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The Challenges of Working from Home
I always liked getting up in the morning and heading to an office - a place I could call my own with no home and family distractions. I just took a new job and the company is “virtual” meaning we don’t have an office - yet. Its a good move for now, we are saving money and in a start up that’s obviously important.
Over the last week, I have had some challenges in making the work from home adjustment. My biggest challenge is about two feet tall, blond, likes tractors, and weighs about 28 pounds. Its my two year old son. He loves having me home. I usually leave my bag at the door when I come home. I really try not to work while my kids are awake so I can spend time with them and do the dad thing, which I really enjoy. But now my son thinks that all day long is “dad time” and he’s having some difficulty knowing I’m in the other room and he really can’t play with me during the day. We’re both adjusting.
Any advice on making the “work from home” thing work is greatly appreciated.
I work from “home” a lot lately.. Home is a fraternity house.
It’s rough business.
Left by nick on 09/08/2006Chris,
Left by phil801 on 09/08/2006I worked from home for several years. By far, the best thing I did for me and my family was to put a lock on my office door and explain that when I was there that I was at work, not home. I would kiss each kid goodbye, tell them to be good for Mom, and go in my office and lock it.
My only child, a 1-year old girl, crawls all up in my office and is on the verge of walking. The wife does a pretty good job at keeping her out, though I do okay with minor interuptions from time to time, at least for now.
Can you lock your office door?
Left by Blake Snow on 09/09/2006This is a blessing and a curse for my husband and I too…my daughter sometimes pounds on the door of my husband’s office and yells, “Daddy I want to come in” and other things…or a baby is crying in the background. He has worked at home for our entire marriage and although some clients in China, etc. don’t have a clue where he works, some clients DO know he’s at home and they are accomodating if he needs to call them back if there is a disruption. However, I think that it’s great that you are working on this and maybe you can come up with a solution WITH YOUR WIFE and kids about what to do so you can be successful, and ALL OF YOU can be successful. I like the “kiss each child goodbye and go into the office idea” however, when you’re in and out, eating lunch in the kitchen, it does get confusing to young children, so just try to be focused on the moment I say…if it’s your kids’ time, then “be there”, if it’s your client’s time…”be there.”
Now that I work from home, it’s even MORE tricky…2 entrepreneurs, aaah!! I just do what I can when I can…kids are first. But if I have a specific task, I hire a sitter to come over.
Left by Kelly King Anderson on 09/09/2006I have a similar problem here. I try to make it very clear that when I descend to the subterranian depths of my basement office I’m ‘at work’. I make it very clear that if I had a ‘cubical job’ I wouldn’t be expected to watch the kids during mid-day errands. Just because I’m working out of my home makes it no difference.
Parent Hacks just today had a thread along these very lines:
http://www.parenthacks.com/2006/09/working_at_home.html
Mr MR
Left by Matthew Reinbold on 09/09/2006