near their kids for those years until school starts.

Seems to me that you'll be looking for FT work? I recommend contingency planning. Look for all kinds of jobs, and apply for what you're qualified for, regardless of whether the positions are posted as woh or wah. Those details can be negotiated, as I learned. At the same time, you need to investigate childcare options that are both ft and pt. You could end up with a job that is half-and-half from home and at-office (which is a really nice option in my case), or some other configuration.

Keep an open mind, but I recommend looking for positions that work with your interests and abilities, and companies that are a good match culturally, and from there, making the work situation manifest. You can do it, mama.

[smeep]

Yeah, I'm definitely not giving up on any kind of job. There is a certain minimum that I NEED to be paid (and, boy, is that the bare minimum) but I'm searching EVERYTHING. Perhaps I should look into some kind of childcare job. Any clue on how to do that? I don't even have a place right now so doing my own at-home gig wouldn't be an option. I also don't have a car (no clue when I'll get one, at best MAYBE when I get my tax return if I don't have a million other things to pay), so that knocks out a lot of options.

[pumpkin]

I have one, but it's working for my former employer. I only work part-time though they are willing to let me telecommute full-time if I want to switch. The catch is that I can only handle so many hours without childcare. I can't work unless she is napping or I have someone to watch her.

I would start your job search in whatever field you were in before. Can you think of a way it might translate to a flexible position?
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[cchrissyy]

I think Working Mother magazine puts out rankings of best companies to work for. They inclue childcare options and flextime in their factors.

[Starry-eyedMom]

My sister-in-law has been doing WAH medical transcription work for years. Not something you can immediately jump into, but maybe you could look into it if it fits your interests. She said it's hard for her co. to find good, fast transcriptionists.

[blake201]

Check out http://www.babiesatwork.org/ -- it's a list of companies with babies at work programs, a program of http://www.parentingatwork.org/ ... I found those websites via the Attachment Parenting International website. Unfortunately the list isn't super long, but I'm planning to apply to one in my state that allows babies up to 9 months old.

[cyclamen]

I'm currently doing freelance work for the (extremely small, local, family-run) marketing company my boyfriend works for. I do copywriting and social networking consulting. I don't mind the copywriting, but TBH, the social networking thing is really hard, because I'm basically making it up as I go along. I feel like it would be easy as pie if I went to an office every day and had eight hours to just do what I needed to do, but that is not the situation right now, so I am muddling along and so far still getting paid.... Anyhow, on days when I need to come to the office, I get to bring my daughter. I do not have childcare otherwise, although I do some work after she goes to bed, or on the weekends when my boyfriend is home. Some of it just has to get done during the day, though.

My work takes 8-15 hours a week (plus I baby sit one day a week), and it's a rather minimal amount of money after taxes, but it supplements what my boyfriend makes, and I keep my resume current, so even though it's stressful, I'm grateful to have the opportunity.

Anyhow, tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job that you can telecommute. Put it on your facebook. Look for a small, family run local business. These types of places tend to be more flexible. If you get the work done, they won't care what time you do it.

Also, some daycares, like at gyms and fitness centers for instance, will let you bring your kids for free. Most center daycares will only offer you a reduced rate, though.

And, this isn't exactly work from home, but at the public market here (it is both farmers and the middlemen types), I see a lot of people hawking fruit with their kids in tow. You might try finding your local market and asking the vendors if they need help.

[slvsquared]

Check out www.wahm.com and www.demandstudios.com

[Indigo73]

Good luck!  Apply EVERY where. 

My own company has a couple dozen in-office employees and another dozen or so telecommuting employees, most (but not all) who worked in-office before moving to telecommuting.  And I oversee the college interns with their joyful schedules (which I can't complain too much anymore because I now scoot out early two days for classes myself. ;) 

I was able to bring DS to the office until he was 10 months and too vocal, then was fortunate to find an in-home day care until he started full time kindergarten. 

If the resources mentioned above don't pan out.  Look for family run businesses. Bosses with school aged kids of their own are usually more accomodating.

[GoGoGirl]

I would talk to everyone you know and tell them you're looking for a job you can bring your baby to.  I ended up getting a job through word of mouth--a friend of my SIL told me about a job opening at a company where she used to work.  It's a field I've never worked in (bookkeeping) and not one I would have ever thought to apply for. 

It's working out really well...I started working there 6 months ago, when DD was 14 months old.  We work every day for about four hours.  My boss is really flexible, so if I need to come late because DD slept in, or leave early because she's having a crazy tantrum, he doesn't mind.  The only downside is that it's hard to keep an active toddler happy and mostly quiet in a small shared office!