For almost all of the people working from home, especially, mothers, there arises an issue with regard to managing work while taking care of the young ones. The following advice will aid anyone facing this problem.
The question of the door:
The raging argument that divides work-at-home parents into two camps is whether to shut the kids out entirely or not. Should your home office have a door that you close between the hours of 9AM and 5PM, with the kids safely on the outside? Certainly having the door (and someone on the other side who takes care of the children) makes your working life simpler, but it removes one of the main benefits of the home office lifestyle.
Make it their office too:
It may be your office, but if the kids are going to wander in, you’d better have something handy for them to do. Keep a toy box in one corner and let them stash some of their toys there, and encourage them to play quietly while you work (assuming that you’re not one of those people who need absolute silence to stay productive). If you don’t do this, you’ll soon discover that everything is a toy to a four-year-old, including your coffee cup, PDA, keyboard, and telephone.
Pass on your old computer:
Nothing makes the kids happier than to be doing the same thing you’re doing at work. When you upgrade computers, put the old one on a cheap desk and make it the kids’ computer.
Adapt to their schedule:
Many people enjoy work at home jobs because of the flexibility it offers to set own hours. So, particularly with younger kids around, you may have to give up some of this flexibility to their needs. If there’s a part of your day that requires the utmost concentration, schedule that part during their nap time, or after their bedtime, or while they’re off at school.
It can be a learning experience:
You’ve got the whole internet at your fingers: use it! Between search engines, YouTube, Wikipedia, and all the other resources that you already know and love, you don’t have to be that parent who gets stumped by their children’s’ homework.
Be up front with customers:
If the phone rings and your toddler is at the corner throwing blocks at the wall, just mention to your client, “Oh, I’ve got our two-year-old in the office with me at the moment.” Assuming that they already know you work at home, this will usually get a reaction ranging from sympathy to envy. Just make sure you’re using a headset with a decently directional microphone, and keep your finger near the mute button in case of a sudden screaming.
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