How to work from home with a toddler (and still get calls done)
To work from home with a toddler, split your work into two piles: quiet, focused work (live calls, Zoom meetings, anything a client hears) goes into protected blocks like nap time, early mornings or childcare hours, and flexible work (admin, messages, CRM updates) fills the gaps when your little one is awake. Be honest with yourself that live calls need someone else watching your toddler most of the time, whether that’s a partner, family or paid care. Mums (moms in the US) in Australia and the US make this work every day with a schedule, a backup plan and a good headset, not with superpowers.
Why toddlers and calls are the hard combination
A baby naps a lot and stays where you put them. A school-age kid can watch a show for 40 minutes. A toddler is somewhere in between: mobile, loud, curious about your laptop, and completely uninterested in your meeting schedule. Plenty of WFH tasks survive interruptions. A sales call or client Zoom does not, because the person on the other end has booked time with you and deserves your full attention.
So the goal isn’t “work all day with a toddler on my lap”. It’s matching the right task to the right window. If you want the bigger picture on routines, roles and returning to work, our guide to working from home after having kids covers the general plan. This one is about the practical bit: getting calls done.
Which tasks work with a toddler around?
Use this as your sorting rule. Anything marked “No” or “Rarely” goes into protected time. Everything else can happen around play, snacks and the 400th reading of the same book.
| Task type | Toddler-compatible? | Best window |
|---|---|---|
| Live sales calls (closing, discovery calls) | No. Needs full quiet and focus | Childcare hours, partner time, or a solid nap |
| Client or team Zoom meetings | Rarely. Short, camera-off check-ins sometimes | Nap time or childcare hours |
| Appointment setting by message (DMs, SMS, email) | Mostly yes. Can pause mid-conversation | Any awake time, in short bursts |
| CRM updates, call notes, data entry | Yes | Toddler playing nearby, early evening |
| Prepping for calls (reading lead notes) | Partly. Needs 10 to 15 calm minutes | Just before a protected call block |
| Learning: training videos, podcasts | Yes, with headphones in one ear | Playground, pram walks, quiet play |
| Role play and practice calls | No. Needs focus like a real call | Evenings after bedtime |
| Invoicing, scheduling, inbox | Yes | Any gap |
This is one reason appointment setting by message is a popular starting point for mums of little ones: much of the work can pause and restart. Closing is mostly live calls, so it needs more protected time. Our comparison of remote closer vs appointment setter goes deeper on the day-to-day difference.
Build call blocks around nap time and early mornings
According to the CDC’s sleep guidance, toddlers aged 1 to 2 need 11 to 14 hours of sleep in 24 hours, including naps, and preschoolers aged 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours. That sleep is your most predictable quiet time, but naps shift, shrink and eventually disappear, so treat them as a bonus window rather than your whole plan.
The nap-time call block
- Book calls 15 minutes after nap usually starts, not right at the start. That gives your toddler time to actually fall asleep.
- Keep nap-time calls to one, or two at most. Don’t stack three back to back and hope for a long sleep.
- Do the prep before nap, so the whole window is call time, not reading time.
- Have the monitor on silent with the screen visible so you can see them without hearing them on your mic.
The early-morning or evening block
If your partner can take the morning shift, early calls can be gold. This works especially well across time zones: AU mums working with US businesses often find US afternoon calls land in the Australian early morning, and US mums working with AU clients find the reverse in their evenings. Block those slots in your calendar so nobody books you at 3pm when your toddler is at peak chaos.
Set your calendar so it protects you
Only open booking slots inside your protected windows. If you use a booking tool, set buffers between calls and a cap on calls per day. It’s much easier to say no to a time slot that doesn’t exist than to cancel on someone later.
Want to see if remote sales could work around your little one? Book a free call with the She Sells team and talk through your hours honestly.
Childcare options in Australia and the US
Here’s the honest bit: if you want to take live calls regularly, you’ll need childcare or another adult for most of them. Nap time alone rarely covers a full working week. The good news is you don’t necessarily need full-time care. A few days a week, or a few hours in the morning, can be enough to hold your call blocks.
Australia
The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) helps with fees at approved services. Services Australia lists the approved child care types as centre based day care (including long day care and occasional care), family day care, outside school hours care, and in home care. Family day care, where an educator cares for a small group in their own home, can suit mums who want smaller groups and flexible days. Occasional care can cover a regular morning for calls.
From 5 January 2026, families eligible for CCS can get at least 72 hours of subsidised care each fortnight, and up to 100 hours depending on your recognised activity and circumstances. That’s roughly three days a week of subsidised care, which is a solid base for part-time work. You still pay the gap fee, and finding a place depends on local availability.
In home care (a nanny-style educator in your home) is more restricted. The Department of Education says In Home Care is for families who can’t access other approved care, typically those who work non-standard hours, live remotely or have complex needs. A private nanny or babysitter outside that scheme is an option, but you’d generally pay full cost.
United States
Common options are daycare centers, home-based family child care, a nanny, or a nanny share (two or more families split one nanny’s time and cost). The federal site Childcare.gov links to state and territory resources for finding care, checking quality and getting help paying for it. Rules and subsidies vary a lot by state, so start there.
On tax, the IRS says that if you paid someone to care for your child so you could work or look for work, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit, generally for children under 13. Check the current rules or ask a tax professional before you count on it.
| Australia | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Main help with costs | Child Care Subsidy at approved services | State subsidy programs plus the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit |
| Small-group home care | Family day care | Family child care homes |
| Care in your own home | In Home Care (restricted eligibility) or private nanny | Nanny or nanny share |
| Short regular sessions | Occasional care | Part-time daycare, mother’s day out programs, sitters |
| Where to start | Services Australia CCS pages | Childcare.gov state links |
The backup plan for when a call is booked and the toddler melts down
It will happen. Teething, a skipped nap, a sudden fever. Decide what you’ll do before it happens, so you’re not inventing a plan with a screaming child on your hip and a lead waiting on Zoom.
- Have a “save” activity ready. A special box of toys, a snack plate or a show that only comes out during calls. Novelty buys you time.
- Know your swap person. A partner, neighbour, grandparent or friend you can text “can you take her for 45 minutes?” Agree on it in advance.
- Use the reschedule script. Something like: “I’m so sorry, I’ve had a family thing come up and I want to give you my full attention. Can we move to tomorrow at 10?” Most people are kind about this once. Don’t make it a habit.
- Tell your team early. If you work with a business that books your calls, let your manager know as soon as you know. Some teams can pass the call to another closer rather than lose the lead.
- Never run a call distracted. A rushed, half-present sales call is worse for you and the buyer than a polite reschedule.
Gear and mute discipline
- A headset with a noise-cancelling mic. This matters more than your laptop. A good mic filters out a lot of background noise, though not a full meltdown in the same room.
- Mute by default. Learn your software’s mute shortcut and stay muted whenever you’re listening. Unmute to speak.
- A door that closes, even if your “office” is the spare room or a corner of the bedroom.
- A plain background or blur. Saves explaining the washing pile.
- Phone on do not disturb during call blocks, with exceptions for your childcare provider.
Is remote sales realistic with a toddler?
It can be, if you go in with eyes open. Many remote sales roles are commission-heavy or commission-only, so your income depends on how many calls you take and how well you close, and results take time to build. Toddler years usually mean fewer call hours, so expect a slower start. My own first month in remote sales in 2020 brought in $440. That’s my result, not a typical one, and I wasn’t juggling a toddler’s nap schedule at the same time.
She Sells, which has a team in Australia and the US, trains women in remote closing and appointment setting, and our She Soars career program includes placement support once you’re certified. You can read about both on our programs page or check the FAQ. If you’re still weighing up options, our list of work from home jobs for mums covers other roles too.
Want to see if remote sales could fit around your toddler? Book a free call with the She Sells team. No pressure, just an honest chat about your hours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take sales calls with my toddler at home?
Occasionally, during a reliable nap or with another adult watching them, yes. As a regular plan, most mums need childcare or a partner for live calls, because a buyer on a sales call needs your full attention. Message-based work fits around a toddler much better.
What is the best time of day to work with a toddler?
For focused work and calls, nap time, early mornings before they wake, and evenings after bedtime are the most predictable windows. Use awake time for admin, messages and learning. Naps change as toddlers grow, so review your schedule every few months.
How many hours of subsidised childcare can I get in Australia?
From 5 January 2026, families eligible for the Child Care Subsidy can get at least 72 hours of subsidised care each fortnight, and up to 100 hours depending on recognised activity and circumstances. You still pay a gap fee. Check the Services Australia website for your situation.
Is appointment setting or closing better for mums of toddlers?
Appointment setting by message tends to be easier to fit around a toddler because you can pause and come back. Closing is mostly live calls, so it suits mums who already have regular childcare or partner time. Many people start with setting and move into closing later.
What should I do if my toddler interrupts a Zoom call?
Stay calm, mute, and briefly apologise. If you can’t settle them quickly, offer to reschedule rather than pushing through distracted. Have a backup activity and a swap person organised before your call blocks so it happens less often.
Results vary. Nothing here is a promise of income. See our earnings disclaimer.
