When I decided to work at home after I had my daughter in 1997, I thought I would be moving into a stress-free, commute-free work zone where, as an untrustworthy character in a Dr. Seuss story proclaims, "They never have troubles! At least, very few." Of course, just as in the story, I was wrong.
Much of what blindsided me centered around what I considered to be the very positive feature of being so close to my kids. But I realized very quickly that sometimes my home office is too close. While it's true I can stay on top of what the babysitter is doing with them, I can also hear every little noise they make, and they can interrupt when I'm on the phone with a client. I've also found that my cozy office can sometimes seem more like a dreary prison, since I have to hide in there in order to avoid being seen and inducing another round of separation anxiety.
As you can imagine, my home office contains all the technology I need to get my work done while hiding from the kids. I have a laptop, color inkjet printer, fax software and a separate phone line for the modem. Oh, and there's also a changing table, so my office does diaper duty, too.
Our house is a 1928 Dutch Colonial and has lots of original detail, including a very pretty glass door leading into my office. I can't tell you how many times that pretty glass door has sabotaged my attempts at work. I put my desk at the far end of the office away from the door, in a spot where my kids can't see me. The glass is nice in that when I want to see what the kids are up to, I just look out. And when I want to avoid the kids on the way to the fridge, I sneak a quick peek to make sure the coast is clear. There have been many times when, on the phone with a client, I have had to furiously wave my hands and mouth the words "No, no, don't come in!" as my babysitter restrained my two crying children on the other side of that pretty glass door.
There were a few other surprises I encountered in my new home office. For instance, I found that when a child gets sick you can kiss your next deadline goodbye as you sit there comforting the little one instead of racing home from the office. And when the hot water heater, washing machine or other major appliance decides to break, you take care of it quickly, but you won't get any more work done that day. And it's always hanging over your head that you can throw in a load of laundry or empty the dishwasher while your pokey 56K modem takes aeons to load a big Web page.
The commute is nice, too: Compare a half-minute shuffle into your home office (while you watch your kids cry as you're trying to shut the door on them) versus one blessedly quiet and uninterrupted hour in the car listening to NPR. Oh, and what about the money you save on clothes?! It's great being able to dress like a slob, er, I mean, like a mom.
But seriously folks, while working at home is a great way to be near the kids, save money and commuting time, and interact with grown-ups, all while making some money, there are serious issues you must consider before taking the plunge:
- Do you have adequate office space? Your desk should be in a quiet spot, preferably a closed room that the kids won't need to access while you're working.
- If your children are not in school, do you have childcare? There is no reasonable way you can get a meaningful amount of paid work done if you don't have someone to watch your small children. It is sometimes possible to get things done while they nap and after they go to bed, but this is not a solution for the long term. You will wear yourself out using every free moment to work, and then the house chores will pile up on top of that.
- Can you handle the solitude? Working at home can get quite lonely, especially when your company for the rest of the day consists of one or more children under the age of 5. Not that kids aren't fun; they are loads of fun! But if you're used to an office environment where you socialize with other adults, the home-office life is very quiet. Depending on the kind of work you do, you may not speak to your employer or any coworkers for weeks at a time.
- Can you handle the independence? You have to be organized to work by yourself at home. There's no one to remind you about deadlines and no one to help with paperwork or clerical tasks. In addition, you are the only one you can rely on when you have technical problems with your computer, printer or Internet access.
Web sites of interest for work-at-home parents:
