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To slightly modulate the subject: I'd be interested in answers to the same question when the workplace is a home office in a home with wife and children.
by vanderreeah 10y ago
To slightly modulate the subject: I'd be interested in answers to the same question when the workplace is a home office in a home with wife and children.
- DoofusOfDeath 10y agoI've managed this reasonably well. I'm not sure if there's a better way but... I made it clear to my wife and kids that from 8 a.m - 5:30 p.m., it's very important to our livelihood that they consider me to be working and unavailable. This implies: (1) coming into my office during that time is a felony, and (2) my wife tries hard to keep the kids pretty quiet, and (3) my wife agrees to not take offence if I'm upstairs for lunch and while she's still talking I say "Sorry, I need to work." and head downstairs. However, often when I come up for lunch, or to use the bathroom, I'll say high to everyone and ask about their day. And sometimes around the time the kids get home from school, I come upstairs to get them a snack and give them a little attention. So it's still way better than me working away from home. We don't have a great solution for days that the kids are on vacation. My wife and I have agreed that normally on those days, I'll be the one to work around them, rather than vice-versa. So if they're too loud, I'll put on noise-cancelling headphones and/or head out to a coffee shop. It took a little while for the message to sink into my kids, and there were some minor hurt feelings at first, but now that everyone has adapted I'd say everyone's happy. It's just the new normal.