Local Business Trips with a Baby: What does that even look like?
Local business trips with a baby? Tell me more. Let’s say you just found out there is a 3 day conference for work you need to attend. Before you begin to self-destruct, your boss tells you not to worry–the conference is in your town and theyâve put you up in a hotel! You pause for a minute and then continue on with operation self-destructionđ«because you and I both know that work conferences go from sunup to sundown. Before you melt into a puddle on the floor, here are 5 tips to help you survive your latest challenge.
Local Business Trips with a Baby: Get all the details you canÂ
In order to conquer the beast (in this case, the 3 day work conference), you have to know what youâre up against. Reach out to the meeting organizer to find out the conference dates, start/end times each day, scheduled breaks, off site events, etc. Also, get the name of the hotel so you can research the amenities and determine how far away it is from your childâs daycare. All of this information is essential for effective planning.
Local Business Trips with a Baby: Acknowledge that this could potentially be a logistical nightmare
While it is advisable to remain optimistic in times of stress, at times we need to be realistic and admit that this is a pretty crappy situation. Once weâve had our pity party, move on to step #3.
Local Business Trips with a Baby: Connect with your boss
Now that you are armed with all of the meeting plannerâs notes, connect with your boss, show them your findings and determine which activities throughout the week are optional. Do you really need to be at happy hour ‘networking’ all 3 nights? Can you skip the breakfast power hour on Tuesday? Youâre really trying to see how you can make your days shorter, while still being present for essential business.
Local Business Trips with a Baby: Make arrangementsÂ
Pick up the phone and start calling/texting your babysitters. See who is available on what nights and lock it in. If you feel comfortable with their driving abilities, you might consider letting them drop off or pick up your baby from daycare one of those days. If your hotel is quite far from daycare, it might make more sense for the babysitter to set up shop in your home, versus transporting your baby back to the hotel. At home you have a working kitchen and everything you need; at a hotel youâre confined to a smaller space and a new environment might prevent your baby from sleeping soundly. With that being said, it is important to decide on where you and baby will be sleeping each night.
Local Business Trips with a Baby: Sweeten the deal
If your hotel is in a swanky part of town, you might consider letting your caretaker have the hotel the last night of your stay, especially if they live farther away! They might enjoy having quick access to a gym, cafe, pool, sauna, or being in the heart of the city. Plus, if they are on the fence about helping you out throughout the week, this might seal the deal. The room is already paid for, so why not?!
Pro tips:
Identify (in advance!) which meeting rooms will be vacant where you can pump in privacy. Many meetings have short breaks and you donât want to spend all of your time running back and forth to your room!đŒ
If you are staying at a resort, check to see if they have on-site childcare. If youâre looking at a 13 hour work day, you might want to have your baby nearby so you can spend your breaks nursing, snuggling or just checking in on them.
Check to see how close your hotel is to a grocery store. Youâll want to stock your fridge and have everything you need from the get go.
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