PostingHome work - oh, and I'm a Rockin Blogger!

After six months of working from home, I'm finally realising there are ways to make it easier on myself and the rest of my family. It seems only polite to share these ideas on home-working with you all. So, here are my suggestions.

Please feel free to disagree or jump in with any ideas of your own.

1. If your budget can stretch to it, invest in a decent office chair.

Using a dining room chair for my work was threatening to cripple me. So I've just ordered a proper swivel chair with good back support. I couldn't stand up straight after some days hunched over the laptop. How I wish I'd done it sooner.

2. Don't use your ordinary home phone for work calls.

Safeguard your privacy. Get VOIP (voice-over internet protocol). Calls are cheaper. And you won't risk picking up the home phone thinking it's your mum or husband, only to find yourself talking to an important client, who will thrill to the accompanying shrieks from your small and attention-deprived child.

3. You might think you're working two days a week. Many of your contacts won't. Set boundaries - politely.

This is a tricky one. Tip 2 helps. Obviously, it's important to strike a balance, and remain flexible to maintain important relationships. After all, this is work. Unless I say "no" sometimes, my 'two-day' week could include every available crack of time, morning, noon and night.

4. Ensure you get some fresh air daily.

It's all too easy never to leave the flat, especially if my husband takes The Bean to nursery. A stroll round the corner to escape the citadel cheers me up no end. Coffee at the local deli/cafe on my own is a real treat.

5. Remember that office workers march to a different beat

How dare my husband get short with me when I've phoned up for a good long chat?

6. Make an effort to meet people

When even the postman is walking faster as you hove into view because you've spent so much time gabbing about weather/holidays/postal strike, it might be time to meet other work-at-homes for a quick coffee.

7. When you're cursing your solitude, remember all the things about office life that got you down

I'd better be discreet here.

8. If you're setting up on your own, give yourself time to get established

Don't expect instant miracles. Be patient. Suffice to say, I am not a patient person. I wish I were. I married someone patient, hoping it would rub off on me. So far it has not worked. I cannot ask for my money back. I cannot send him back now to the lovely vicar who married us. It's too late. The 'return-by' period has expired. I could not imagine living without him. You see, I need his patience.

9. Try to keep at least one day weekly completely work-free

Okay, it's hard to resist a sneaky daily look at that inbox. But at least one day a week of minimal work is refreshing.

10. Don't feel too bad about frequent tea breaks.

Think of all the time wasted in offices catching up with what colleagues did at the weekend. Or hawking round birthday cards. Not to mention "internal meetings". You probably get more concentrated stretches of work done at home.

11. Never buy biscuits

Self-explanatory, I should think. I didn't get this blog title by accident.

Other news:

Erica from Littlemummy has made me a Rockin' Blogger! Thanks, Erica. I'm delighted!

Rockin' Blogger

That means it's my turn to award the Rockin' Blogger to two other sites.

So, here goes... I'd like to choose Omega Mum from Three Kids No Job and Beta Mum from Keir Royale. They both write warm and witty blogs about their lives that I find quite addictive. Omega Mum, Beta Mum, over to you! Your turn to award two blogs you like this thumbs-up.

Erica, thanks also for setting up a UK Parents Blog Ring (details in the blogroll, right). I've already signed up and understand from Erica new members are welcome!

Posted 12 July 2007 22:40

Home Money Work Work at Home Mum Work vs mothering

Comments

DJ Kirkby said:
Thanks for the tips!

Grat tips thnaks, but how do you get started in the first place? *Whine* Congrats on your 'Rocking girl' status! I am going over to check out the UK parents blog ring, great idea.

Posted 13 July 2007 06:29

Flowerpot said:
Working from home

Yes, yes, yes, Mother! As someone else who works from home I would agree with all of that. Husband is also self employed and has been all his life and it's amazing how many people 'pop in' for coffee and a chat, convinced that you do nothing all day. Would you do teh same if someone worked in an office? And yes, the chair is VITAL if you have a bad back like mine. I do eat biscuits though...

Posted 13 July 2007 09:22

beta mum said:
homework

I used to be a classic competer-finisher until I started working from home. And I agree about the biscuits! Thank you so much for the Rockin' Blogger award - and well done for getting it yourself. I will now try to grapple with html thingummies.

Posted 13 July 2007 10:22

IngeniousRose said:
An excellent list

Thanks Mother at Large, this is an excellent list. I have just started working from home. I have got all the practical things right - chair, little office etc but the rest has gone to pot so I am now resting for a week. I neglected to be firm about when my working day started and ended. After after working from early in the morning until late at night, and looking after a child, I am shattered. Your advice will come in very helpful. PS You are SO right about the biscuits!

Posted 13 July 2007 10:25

Erica said:
Thanks

Thanks, the ring is 17 members strong now with new parent bloggers joining everyday :)

Posted 13 July 2007 11:18

joyfulgirl said:
Postman and chair

Loved this list-how funny and true that the postman delivering the mail becomes an event in the day! A lot of this was even true for me on maternity leave ... I don't know why I didn't buy a proper comfortable chair for breastfeeding and trying to get junior to sleep ... esp. when I spent half my day and night in it!

Posted 13 July 2007 12:00

Omega Mum said:
thank you

Both for tips and Rockin' Blogger pinkness. Do you have a cut and paste HTML code I can borrow? (Will return it with cup of sugar later. Plus gin).

Posted 13 July 2007 13:05

Mother at Large said:
Code and sundries

Oooh, gin. How apt. Mothers' ruin, and all. Will email the jpeg to you.

Posted 13 July 2007 13:10

Mother at Large said:
Getting started...

Ah. Suppose it depends what type of business you're in. You must be going in right direction with your short storues, DJ? Good luck with your plans. Sorry not to have more ideas. This might sounds crazy - but have you thought about being a doula?!

Posted 13 July 2007 18:19

Mother at Large said:
Beta Mum

Was that a Freudian slip?! Did you mean completer finisher? ;)

Posted 13 July 2007 18:20

Mother at Large said:
ps - Beta Mum

You're welcome about the Rockin' Blogger! :)

Posted 13 July 2007 18:22

Mother at Large said:
Flowerpot

A fellow biscuit-eater! What are your favourites? I'm partial to a chocolate hob nob.

Posted 13 July 2007 18:24

Mother at Large said:
Erica

Glad to hear blog ring's working so well!

Posted 13 July 2007 18:25

Mother at Large said:
Ingenious Rose

Sounds like a busy time. Look after yourself. Easy to overdo it when self-employed.

Posted 13 July 2007 18:26

Mother at Large said:
Joyful girl

I bought one of those feeding pillows only several weeks into b/feeding, so I wouldn't feel bad about not buying the chair. They cost a fortune and that phase is over so soon.

Posted 13 July 2007 18:27

Mother at Large said:
Ps Omega Mum

You're very welcome about the Rockin' Blogger.

Posted 13 July 2007 18:36

beta mum said:
competitive mum

ho ho - my editing skills are obviously getting a touch slack! I did, indeed, mean completer-finisher, although the other would do just as well.

Posted 13 July 2007 20:26

dulwichmum said:
Best advice ever

I think the best piece of advice was - "Never buy biscuits!" Ha, ha, ha.

Posted 13 July 2007 22:38

DJ Kirkby said:
Doula

Yes I have considered it but decided that it would be too hard to go from being a midwife to being a doula and that it would just stink to not be able to actualy 'catch' the baby at the birth too. I have only had 3 stories published, besides my monthly column in FaMily mag (which I do for free). Am fairly sure I will never find a publisher for my 'Adventures of a wild hippie child' as I ahve posted excerpts on my blog, so I am a bit stumped...but still writing!

Posted 14 July 2007 07:17

Mother at Large said:
Never buy biscuits

Too right, Dulwich Mum!

Posted 14 July 2007 14:52

Mother at Large said:
DJ...

I'm reading Julia Cameron's The Right to Write just now - all quite uplifting. She says that if you keep writing, a publisher will come. The cynic in me says it can't be so simple! But perhaps I'm wrong to doubt.

Posted 14 July 2007 14:54

BaffledDad said:

When your husband cuts the conversation short (number 5), I can't help wondering if he is actually working up to one of those tasks from number 10.



Just a thought...

Posted 14 July 2007 23:09

Mother at Large said:

Beta Mum It's important to be able to do both when you're a mum ;) Congrats again on the award. Your site is great.

Posted 14 July 2007 23:15

Mother at Large said:

BaffledDad You seem to have an uncanny insight into my husband's mind. He too has a fondness for oblique numerical references.

Posted 14 July 2007 23:17

Flowerpot said:

Biscuits - I can't eat chocolate - makes me even more hyperactive, so have to settle for plain ones but love digestives or fig rolls. Yum....

Posted 15 July 2007 10:28

Mother at Large said:

Flowerpot, no biscuit stays in my house for long, chocolate or otherwise.

Posted 15 July 2007 13:40

midlifer said:

Great tips (tho my dining room chair does just fine!). I've got another one - AVOID watching TV 'for a treat' at lunchtime. I've become hooked on neighbours and even have to video it if Sports Day/collecting car from garage/deadline means I have to miss it.



Lovely to hear of so many others working from home.

Posted 16 July 2007 14:42

Mother at Large said:

Hi Midlifer,

I have a similar affliction with Friends. Blogging's a big diversion too! :)

Posted 16 July 2007 15:11

midlifer said:

Oh, and Spider Solitaire - don't even go there!

Hi, I'm midlifer and I'm a solitaireaholic. It's been 3 days and four hours since I last went on it.

Posted 16 July 2007 20:42

Mother at Large said:

Hi Midlifer, just take it a day at a time. The first couple of days are the hardest :)

Posted 16 July 2007 21:07

mid-lifer said:

Still haven't been on it again yet. But now I'm addicted to blogs. There's no hope...

Posted 18 July 2007 13:23

Mother at Large said:

Mid-lifer, you're in good company here.

Posted 18 July 2007 18:24

Post a comment

Enter your comment here.

You can use some html tags such as <b> and <i>.

Word verification

Name

Email (will not be made public)

Website (optional)

Remember me