How to separate work from home life when working from home

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Permalink Reply by Dana Lyn on August 4, 2009 at 12:11pm

I work from home, too...and it is only a part time job. I make a point of only working when my son is sleeping. So, I get up early Monday through Friday to get work done before he wakes up. Then, I work while he naps. And, if I cannot get to everything during nap time, I will work a bit after he goes to bed. But, I rarely even do that. I try to stop working for the day by 4 pm so I can "close the office", so to speak.

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Permalink Reply by Nathalie Clarke on August 4, 2009 at 1:10pm

I have friends who work from home and they have tried many options.
For the little ones
A part time sitter for the day (4 hours);
Working only during preschool hours and nap times;
For their older children assigned tasks for blocks of time ie
piano lessons at home (1 hour), piano practice (1 hour), reading (1 hour), working on math/science/current events projects (1 hour); neigh bor play dates (1 - 2 hours); tennis lesson /practice (1 hour), Wii Sports (1 hour); Xbox (1 hour); Daily chores (1 hour)

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Permalink Reply by Erika Huckaby on August 4, 2009 at 2:47pm

I like the suggestion of the blocks of time for the older children! I run my own business from home and it is very challenging to manage my time. Especially during the summer as my husband works in education and is home on break. I have to remind everyone that they may be at home on vacation, but I am at home at work. Our toddler attends preschool from 9-3 so I try to squeeze my work in during that time. But I have found that I seem to just squeeze in work around the clock. Not sure it is good, but working late at night when everyone is asleep is the trade off if I chose to not work part of the afternoon to go out with the kids.
I have recently been thinking about leaving the house to go to a coffee shop or someplace with Wifi to get some work done. I do have a desk in a room that I can shut out the rest of the house, but the idea of working somewhere else just for a change of pace is attractive to me. I thought it might be useful when I want to really focus on a particular task. The distraction of the house and other non-business work sometimes gets in my way.

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Permalink Reply by Genny Esterline on August 4, 2009 at 4:02pm

I like the idea of going out of home a bit. Have laptop, can travel. You described exactly what is going on with me. My three children are grown, my last in college (WooHoo!) so summers with her home is such a treat that I hate to say no to time with her whenever asked.

Erika Huckaby said:

I like the suggestion of the blocks of time for the older children! I run my own business from home and it is very challenging to manage my time. Especially during the summer as my husband works in education and is home on break. I have to remind everyone that they may be at home on vacation, but I am at home at work. Our toddler attends preschool from 9-3 so I try to squeeze my work in during that time. But I have found that I seem to just squeeze in work around the clock. Not sure it is good, but working late at night when everyone is asleep is the trade off if I chose to not work part of the afternoon to go out with the kids.
I have recently been thinking about leaving the house to go to a coffee shop or someplace with Wifi to get some work done. I do have a desk in a room that I can shut out the rest of the house, but the idea of working somewhere else just for a change of pace is attractive to me. I thought it might be useful when I want to really focus on a particular task. The distraction of the house and other non-business work sometimes gets in my way.

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Permalink Reply by Genny Esterline on August 4, 2009 at 4:05pm

I agree with you. Time spent with your child is worth the tradeoff. It just doesn't allow for the natural separation of work and home. Can be a bit draining and take away from the creativity. I don't have an answer to that though.

Dana Smith said:

I work from home, too...and it is only a part time job. I make a point of only working when my son is sleeping. So, I get up early Monday through Friday to get work done before he wakes up. Then, I work while he naps. And, if I cannot get to everything during nap time, I will work a bit after he goes to bed. But, I rarely even do that. I try to stop working for the day by 4 pm so I can "close the office", so to speak.

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Permalink Reply by GetButtonedUp.com Moms on August 4, 2009 at 5:34pm

Hi, my name is Alicia Rockmore and I am the Chief Dreamer (CEO) of Buttoned Up Inc (www.getbuttonedup.com), an organizational company that helps busy women get more done by showing them how to organize less. I am also the co-author of the recently published book, Everything (Almost) In Its Place (St. Martin’s Press). I am also the mother of 7 year old Lucy . Me, my husband, Adam, and Lucy live in Los Angeles.

I work from home and find that the balancing act is not an easy one. My daughter wants to be around me. It is hard to always separate home from work life but I do find that it can be managed.

I do know that more and more women are working from home and becoming entrepreneurs. Here are a few stats from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
• 26 million - The number of jobs that would become vacant overnight if all moms stopped working tomorrow.

• $476 billion - The amount of money working mothers contribute, as a whole, to U.S. household incomes


Here are a few tips on how you can successfully work at home:

1. Set aside work hours for specific jobs. For example, I work typically from 8 until 6PM. From 8 until 11, I am Alicia Rockmore, CEO and getting my regular job done. From 11AM until noon, I try to be the CFO and do financials, bills, cash flow. From noon until 1PM, I am my own assistant making travel arrangements. From 1pm until 6, I am back to being CEO. It may sound silly but it does work to segregate out your day like that to make time for everything.

2. Make it difficult once work is over to get back to the 'office.' Close the door. Turn off the computer. 'Pretend' you have physically left the office and the day is over.

3. Have a separate work phone and fax line. It is yet another way to separate the personal and professional aspects of your life. With things like VOIP it is not expensive to do.

4. Only allow you're family life to enter your work day 2-4 hous per week. This way you can still catch the PTA ice cream social with your kids, but won't be pulled away from the office so much that you never get anything accomplished.

Best of Luck!
-Alicia Rockmore

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Permalink Reply by Beth Latshaw on August 4, 2009 at 7:22pm

I'm not good at it, but I work from home. I usually do my work during my son's computer time and after he goes to bed. However, when heavy grading periods hit, we have been known to have him playing in the living room while I'm working from a lap desk with him. How this is going to work when my daughter gets a bit older, I have no idea. Should be interesting.

I really don't have a work day end and I work six days a week, sometimes seven. But I'm an academic (I teach for a college online), so it's a little different from other jobs. At least in my experience. I write about this stuff on my blog, though not as much as I should be :).

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Permalink Reply by Maria Estrada on August 5, 2009 at 6:27am

I have an accessories brand and a 6 month-old small baby so it's all quite new to me (I am also new to this fantastic network!), I am getting him used to playing next to me and also have some help including his grandmothers. He also comes with me to some meetings when it is not inappropriate (ie, with my web designers) and he behaves well since he is in a different environment and next to his mother.

I also plan on having a sitter for a few hours since my main difficulty is concentrating on Just work for say 3-4 hours straight. As I write this, I am listening to baby music and rattling sounds. It's also convenient to create a semi-schedule so in my case I know when he naps (approx time) or goes out for a walk with his grandma.

It's very difficult yet I love the fact that I am really getting to know my baby since I am with him all the time and yet I realize it's good that he doesn't get used to just his mother.

And one thing I know for certain, when you have limited time you learn how to really use your time well. I can safely say I am not working less than before the baby, and yet I am doing so much more now as a mother. I think it's much more about quality in terms of work, setting day or weekly objectives of the things that will add value to your business and perhaps leave aside what is not so relevant.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Teri Johnson on August 5, 2009 at 5:46pm

It's all about boundaries. Set work hours just like you would if you had to "report" to work. The beauty of working from home is you can change the schedule to accomodate family and personal needs, but try to give yourself "work boundaries". I also highly recommend having an "office" at home -- whether it's an official room of its own or a corner of a room, but it's the office -- when you are there you work and when you are done work you don't go into the room to play. Try not toting your laptop around the house too -- it makes your work day boundaries too flimsy.

I've worked from home since my pre-teens were in preschool and truly find that the better my boundaries are the more calm and peaceful my life is!

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Lynne Kenney on August 6, 2009 at 7:09am

I really appreciated all these comments, they reflected all our different styles. Some moms are computer toters others are not. Some moms assign their work hours, others work 24/7. Alicia, I like your idea of different roles require different task demands and skill sets. That rings true for me. In the am I write before the girls get up (Lynne the author), when they come walking across the family room floor (Lynne the mom), I turn off the computer until after they are fed and off to school. Later in the day I cook (Lynne the me-time-mom). Perhaps I'll make some placards and hang them so the kids can check them and see who I am right now:). This cld be fun. I have to agree with Erika as well, work in the summer is the hardest, my kids do come first which can be frustrating to some people. I adore my work and hope that our girls will see work as passionate and fun and not something that only made mom busy.

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Permalink Reply by Genny Esterline on August 6, 2009 at 7:47am

Hi Alicia,

I love your suggestions. Thank you, thank you! Segment the day. Great thought to put a limit on the # of hours a child or loved one can break into the work week. Boundaries.

GetButtonedUp.com Moms said:

Hi, my name is Alicia Rockmore and I am the Chief Dreamer (CEO) of Buttoned Up Inc (www.getbuttonedup.com), an organizational company that helps busy women get more done by showing them how to organize less. I am also the co-author of the recently published book, Everything (Almost) In Its Place (St. Martin’s Press). I am also the mother of 7 year old Lucy . Me, my husband, Adam, and Lucy live in Los Angeles.

I work from home and find that the balancing act is not an easy one. My daughter wants to be around me. It is hard to always separate home from work life but I do find that it can be managed.

I do know that more and more women are working from home and becoming entrepreneurs. Here are a few stats from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
• 26 million - The number of jobs that would become vacant overnight if all moms stopped working tomorrow.

• $476 billion - The amount of money working mothers contribute, as a whole, to U.S. household incomes


Here are a few tips on how you can successfully work at home:

1. Set aside work hours for specific jobs. For example, I work typically from 8 until 6PM. From 8 until 11, I am Alicia Rockmore, CEO and getting my regular job done. From 11AM until noon, I try to be the CFO and do financials, bills, cash flow. From noon until 1PM, I am my own assistant making travel arrangements. From 1pm until 6, I am back to being CEO. It may sound silly but it does work to segregate out your day like that to make time for everything.

2. Make it difficult once work is over to get back to the 'office.' Close the door. Turn off the computer. 'Pretend' you have physically left the office and the day is over.

3. Have a separate work phone and fax line. It is yet another way to separate the personal and professional aspects of your life. With things like VOIP it is not expensive to do.

4. Only allow you're family life to enter your work day 2-4 hous per week. This way you can still catch the PTA ice cream social with your kids, but won't be pulled away from the office so much that you never get anything accomplished.

Best of Luck!
-Alicia Rockmore

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Permalink Reply by Genny Esterline on August 6, 2009 at 7:49am

Yes Lynne, I agree. Our children do come first, thats part of being Mom. I guess it is good for them to see healthy boundaries being set! Thanks for your thoughts.

Lynne Kenney said:

I really appreciated all these comments, they reflected all our different styles. Some moms are computer toters others are not. Some moms assign their work hours, others work 24/7. Alicia, I like your idea of different roles require different task demands and skill sets. That rings true for me. In the am I write before the girls get up (Lynne the author), when they come walking across the family room floor (Lynne the mom), I turn off the computer until after they are fed and off to school. Later in the day I cook (Lynne the me-time-mom). Perhaps I'll make some placards and hang them so the kids can check them and see who I am right now:). This cld be fun. I have to agree with Erika as well, work in the summer is the hardest, my kids do come first which can be frustrating to some people. I adore my work and hope that our girls will see work as passionate and fun and not something that only made mom busy.

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