I went back to work eight weeks after having my son, Cohen. It wasn’t easy, but I was fortunate. I was able to work part-time from home and part-time in the office and my in-laws provided free daycare. I’ll admit, I had an idealized vision of working from home. Babies nap all the time, right? I’d just be Super CPA while he napped and Super Mom when he was awake. Yeah, reality wasn’t so perfect. My son didn’t get on any sort of regular nap and sleep schedule until he was almost eight months old. But with the help of my husband, his parents and a baby swing, I cobbled together enough billable hours to keep my bosses happy. Still, I felt relieved when I returned to working full-time at the office when my son was 16 months old. I’m now able to work from home as needed, and I picked up some tricks for making working from home . . . work.
Don’t Go It Alone
I remember one particularly grueling conference call that was supposed to take place during Cohen’s morning nap. Except he woke up early and the conference call started late so he was awake for the whole hour-long call. I set him up with snacks and his favorite toys in the living room and tried to participate in the call from my office just down the hallway. Every time Cohen got bored and cranky, I’d wait until someone else started talking, mute my phone, run out to the living room to soothe and offer a new distraction, then run back to the office and take the phone off mute before I needed to speak again. It was just a bit stressful. Later, I discovered an hourly childcare center near home. Pay a small registration fee and have access to drop-in daycare on an as-needed basis. Life saver! I still tried to schedule client meetings and conference calls when my in-laws were available to babysit, but it was a weight off of my shoulders to have that option available. Whether you lean on drop-in daycare (Kids Park and Daydreams are great local options), family members, or swap playdates with another mom, having help is crucial for keeping your sanity.
Create a Schedule – But Be Flexible
One of the great things about working from home is flexibility. If it’s a beautiful day outside and your child is tired of being stuck indoors, it’s nice to be able to push work off until after bedtime and go to the park instead. The downside to that is it may be tempting to be available for work around the clock. Whether you are your own boss or you are answering to an employer, set an expectation for the amount of hours you you should log per day or week. When I talked to my boss about working from home, I had a set number of hours I worked per week, but I made sure they knew some of those hours might happen early in the morning or after bedtime. I also promised to be accessible via email during work hours. That meant I responded to emails during standard office hours – even if my response was “I’ll get back to you in an hour.” Also, I might work early mornings, evenings, and weekends, but I didn’t necessarily respond to emails during those times. Those boundaries allowed me to meet the expectations of my bosses and clients without letting work take over family time. Your schedule and expectations will depend on the type of work you do, but make sure you discuss them in advance and keep communication open as things change.
Make Space
When we bought our home last summer, the first room we made over was the home office. Although the room doubles as my craft room and my husband’s office, I try to keep my desk clear and free from distractions. My home office includes all of the comforts, equipment, and supplies that I use at my real office. Working from my dining room table just didn’t work for me. I would see dishes in the sink or a dusty ceiling fan, think “I’ll just clean that up real quick and then get back to work” and the next thing you know my house is spotless but I have zero hours of client work done. You may not have an entire room to set aside for your home office, but whether it’s a corner of your living room or your laptop on the dining room table, make sure your workspace makes you feel energized and focused. Spend a few minutes clearing clutter before you sit down, listen to music or your favorite podcast, keep a cup of coffee or tea on a mug warmer nearby.
Love this! I can completely relate. Especially the part about the conference call. Ugh! I have to lock my office door to keep my older kids out when I am on an important call. 🙂 Sounds like you have started to figure out a balance.
Thanks Kim! Balance? What balance? Haha. Balance comes and goes. Sometimes I feel like it’s all working and sometimes I feel like we’re barely holding on. Keep on trucking, right?
I’m an artist who paints commissioned portraits and other works in my home studio. While I do have a separate studio for my artwork and office I do get distracted by housework that needs to be done. My goal is to have a sink put in my studio so I won’t have to walk through the house so often but unless I install an outhouse the bathroom will have to stay where it is.It’s nice to know that I am not alone with wanting to have everything done in the house before settling into my work because I do get distracted when seeing dishes in the sink, etc. Even working in a separate room I still think about chores and they really cut into my painting time.
Recently I have set aside morning time for non-painting or related things so my afternoons are free to focus on being creative. Separating the day this way has made a difference for me. Thanks for this article Janet. It made me focus more on my commitment to be more productive.
Thank you, Joan! That’s great advice to separate a portion of your day for non-painting and creative tasks. I’m working on doing that more in my home and personal life, too.
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