Can you describe a typical day balancing your work and caregiving responsibilities?
I’m up at 6am to get ready. Sometimes Frankie wakes up and joins me, and other days I have to wake her once I’m set. I haven’t decided which is quicker - it depends on the day! One thing I’ve learned: you can’t rush a toddler. Getting out the door on time feels nearly impossible.
Once we’re out, I drop her at daycare. Most days we just make it in time for breakfast - by the skin of our teeth. After our goodbye kisses, I tackle traffic and catch the train for an hour-long ride to work.
Workdays are full-on, but once I’m there, it’s nice to be out of the house, dressed up, and focused on something engaging. My mum picks Frankie up in the afternoon since I’d never make it in time, and spends time playing, feeding, and bathing her.
I usually get home around 7pm and squeeze in an hour with Frankie before bedtime - whether she actually goes to bed then is another story! I’m lucky that Mum feeds me on workdays, so I just clean up and prep for tomorrow. If I’m lucky, I get 20 minutes of ‘me time’ before bed.
My work-from-home days are a little less hectic, and I’m grateful for the flexibility of hybrid working.
Tell us about a time when you had to juggle caregiving and work and failed spectacularly. What would you do differently next time? What support would have helped?
While my parents were away for a month, I worked from home full-time to manage caregiving. During that time, Frankie was sick and home from daycare for about a week. I was trying to juggle both caregiving and work.
For the most part, it was okay - but one day, I had to present at our Team Townhall. Just as I began speaking, Frankie climbed into my lap and loudly announced to the whole meeting that she had pooped. I finished the presentation, muted myself, turned off the camera, and changed her on the floor while still dialled in.
While I managed to “make it work,” it was very stressful and I didn’t feel like I did either job, caregiver or professional, particularly well that week. Next time, I’d remind myself that work can survive without me, delegate where possible, and focus on caring for Frankie. Reprioritising is far better than trying to do it all and feeling like you’re failing at both.
