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Explaining To Your Family That You Work Too

January 4, 2010

One of the biggest deterrents to your work day at home can be your family. It is a proven fact that most women’s families have a very hard time realizing that Mom is working and should not be disturbed when she is doing so. Frequent interruptions can really take a bite out of your work day and cut your productivity in as much as half if not stopped. So how do you convince your family that you work too? First, don’t expect miracles! It will not happen all at once. It is usually a gradual process. Children will need to be reminded that Mom is working and it is not the time to disturb her. Having a set time every day to work will reinforce this issue. If you have a home office that you can close the door so that you can have some privacy will help in this matter as well. Hang a Do Not Disturb sign on the door as a visual reminder for family members when you are working! Explain to your children that Mom is working and the hours that you work. Have playtime scheduled so that the children can look forward to time that

Get Your Family On Board-Create Family Unity with a Little Planning

September 7, 2009

When you first start working from home there tends to be rebellion from the family unit. Okay, maybe not rebellion, more like confusion. The kids (and sometimes your spouse) just don’t understand that even though mom’s still home, she isn’t at the beck and call of whomever is home at the time. Nip this problem in the bud by having a family meeting. Sit down with all of the family members that are old enough and explain to them what it means when you are working. Explain why you are working from home and how they can help by limiting the interruptions to strictly emergencies. Define what an emergency is. Examples you might give are: Suzy pulled my hair-NOT and emergency, Billy jumped off the couch and he’s bleeding- definite emergency. Set up a family calendar in order to keep from booking conflicting appointments or missing important family functions. On the calendar write: your work schedule, kids extra-curricular activities, your husband’s work schedule (if it varies) and any family functions or events coming up in the future. Agree to consult with one another before adding new plans to the calendar. Remember, if you keep your kids (and your spouse) informed