Work and balance!

[JGarza57]

Hello!! I currently work from home (covid)8am-5pm and im in my room with my parrot from the moment he wakes up until 5pm (plus the extra hours i spend with him later on the day). I currently was offered another position (still wont know when i go back into office), how would i manage time for my little boy? Work is about 45 min away with traffic and such.
My current schedule:
M-F
10-12pm (wakes up and is in his cage)
12-1pm (lunch time; each and walked the dog)
1-4 pm (be in my room with him)
4-5 pm (i take him outside to get some sun in his mini cage while i work)
5-5:30 pm (walk the dog again)
6-7:30 pm (gym time; due to covid the gym closes early and is no longer 24hrs)
Sat-Sun
10-10:30 am (walk the dog while my parrot mentally wakes up)
10:45-11:30 am (spend time in my room with him)
11:45 am-1pm (only Sat.; gym)
Any advise on how i can make it work when i start working from office 8am-5pm but would get home around 6pm??? And still give my furry baby and feathered baby time while im able to go to the gym? (Gym schedule is messed up due to covid and their closing times) ive thought about maybe going yo the gym early 5am?? But just the thought about it and the little sleep makes me stress!!!

Please help!!

 

[SailBoat]

As part of your normal work day from home, take breaks in which you physical leave the home. For lunch, same story. Tell your Amazon that you are going out and will be back in whatever the time line it will be.

On Weekends, plan longer trips out and about. It is also a great idea to take your Amazon with you from time to time so that being outside and away is an understandable occurrence.

When you have to go into the office for supplies, meetings, etc, use the same I'm going out and use a solid time line as to when you will be back. Lots of love and kisses when you return -- always...

Very quickly, your Amazon will pick-up on you going out and if the schedule changes greatly, explain it. Going to be gone for 8 hours, but I will be back, cause, I Love You!

 

[noodles123]

Do you really want the new position?

If you got him up at 6AM, you could let him out for an hour and a 15 min before work. Then you could get him out from 5pm/6pm ish -8pm. 8PM -6AM= 10 hours of sleep (which is very important..12 is better, but if you work that last, you'll have to settle for 10.

Go to the gym at 8/9pm or make it a weekend thing...? Work out at home....You can do plenty of things without equipment (or buy an elliptical or whatever it is that you use most). You could go at like 5AM, but you'd need to be back by 6 if you want to let him out before work. I suppose you could wait to let him out until you got home, but I think that would be rough..I mean, if you didn't wake him until 7:15 am (right as you leave) you could keep him up until 9:30ish at night, but again, I think breaking up the out of cage time would be better.

If you can come home at lunch, that is another option.

As far as shopping etc, do Instacart or shop after bird is in bed. You will have to make sure you get home ASAP so that he is getting adequate interaction.

I'd start trying to extend his in-cage time gradually before going back. You won't have time to do anything after work until you put the bird to bed.

I tell mine "going to work" anytime I plane to be gone more than 4 hours. If I am going somewhere shorter, I say "going to the store". She knows that one takes longer than the other for sure, because she always gets irritated when I say, "going to work" lol

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Anytime I'm going out,motorcycle ride or visiting friends,I tell the fid's I'll be back soon and they understand,coz when I get back home they make a lot of chatter! Today it's warm for the time of year (in the 70's) and I promised Amy we'd "go for a ride" take him to the pet store for supplies. He knows what "going for a ride" means and he loves being in the car.


Jim

 

[JGarza57]

As part of your normal work day from home, take breaks in which you physical leave the home. For lunch, same story. Tell your Amazon that you are going out and will be back in whatever the time line it will be.

On Weekends, plan longer trips out and about. It is also a great idea to take your Amazon with you from time to time so that being outside and away is an understandable occurrence.

When you have to go into the office for supplies, meetings, etc, use the same I'm going out and use a solid time line as to when you will be back. Lots of love and kisses when you return -- always...

Very quickly, your Amazon will pick-up on you going out and if the schedule changes greatly, explain it. Going to be gone for 8 hours, but I will be back, cause, I Love You!

I usually try doing that when i leave the room and go do stuff or leave the house! He still screams and looks for me but i do our “im here” and he will calm down a bit! I’ve been trying to get him more toys so he can learn to like them so when im not home he entertains himself with the new toys (LOOOOVES bitting wood)

 

[JGarza57]

Do you really want the new position?

If you got him up at 6AM, you could let him out for an hour and a 15 min before work. Then you could get him out from 5pm/6pm ish -8pm. 8PM -6AM= 10 hours of sleep (which is very important..12 is better, but if you work that last, you'll have to settle for 10.

Go to the gym at 8/9pm or make it a weekend thing...? Work out at home....You can do plenty of things without equipment (or buy an elliptical or whatever it is that you use most). You could go at like 5AM, but you'd need to be back by 6 if you want to let him out before work. I suppose you could wait to let him out until you got home, but I think that would be rough..I mean, if you didn't wake him until 7:15 am (right as you leave) you could keep him up until 9:30ish at night, but again, I think breaking up the out of cage time would be better.

If you can come home at lunch, that is another option.

As far as shopping etc, do Instacart or shop after bird is in bed. You will have to make sure you get home ASAP so that he is getting adequate interaction.

I'd start trying to extend his in-cage time gradually before going back. You won't have time to do anything after work until you put the bird to bed.

I tell mine "going to work" anytime I plane to be gone more than 4 hours. If I am going somewhere shorter, I say "going to the store". She knows that one takes longer than the other for sure, because she always gets irritated when I say, "going to work" lol

Due to covid they are not sure if starting next year id be in office or still at home (i would and have gone to training once/twice a week). My current job had nothing to do with my degree BUT within 6 months im getting promoted with a $5-7 raise!! Honestly i dont plan on staying at that job forever (who even does stay at one place!) im trying to gain experience to where if i do enjoy it maybe get a quick associates and get a job closer to home or just the rapid promotion and experience will show other companies that im a fast and good learner!! Honestly i guess my biggest problem overall with my current schedule is the gym schedule hopefully by then the gym will open later or go back to 24hrs rather than close at 10pm but thankfully the gym is not packed after 8:30 and i could get a quick workout in (1hr) and put him to bed when i get home or ask my sister to turn off his light around 9-9:30!

 

[JGarza57]

Anytime I'm going out,motorcycle ride or visiting friends,I tell the fid's I'll be back soon and they understand,coz when I get back home they make a lot of chatter! Today it's warm for the time of year (in the 70's) and I promised Amy we'd "go for a ride" take him to the pet store for supplies. He knows what "going for a ride" means and he loves being in the car.


Jim

Birds are so smart! Before Gavino, i just thought of birds as nothing but cute animals until i got my bird i realized how smart and little brats they can be! Mine loves going to Petco with me on his little harness (since covid hit i havent really taken him to store) but he does get to go outside 3-4 times a week either his harness or his travel cage. What time do your fid’s wake up/go to bed if i may ask?? I always see peoples’ post and see them having different schedules and i guess birds are good at adapting to such!!

 

[SailBoat]

As part of your normal work day from home, take breaks in which you physical leave the home. For lunch, same story. Tell your Amazon that you are going out and will be back in whatever the time line it will be.

On Weekends, plan longer trips out and about. It is also a great idea to take your Amazon with you from time to time so that being outside and away is an understandable occurrence.

When you have to go into the office for supplies, meetings, etc, use the same I'm going out and use a solid time line as to when you will be back. Lots of love and kisses when you return -- always...

Very quickly, your Amazon will pick-up on you going out and if the schedule changes greatly, explain it. Going to be gone for 8 hours, but I will be back, cause, I Love You!

I usually try doing that when i leave the room and go do stuff or leave the house! He still screams and looks for me but i do our “im here” and he will calm down a bit! I’ve been trying to get him more toys so he can learn to like them so when im not home he entertains himself with the new toys (LOOOOVES bitting wood)

Hmmm, sounds like you need to work on Contact Calls. If your home /apartment allows you to be outside and in view of your Amazon, this will allow your Amazon to associate being outside. Talking as you move about your home /apartment keeps your Amazon connected to the flock, which is a natural part of being an Amazon.

At lease a third of the area of the cage (inside and outside) is for hanging enrichment toys for chewing that allows your Amazon to self-entertain.