The answer, of course, varies depending on the age of your child and their own particular sleep patterns.
This chart, from ParentCenter, shows the average amount of sleep that children between two years of age and eight years of age. For comparison's sake, adults typically need seven or eight hours of sleep each night.
If your family fits into the averages shown on the charts it's easy to see that you could possibly get as much as 7 1/2 hours of working time in while your child slept. (15.5 hours average daily sleep for a two year old minus 8 hours average daily sleep for an adult.)
The true number of work hours that you get in while your child is asleep is likely to be a little lower, though.
- There are a lot of variables that affect the number of hours your child sleeps. He or she may be sick. They may be teething. Or, they might have had too much sugar.
- There may be other chores that you need to do while your child asleep. (Like doing the dishes, house cleaning, or laundry, for example.)
The balance between family and work is a fragile, but important, one. Finding that balance is something that you will need to work on as long as your child lives at home. Finding a working schedule that works for your family is just part of balancing the work/life equation.
Here are some additional posts with tips about balancing parenting and working:- How to Make Working From Home Work For You from Revolution Health provides some tips for finding balance.
- Getting Work Done At Home from Mom Works At Home discusses the importance of setting goals.
- Balancing Work & Family from FreelanceSwitch. I really liked the way that this blogger makes time for his family.
Leave a comment and let us know.
I have four children ages 5 months, 2 years, 4 years and 10 years. The only one I have that sleeps during the day is the baby.
My days are pretty busy and I like to work in the evenings when all of my kids are in bed and I can relax and really work and not have to worry about someone waking up when I am in the middle of working on something. . It is 1:28am EST as I type this! LOL
Posted by: WAHM Tara | March 8, 2008 11:29 PM | Permalink to Comment