Fitting “work at home” into your family life
Ah, the home office. It’s a bit of euphemism around here because I tend to throw paperwork and “to-do” items into my cluttered office, close the door, and then haul my laptop to the kitchen table.
While my office may not be a squaky-clean picture of IKEA efficiency, I’ve learned a thing or two about integrating working at home into my family life. Home-office organizing tips abound, most of which are simple suggestions to get organized and reduce clutter. But I have found that the most important adjustments are psychological.
If you work at home, the first step is to decide that you deserve time and space to yourself. This can be tricky, especially for mothers, because we’re used to being on call for the kids. But working at home requires everyone to appreciate that, sometimes, Mom or Dad is busy with work. No guilt required.
Next, establish limits with your kids (and possibly your spouse) around who can come in to your office and when. You have permission to declare your office a “no kid zone” (assuming you have a door). At the very least, they must knock first. Sound impossible? Our kids have grown up with at least one parent working at home most of their lives, and they respect the idea of “grownup” space (and did even as toddlers). (And my kids aren’t always the best about respecting limits.) When they do get to hang out in the office (whiteboard art is a favorite activity) it feels like a real treat.
If you allow the kids in your office — and, for many of us, this feels more natural — consider making a space just for them. A small desk with a dummy keyboard and mouse, art supplies, or just-in-the-office toys can help them feel at home while you get to work.
If you’re able to, establish a few set working hours so everyone can plan around your unavailable times. Then again, the beauty of home-based work is the very flexibility that makes such advice, well, inadvisable. You want to be able to cut out during the middle of the day to play! In that case, create QUIET ZONE signs and post them on the door when you’re at work. I’ve even heard of people wearing a special “quiet hat” when they need to be left alone! Kids often need a visual cue to remind them you’re working. If they do need your attention, lay out the rules about how to let you know (a knock at the door? An “excuse me”?), and for what occasions (bloody limbs: yes, “I can’t find my Game Boy!”: no).
When it comes to your home office space, whether it’s an entire room or a corner of the kitchen, try to keep it free of the inevitable kid- and household clutter than seems to spread over everything. It’s easier to maintain psychological boundaries between work and home when there is a little physical separation as well. Create some simple filing systems, and claim a drawer or box for your supplies.
Finally, a wise piece of advice from Twitter friend gwalter: “I find that preloading my family with quality time, taking care of myself, and getting up [earlier] (or staying up later) helps.”
Resources:
How to manage kids in the home office at Web Worker Daily
Brandie Kajino’s Home Office Organizer blog
Lots of great office organization tips at Unclutterer
Work-and-family-at-home inspiration at Sparkplugging
Excellent writing (and attitude) at Buttoned Up.
As always, thanks go out to my Twitter buddies for great feedback and ideas.
