Working at home can be one of the most rewarding decisions a parent can make. You can have a rich and rewarding career yet still remain where your heart is. That said, it can also be a complete disaster if you don’t take your family’s needs into consideration. To successfully work at home, it is important to make sure everyone’s needs are being meet and appropriate work parameters are recognized. As work at home moms ourselves, Crystal and I have come up with a list of things you may wish to take into consideration when setting up a home office. Ultimately what you need to do is set up a system that works best for you. Be Realistic About Child Care Needs First and foremost, you need to realistically assess your child-care needs. It may not be possible to juggle the demands of your job and care for your child at the same time. How much uninterrupted time will you need to accomplish your job tasks? The amount of time you need to focus entirely on your work will dictate if you need a babysitter full-time, a few days a week, or not at all. Without a sitter you can do a fair amount of work during naps and after your child goes to bed. And depending on your child’s age and temperament, you can usually get some work done while she plays on her own. Chances are good you will get the most work done while your child is at the baby stage. You may manage to get up to an hour’s worth of uninterrupted time if you put your baby in a swing or in a playpen. Toddlers (ages 1 to 2) on the other hand, demand more attention. And because of their curious nature need constant supervision. Preschoolers (ages 2 1/2 to 31/2) again free up your time somewhat as they can watch an educational program on TV for 15 to 20 minutes and should still require afternoon naps. When you work from home it’s also important to be sensitive to your child’s signals that he just wants your attention. If you do the type of work that demands 100 percent concentration your child is better served with another caregiver. Knowing your child is safe and content can go along way to increasing your productivity. Hire The Right Caregiver It is important to make sure your caregiver is flexible and comfortable with being in your home when you’re in it. There are many advantages to having a caregiver who is a totally take charge kind of person. Some children have a hard time adjusting to the fact that someone else is in charge when mom’s still around. If your child is bothered by having an occupied parent that is unavailable to them, the caregiver needs to know how to combat the situation and have a plan in place. Distracting the child with songs and games or simply getting out of the house, going for a walk or playing in the park. Create A Consistent Balance Most of us feel the guilt pains when our child starts crying, needs us but we have made ourselves unavailable to them. Sometimes our intermittent responses can make the situation worse. Knowing that you’re in the house working will sometimes make your child even try harder to get your attention. The longer and harder they cry or whine, the greater the chances are that you will come to them. Experts advise that it’s better to establish a regular scheduled time to touch base such as during his snack time or at lunch. By doing this, you add some predictability to his day which in turn makes him feel more secure and chances are greater he will be less demanding throughout the rest of the day. Find A Productive Work Space It is important to make sure your work space is conducive to the type of what you do. If you need privacy to make phone calls or simply need a quiet uninterrupted environment in which to work, you will need a separate room with a closed door. Working out of a corner in your kitchen or living room may be counterproductive if you are easily disturbed by noise or household commotion. On the other hand, if you don’t mind a little noise while you’re working, you can stake out a spot nearby your child’s play area but still out of view. If space is at a premium and your need some peace and quiet, you may have little choice but to be flexible and take your office with you. With a cordless phone and laptop computer in hand, you may have to travel from room to room, simply to find a spot where your sitter and child are not. This isn’t the most ideal situation but it is manageable if all parties can cooperate with each other. With a little give and take, you should be able to compromise on a room rotation schedule. Discuss Office Behaviour Although you may not want to make your office completely off limits to your children, it’s a good idea to have clear rules about the noise level when you are on the phone or how to treat your work area and its contents. You may want to set down guidelines regarding the use of office supplies otherwise you will be constantly combing the house for pens, scissors etc. Expect More Complaints Since children of work-at-home parents actually see them working, they may feel and express more resentment than other kids with working parents. You may start hearing phrases like “You’re always working” or “How come you are always on the phone?” The best way we’ve found to address our children’s frustration is to be understanding toward the occasional interruption at the same time, make our children mindful of our own needs. Sit down with older children and explain your need and/or desire to work.
You don’t want to give your children the message that they should never come find you but they need to understand that the work you are doing is important. It is also beneficial for all family members as well as yourself to see an end to your workday. Stopping work the same time every day will go along way to extending everyone’s patience and acceptance of your home office. It is reassuring to your kids to know that mom’s home from work at five. Dealing With The Guilt If you feel guilty about closing your office door when your child wants to be with you, remind yourself that you are entitled to your career. It is very common for work-at-home and working mothers alike to feel guilty about working even if their child is happily playing alone, with a sitter or is enrolled in a day care program. Some women may feel comfortable leaving her kids to play while she fixes dinner but feels guilty if she leaves them to take a business call. Be As Productive As Possible One of our favourite strategies for getting work done is to turn off the ringer on our phone and using our answering machine to take messages. This strategy is most effective for those times when we need total concentration. It allows us to get our work done and screen unimportant calls that we can tend to when we have more time. There is no doubt about it, having to work very efficiently in a limited number of hours can be stressful but most work-at-home parents agree that they wouldn’t trade it for anything. Crystal and I especially love the flexibility our work-at-home situation provides us. |