Working at Home, With Children

Being a working mom is no longer an anomaly. The US Census reports that 61% of mothers with young children work full or part-time. I'm one of them and I will be the first to admit that my life is hectic. I feel like I never sit down. When I'm awake, I'm either focused on work or focused on my family. With the bits of time that remain I try to keep the laundry basket from overflowing and the refrigerator from being empty. I've given up on most everything else.

Like most people, I work from everywhere -- the office, home, my (parked) car, the airport, the local coffee shop. Work is where I am, not a place that I go. That is true of most people. In fact, in surveys we at DEGW have conducted over the several years, we've found that people report spending at least 20% of their time working outside of the office. The vast majority (men and women) say they'd like to work from home 1-2 days a week. Many organizations consider this a perk or a privilege, but for many of us -- and for working parents in particular -- I would argue that it is a necessity. Sometimes I feel that the only time I have to sit down and concentrate is early in the morning before the rest of the house is awake, late at night after my son has gone to bed, or on the rare meeting-free day that I decide it is not absolutely necessary to go into the office.

Whether you work from home on occasion, once a week or full-time, doing so successfully is not as simple as just being there. Herewith, five tips for the working parent who wants to make working from home work:

First and most importantly, remember that working from home is not a childcare solution. Caring for children (especially young ones) is a full-time job itself so if you have another full-time job, you should not expect to be able to do both. While working from home does provide more flexibility and can seriously reduce the time you spend commuting, working exclusively during nap time and after bedtime really isn't sustainable -- personally or professionally. Find an appropriate in-home or nearby childcare solution that works for your job and your family. This will enable you to focus on work when you need to and give your family your undivided attention the rest of the time.

Second: Establish a dedicated workspace. Sure, we all work from the kitchen counter, the dining room table, (bed?) on occasion, but if you're working from home full or part-time, it is best to have a space dedicated to that. No, you don't need to go out and buy a house with a home office, but you should have some sort of desk space, (and if you are working from home more than 2 days a week, an ergonomic chair). This space should be in a place where you can concentrate -- whether for focused work or phone calls -- and should not be in the middle of your living room or another place where your child(ren) are apt to want to be during the course of the day if they are also at home. Full disclosure: I don't currently have this kind of space in my house and as a result, I don't often work from home. (See the last point for alternatives.)

Third: Set boundaries -- about when you work and when you don't -- and keep them.
One of the advantages of working from home is the flexibility that comes with it. Even so, it is best to establish a general routine, just as you would in the office. One of the greatest challenges of working from home can be knowing when to stop working. (It is okay to stop working.) As a result, it is best to define when work "begins" and "ends." This will give you, your colleagues and your family structure to the day and ensure that you have enough time to dedicate to both work and "play."

Fourth: Remember to that frequent communication with your manager and your colleagues is critical.
The benefits of frequent communication should not underestimated. It is easy to get into a groove and forget to check-in, but this is an important aspect of working remotely. (Some managers are better at managing by results than others.) Be proactive about communicating what you're working on, asking for feedback and engaging in team discussions. And please don't reply exclusively on email and IM. Sometimes, by picking up the phone you can work out an issue or answer a question in a fraction of the time it would take via email. Using a variety of communication methods (including spending some time in the office every now and then) also ensures that you keep relationships current -- which is critical to being a successful remote worker.

Lastly: Know the "third places" in your neighborhood -- and get out of the house!
We all need a change of scenery now and then. Chances are there are any number of great "third places" where you can get work done so make a conscious effort to get out and work someplace else now and then. Your local library or coffee shop will likely have free wireless and space for you to spend a couple of hours. (I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop 2 blocks from my office because I know it is a place I can spend an hour or two free from distraction.) Or, if you are in need of short-term office space (or a meeting room) for a few hours try a nearby coworking space. (Check out LiquidSpace.com or Loosecubes.com to find something near you.)

Separation of work and life is futile. Working from home can be a game-changer -- enabling you to both spend more time with your family and more time "at work." (Respondents to our surveys report feeling more productive working from home; have more time to work have higher job satisfaction due to a greater sense of autonomy and report that they give more time they save from commuting back to their companies.) In order to manage personal and professional commitments however, you do need to be proactive in your approach. Don't use working from home as a crutch, use it as a tool.

Georgia Collins is the managing director of DEGW North America, an AECOM company.

 

Comments

[KitLyne]

08:49 PM on 03/11/2012

Seven years later, I have a really nice office, with a solid core dead bolt locking door, a shredder, locking filing cabinets, two desks in my office for the two computers I use up there for work. Nice big windows with a great view out of one of them and a mini fridge behind my desk. You wouldn't find a nicer or more well equipped office in a magazine. Like my office and my kids, my jobs have sort of grown up too. I've traded the freedom of working at will to working full time, but gained the benefits that are usually associated with brick and mortar jobs, like health insurance, dental, vision, paid vacations.

Other than trips I only spend around $700.00 a year on gas. As a divorced post 50's Mom, I look forward to working from home for as long as I have a mind nimble enough to do it.

[KitLyne]

08:49 PM on 03/11/2012

I've been working from home for 7 years. Initially I had my "office" in the laundry room. It didn't take long to realize that staying home to work was going to be a challenge. No one respected the fact that when that door closed, I wasn't supposed to be thought of as being home. Maybe it was the glass window in the door, or the fact that the laundry room was off of the kitchen, heart of my home so to speak. Kids, dogs, husband, neighbors, they all had to be trained. I adjusted my hours and mainly worked late at night and early mornings.

None of the jobs I've had allowed you to work in a coffee shop, or wireless. But they did allow me to take off all the time I needed while the kids were growing up, to be available for all the activities that kids get into. When my husband was deployed it was not a problem on the home front, because my job allowed me to be available to do the work for both of us.

[BusyWriter]

10:27 AM on 03/09/2012

Good article that made solid points. My favorite statement is, “Work is where I am, not a place that I go.” I’m a business writer with a home office who works “from everywhere,” including the school parking lot, local coffee shop….and later today, on a school field trip.

[Aliza Torok Schlabach]

02:39 PM on 03/08/2012

Nice article! There are also a few coworking spaces with on-site child care if you're lucky enough to live near one:

Philadelphia's Western suburbs
Coworking for Parents (opening later this year)
http://www.coworkingforparents.com

Decatur, Georgia
Bean Work Play Cafe
http://www.beanworkplaycafe.com/

Duluth, Georgia
The Work Spot
http://workatthespot.com/

London
Third Door
http://www.third-door.com/

[Aliza Torok Schlabach]

11:18 AM on 03/08/2012

Great article! I'm actually working on opening Coworking for Parents in Philadelphia's Western suburbs - a coworking space and community with on-site child care. We will cater to the needs of entrepreneurial parents and other work-from-home web designers, developers, writers, marketers, artists, small business owners, telecommuters, and more. (People without kids will definitely be welcome too!) Potential benefits include on site child care, conference rooms, a nursing/pumping room, meal delivery, classes, a spa room, space for parents to spend time with their kids on breaks, and so much more. We want to give independent consultants and small business owners the ability to network, find community, focus, socialize, learn, get stuff done… and also help them achieve balance with their work and home life.

Aliza Schlabach
Founder
Coworking for Parents
http://www.coworkingforparents.com