HOW TO WORK FROM HOME
My working from home situation goes something like this: 3:30 approaches and I prepare for “The Arrival.” What begins as little kitty-cat scratching at my door coupled with a whispered, “Where’s Mommy?” quickly morph into full-on, wild cat screeching chants of “WHERE”S MOMMY?” protest since that-door-isn’t-opening no-matter-what.
Then I hear our lovely sitter reassuring my now wildcat son that Mommy is home but is working and that she’ll come out after they play and then, on good days, the wild cat announces he’s going to play and the (panic) attack at the door stops. Sometimes we bypass the door thing altogether and he forgets I’m even home! Something I have mixed feelings about.
I imagine it’s not much easier to work at home with older kids in the same sense that a kid in pre-K isn’t really easier than a baby: It’s just a different set of needs with fewer naps. Working from home with kids can seem and be impossible when there are infinite distractions and unrealistic pressure to perform in a space typically ill-suited for focus and quiet. Here are some pragmatic tips to make it work when you have to, well, work.