Upstairs in the office

Commented by 0 Member   View Comments

Article Summary

By Nina Sazer O'Donnell and Dieter Wolke

Like many parents, you may dream of working at home. It will solve all your problems - no more traffic jams or mad rushes to the nursery, and you get to set your own timetable every day. What could be easier?

An increasing number of parents either work regularly from home or are able to do so occasionally. The telework revolution has made it possible for more and more people to actually work from home. When someone phones for a service the telephone can now be re-routed into the study or living room at home. A whole range of professions have gradually moved their main workplace from the office building to their home: software or web page designers, translators, architects and structural engineers, graphic designers, writers, editors, consultants, accountants, charity fundraisers and many more. There are plenty of opportunities to work from home. Working at home is a good option when it comes to juggling a profession with bringing up young children. It does, however, require new and different ways of thinking. Can I really make that conference call during rest time? How do I choose between the pile of work and the pile of washing when the children are finally in bed? And how do I put both my children and my job first? Successful home workers are usually self-motivated, disciplined, have good time management skills, are good communicators and have a supportive family. Working from home gives you more control over your life, allows you to be more productive and provides a more flexible and empowering way of dealing with your workload. However, you will, from time to time, have to be able to successfully combat feelings of loneliness and lack of motivation.

Although working at home can be convenient and flexible, it brings unique challenges when you have children, and these require unique solutions. Here are some of the ways that home-based working parents have successfully managed both work and family life:

  Arrange for child care. Even if you have help for only a few hours each day, you'll be much less stressed if you aren't trying to squeeze in calls and meetings while your children are napping or watching television. Children and colleagues will be happier when they have your full attention, and you will feel less stressed when you can really focus.

  Establish a "going to work" routine. Even if your "office" is only a room upstairs, getting dressed and going somewhere to work helps you shift into work mode. Anything that helps you switch roles can work, from taking a short walk and coming into the house through a different door to your desk, to making a cup of tea or coffee and opening your email at a specific time. These strategies not only help you make the transition from personal to professional life, but also help your family know when you're working.

  Make a work space that's your own. It can be hard for your family to understand that you're working and shouldn't be interrupted, especially if your "office" is the kitchen table. Having your own space, ideally with a door or partition that you can close, makes it easier for everyone to know when you're working.

  Make time that's just for work. Although a lucky few can place a conference call, pot plants and sort washing all at the same time, this kind of multi-tasking is stressful for most of us. And managing an active toddler can lead to unpredictable and distracting background noise when you're on the phone to your boss or a client. Set aside time that's just for work, with no distractions, day or night. Your employer and colleagues will appreciate knowing when they can rely on you being available. And if you respect your work time, your family will too.

  Make time that's just for your children. Just because you have specific working hours doesn't mean you have to ignore your children during the day. Setting up a schedule that allows you to take breaks and have lunch with your children can actually improve your creative abilities, and knowing that they will have time with you helps the little ones to be patient when you need to work.

  When your child is ill, take a sick day. Children who are ill usually want and need attention. If you can't take the whole day off, give yourself some extra relaxation time or try to renegotiate looming deadlines. ..

  Leave your work when you've finished. Although it may be hard to resist checking your faxes or voice mail when you hear the phone ring during non-working hours, you'll drive yourself crazy if you don't. Turn off the ringer on your phone when your leave your desk.

  Be flexible and keep a sense of humour. Life is full of change and nothing is predictable. Think of life as jazz - you keep up with the chord changes and the rest is improvisation. Working at home isn't a panacea, but when you can laugh at the rough patches and come up with solutions to meet daily challenges, it can offer a great set of options for working families with young children.

Back to top