telecommuting with kids at home [Archive]

Circe

March 2nd 05, 11:03 PM

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids are
> present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
> all viewpoints.
>
I telecommute. My older two are in school (one half-day kindergarten, one
full-day in second grade), but my youngest is home full-time.

I love working at home and being available to my kids, but I would not
recommend that anyone try to do it on a full-time or close to full-time
basis without having daycare for the children. In my case, I have a nanny
here about 34 hours per week. She does the school pick-ups and takes care of
getting lunches, doing diaper changes, etc. while I work. I do work a full
week, so I work a few hours when she is not here, either after the kids go
to bed, before the wake up, or when they are occupied playing with friends
and so forth. But I couldn't get in a full week's work without someone to
look after the kids and keep them out of my hair.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3 today)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang

March 3rd 05, 01:35 AM

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids are
> present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
> all viewpoints.
>
> Thanks.
>

I telecommuted at a previous job two days a week and on these days, DD went
to daycare for the full day. There was no way I could have worked at home
and taken care of her simultaneously.

Jeanne

Sue

March 3rd 05, 02:00 AM

I work at home and given the ages of your children, it would be a much
better situation to hire someone to come into the home to care for your
children. You won't get anything productive done at all. I have worked at
home for the last seven years, but my kids are school age. I didn't even
attemtp working at home until there was some form of schooling involved.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids are
> present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
> all viewpoints.
>
> Thanks.
>

Nikki

March 3rd 05, 02:56 AM

wrote:
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids
> are present?

One tip - hire some kind of babysitter :-)

--
Nikki

Clisby

March 3rd 05, 12:20 PM

wrote:
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids are
> present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
> all viewpoints.
>
> Thanks.
>

I've worked part-time from home for about 6 years now (and occasionally
full-time - once my husband took a year off to do home renovations and
look after our daughter, and then he was laid off for a few months once.)

I'll second what some others have said about child care, especially if
you mean working full time. There's no way I could work full time from
home without child care. I can manage half-time - but my 8-year-old is
in school all day and the 3-year-old is capable of entertaining himself
for at least half-hour stretches. When he was a baby, I had someone
come to the house for about 12 hours a week, and when he was 18 months
old he started a 3-morning-a-week preschool. It will be easier when I
get him in a preschool again; we moved in November, so it looks like
he'll be with me until fall.

Clisby

Banty

March 3rd 05, 12:33 PM

In article om>,
says...
>
>Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids are
>present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
>all viewpoints.
>
>Thanks.
>

I partially telecommute, using my setup at home to greatly increase my
flexibility. During times of heavy workload, I can continue the work in the
evening. When my son is ill (rare) or when school is out, I can get the day's
work done at home.

But always this has to work around things. When my son was little, I could work
pretty much only after he was in bed for the night. Even now when he's twelve,
two days in a row with me trying to put in a full-day's work at home starts to
strain his ability to occupy himself.

I see the other responses, and I think they're right. Telecommuting works if
there is another full-time adult around, or if it can work into the hours the
kids are sleeping. It's been great for me, but I don't think full-time
telecommuting is the heaven for working parents it looks at first blush.

Banty

Donna

March 3rd 05, 02:51 PM

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids are
> present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
> all viewpoints.

Get some child care. :) I have a nanny who comes in three and a half days
a week to look after the kids while I work, otherwise nothing would get
done.

Donna

lenny fackler

March 3rd 05, 03:52 PM

wrote:
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids
are
> present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
> all viewpoints.
>
> Thanks.

I can't get anything done at home even with my wife there with the
kids. The laptop will go anywhere but I still need a good workspace.
If I had a seperate office in the house it would work.

hedgehog42

March 3rd 05, 06:58 PM

I think much depends not only on the ages/temperaments of your kids,
but also on the type of job. I had an extremely flexible arrangement
when my kids were younger -- it was a solitary "processing" kind of job
in which the hours worked were of less importance than the fact that I
put them in sometime during the day. I also had no kind of client
contact/phone responsibilities. With all that, I was able to work
part-time even during the day; I worked before the rest of the
household was awake, during kid nap times (I admit, I encouraged them
to continue napping until they were in school full time) and in the
evenings when things wound down. (of course, the drawback in all this
was that it wasn't paying much at all -- still, it served its purpose,
which was mostly keeping my hand in.)

Lori G.
Milwaukee, WI

Here to there

March 3rd 05, 09:30 PM

On 2 Mar 2005 14:33:16 -0800, > wrote:
> Any tips for succesfully telecommuting/working from home while kids are
> present? I'm not asking for anything specific because I want to hear
> all viewpoints.

As in most things in life, "It depends."

I frequently telecommute for weeks at a time. We have a 4 year old and
a 2 year old, and my wife stays at home. The kids will often want to
come in and show me their latest art project, ask me a question,
sit down on my lap while I work, etc. That doesn't bother me in the least
- beats the heck out of listening to whining co-workers, as a matter of
fact. ;-) But the advantage are tremendous - I love being there
to put my DD down for her nap, being able to have lunch with them,
being able to help them with their crafts when I'm taking a break
( instead of listening to the afore-mentioned co-workers drone
on forever about "Survivor" and "Lost". ;-) ), and so on.

But if you're the sort of person who can't switch gears on a dime,
is bothered by "non-office" noises, or needs to be on the phone
a lot, I'd recommend against it, unless you have a home office that
has been soundproofed and double-deadbolted. ;-)

- Rich

Circe

March 3rd 05, 10:17 PM

"Banty" > wrote in message
...
> Telecommuting works if
> there is another full-time adult around, or if it can work into the hours
the
> kids are sleeping. It's been great for me, but I don't think full-time
> telecommuting is the heaven for working parents it looks at first blush.
>
I think parents sometimes labor under the mistaken impression that they'll
be able to get away without paying for childcare if they telecommute. And
that *did* work for me when I was only trying to put in 20 hours per week,
had a very flexible schedule, and had two kids at school
(preschool/elementary) at the same time my baby took a long afternoon nap. I
could squeak in 4 hours a day without too much difficulty. Once I had to
work full-time again, I needed someone or I'd have been burning the midnight
oil to get in a full work-week.

Telecommuting is *awesome* for parents for many reasons. I think it rocks
and have actually told my boss that any requirement that I come back to work
in the office on a regular basis will be met with my resignation. I'm not
bluffing, either. What makes it great is that I don't have to be away from
my kids a full 8 hours *plus* commute time, I don't have to shower and get
ready before I can start work, and I can do a small amount of my work during
times when I don't have to pay a caregiver as well. I wouldn't trade my work
situation for all the tea in China, but it's not because it's saving me much
(if anything) on childcare.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3 today)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

shinypenny

March 3rd 05, 11:17 PM

Circe wrote:

> I think parents sometimes labor under the mistaken impression that
they'll
> be able to get away without paying for childcare if they telecommute.
And
> that *did* work for me when I was only trying to put in 20 hours per
week,
> had a very flexible schedule, and had two kids at school
> (preschool/elementary) at the same time my baby took a long afternoon
nap. I
> could squeak in 4 hours a day without too much difficulty. Once I had
to
> work full-time again, I needed someone or I'd have been burning the
midnight
> oil to get in a full work-week.

I wanted to agree with Circe and others on this point.

I also telecommute most days (it varies week to week - I am currently
averaging about one to two days per week in the office). My kids, ages
10 and 12, attend an afterschool program.

On days when they are sick, I can easily cover. Usually, "too sick to
go to school" means "too sick to do much more than lay like a puddle in
front of cartoons, or play or read quietly, or nap." I might bring my
laptop into bed (okay, who am I kidding... I basically telecommute from
my bedroom!! Much more comfy that way), and the sick child will cuddle
up in bed next to me while I work. We have wireless headphones if she
wants to watch cartoons and/or tune out my endless phone chatter.

On days when they have a school holiday, I can also cover. Usually what
we do is tag-team with another telecommuting mom, alternating
playdates. The kids might spend the morning and one friends' house
while I work, then the afternoon here while she works, etc. Or just
have a playdate here and the kids keep each other happily occupied with
little supervision necessary (since they are older now) yet I'm in the
house.

But on an ongoing basis in lieu of afterschool? No way. The kids would
rapidly get bored, I think, or the logistics of arranging playdates to
ensure they don't get bored simply wouldn't work. And I can't commit to
taking the kids to extracurricular activities during the hours of 3 to
5, because this is prime conference call meeting time for me. Plus, I
need the flexibility to be able to go into the office when necessary
and not have to scramble to first find someone to watch the kids.

> Telecommuting is *awesome* for parents for many reasons. I think it
rocks
> and have actually told my boss that any requirement that I come back
to work
> in the office on a regular basis will be met with my resignation. I'm
not
> bluffing, either. What makes it great is that I don't have to be away
from
> my kids a full 8 hours *plus* commute time, I don't have to shower
and get
> ready before I can start work, and I can do a small amount of my work
during
> times when I don't have to pay a caregiver as well. I wouldn't trade
my work
> situation for all the tea in China, but it's not because it's saving
me much
> (if anything) on childcare.
>

Yes!!!

Telecommuting enables me to relax in the mornings, have breakfast, and
connect with the kids before school instead of rushing into the shower
to get out the door. I am here if the kids get sick or school is
cancelled due to snow, and need to come home. I can pick them up much
earlier than when I am commuting back from the office.

And when I'm on those endless conference calls, the ones where I need
to listen but not talk, I can put the speaker phone on mute, attach it
to my belt, and do laundry, dust, start dinner, etc.

The big downside for me is that I have had to "educate" my family to
understand that I really do have a REAL job with responsibilities and
commitments, and I'm not sitting home all day eating bon-bons. You
think this wouldn't be hard for them to understand, since I bring home
the salary that keeps a roof over our heads.

"Just because I work at home, does not mean mom is automatically
available to volunteer in your classroom tomorrow. You need to give mom
notice next time - see, I already have back-to-back meetings scheduled
tomorrow and I can't change them so easily with only 12 hours notice."

"Just because I work at home, does not mean I will have time to leave
the house tomorrow and run out to the grocery store. I'm afraid this
will have to wait until the weekend."

"Just because I work at home, does not mean I can't be totally
exhausted and feel like collapsing and doing nothing tonight."

"Just because I work at home, does not mean I haven't been so busy
today that I didn't get a chance to figure out what the heck we are
having for dinner."

Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?

It is getting better, I suppose. Kids have been home sick or for snow
days this winter, and both have realized, "Yeah, mom really does do a
lot of work!" because they've had a chance to witness the constant
emails, phone calls, and instant messages I must field all day, not to
mention the long endless virtual meetings. Working in an office doesn't
give kids the same sort of exposure.

jen

Ericka Kammerer

March 4th 05, 12:21 AM

shinypenny wrote:

> Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?
>
Yes, in spades. I work part time, most of it from home.
Because I average about half time, and I can do most of the work
anytime of the day or night that suits me, I do generally manage
this without childcare except for when I do go in to the office.
I do most of my work during the toddler's nap (or while she's
otherwise happily occupied), after they go to bed at night, or
when DH is home to take care of them. Occasionally I have to
field a work phone call or handle an issue during the day with
kids around, but that's not usually an issue as the folks I
work with expect that when they have to contact me during those
times. So, from my kids' perspective, my work is largely
invisible to them. When they do see me working, I'm usually
just sitting there with my laptop, so as far as they know,
I could be playing games or reading newsgroups ;-) Therefore,
it's often hard for them to take the idea that I actually
do work seriously. Normally, this isn't an issue because
my work doesn't impinge much on their life, but on occasion
I'll have a very busy spell when work gets closer to full
time for a little while. They're sometimes rather put out
when that happens. It's understandable, though, given that
my work doesn't usually impact them at all.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang

March 4th 05, 12:13 PM

"Banty" > wrote in message
...
> In article om>,
> says...
>
> I see the other responses, and I think they're right. Telecommuting works
> if
> there is another full-time adult around, or if it can work into the hours
> the
> kids are sleeping. It's been great for me, but I don't think full-time
> telecommuting is the heaven for working parents it looks at first blush.
>
> Banty
>

I was surprised to learn this as well. In my previous job, I could
telecommute three days a week but *I* cut it to two days a week after just
two weeks. I found that I needed the face-to-face interaction and personal
meetings to do my job. Sometimes email and phone calls weren't effective in
communicating ideas and thoughts.

While I would jump at the chance to telecommute part-time again, I would
never become a full-time telecommuter (unless the job and organization is
set up specifically for and of telecommuters).

Jeanne

Donna

March 4th 05, 12:47 PM

"shinypenny" > wrote in message
oups.com...

> And when I'm on those endless conference calls, the ones where I need
> to listen but not talk, I can put the speaker phone on mute, attach it
> to my belt, and do laundry, dust, start dinner, etc.

Oh, that is too funny. I thought i was the only one.

I have a bi-weekly teleconference and I usually attend it while I do kitchen
work. My mental image is of everyone else at their desks in suits, but the
reality is probably twenty people all dusting, washing or filing in separate
rooms. How funny.

> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I will have time to leave
> the house tomorrow and run out to the grocery store. I'm afraid this
> will have to wait until the weekend."

I don't have a problem with my husband understanding this, but I do have a
problem not scheduling errands during my work days. I know that when I
schedule an errand, that kills my whole morning or afternoon -- yet I'm
constantly trying to fit it in. Stupid.

> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I can't be totally
> exhausted and feel like collapsing and doing nothing tonight."

This my DH doesn't really understand either, but he doesn't get bent out of
shape over it, he just looks a bit confused.

> Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?

Oh yes. In spades.

Donna

Sue

March 4th 05, 02:24 PM

"shinypenny" > wrote in message
> "Just because I work at home, does not mean mom is automatically
> available to volunteer in your classroom tomorrow. You need to give mom
> notice next time - see, I already have back-to-back meetings scheduled
> tomorrow and I can't change them so easily with only 12 hours notice."
>
> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I will have time to leave
> the house tomorrow and run out to the grocery store. I'm afraid this
> will have to wait until the weekend."
>
> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I can't be totally
> exhausted and feel like collapsing and doing nothing tonight."
>
> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I haven't been so busy
> today that I didn't get a chance to figure out what the heck we are
> having for dinner."
>
> Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?
>
> It is getting better, I suppose. Kids have been home sick or for snow
> days this winter, and both have realized, "Yeah, mom really does do a
> lot of work!" because they've had a chance to witness the constant
> emails, phone calls, and instant messages I must field all day, not to
> mention the long endless virtual meetings. Working in an office doesn't
> give kids the same sort of exposure.

No, I personally don't have those issues because my job is extremely
flexible. I can take a break and run to the grocery store, I can jump up and
go get them if they are sick, etc. I can volunteer at school anytime I want.
But, my job is that when I do work, I have to be left completely alone to do
or else I can't make any money with 100 interruptions. If I don't work
during the day, I can work at night when they go to sleep. My kids are 12, 9
and 8 and some summers I have someone come in and help me and some I don't.
The summers I have someone come in are much better because the kids do get
bored and they end up getting into more things than I would want. I have had
a hard time drilling in their heads, that even though I am home, I can't be
interrupted.

--
Sue (mom to three girls)

Banty

March 4th 05, 04:04 PM

In article >, Donna says...
>
>
>"shinypenny" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
>> And when I'm on those endless conference calls, the ones where I need
>> to listen but not talk, I can put the speaker phone on mute, attach it
>> to my belt, and do laundry, dust, start dinner, etc.
>
>Oh, that is too funny. I thought i was the only one.
>
>I have a bi-weekly teleconference and I usually attend it while I do kitchen
>work. My mental image is of everyone else at their desks in suits, but the
>reality is probably twenty people all dusting, washing or filing in separate
>rooms. How funny.
>
>
>> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I will have time to leave
>> the house tomorrow and run out to the grocery store. I'm afraid this
>> will have to wait until the weekend."
>
>I don't have a problem with my husband understanding this, but I do have a
>problem not scheduling errands during my work days. I know that when I
>schedule an errand, that kills my whole morning or afternoon -- yet I'm
>constantly trying to fit it in. Stupid.
>
>> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I can't be totally
>> exhausted and feel like collapsing and doing nothing tonight."
>
>This my DH doesn't really understand either, but he doesn't get bent out of
>shape over it, he just looks a bit confused.
>
>> Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?
>
>Oh yes. In spades.
>
>Donna
>
>

It's very common.

Telecommuting partially for overtime or to cover school closings, etc. is very
common where I work. Some people dont' do it at all though. Sometimes because
they don't want home and work mixing (but at the cost of more hours in the
office and on the road, and sometimes not being as responsive as those who do
telecommute). Some because their famillies can't abide that they are home, but
not available. Depends on the family.

About telecommuting - as a single mom, I signed on to any and every way early on
to do some work from home, to cover overtime work and to do some analysis from
home during the night (yes, 3 am when necessary) on data coming from a
microelectronics fab running 24/7. Folks like me would get pressure due to our
family responsibilities, but I was able to hold out my early telecommuting
arangements as evidence of *increased* responsiveness compared to just about
everyone else. I started this in 1993. *I'd* be the one reachable at 3am, not
Mr. Devoted-to-the-job who was a 40 minute commute away. Now it's much more
common - and just about everyone here has it to one degree or another. But it's
been SUCH a boon to working families.

Banty

Clisby

March 6th 05, 12:06 AM

shinypenny wrote:

>
> Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?
>

Not so much, since I work part-time and have flexible hours. It's
pretty uncommon for me to *have* to be working at any particular time,
so I can run errands, etc.

However, the 3-year-old never understands why I'm not available to play
on demand. I think 3-year-olds need to be able to entertain themselves,
so I'm hanging tough on this one. But I couldn't, in all conscience,
expect him to entertain himself for 8 hours a day.

Clisby

[email protected]

March 6th 05, 05:18 AM

Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang wrote:
>
> While I would jump at the chance to telecommute part-time again, I
would
> never become a full-time telecommuter (unless the job and
organization is
> set up specifically for and of telecommuters).
>
> Jeanne

Yes. I did this in some form for some 5-7 years. It met my needs at the
time, as well as being a low-cost option for my employer. But isn't
something I prefer. It isolates me from my colleagues, especially the
informal interchanges, restricts my chances of hearing something new
and interesting (which for me is important to learning and growth),
puts me at a great disadvantage when anything disruptive -- like a
takeover or merger -- is happening. It's much more boring than working
in an office.

On the plus side, it's a lot easier logistically (and easier now than
when I did it). If the office is open-plan, it's sometimes less
distracting and easier to concentrate at home (though usually not if
the kids are around), especially if the work is creative. I like the
idea of being able to work from home occasionally at need, but not
every day.

When I did it, though, I did have someone looking after the kids.

Rupa

Rosalie B.

March 6th 05, 12:54 PM

I never telecommuted with the kids at home, since my first full time
job was teaching and the kids were already all in school.

I did however telecommute at my last job where I worked for 14 years
and from which I retired in 2000. I also did a whole lot of driving
that was not to the office because I was a field inspector. I once
averaged 125 miles/day for a month not counting commuting to the
office - at that time I lived 90 miles from the office. I didn't need
to be driving anymore than I already was.

My job was somewhat unusual I guess as I was out in the field for 2 or
3 days a week, and thus not in the office anyway. At the time I
retired, we were required to be in the office one day a week to answer
phones and give the public information. But when I started, the
office did not have desks for us all and none of us had office
computers.

We worked in a large open area, handwriting cases. Some people can
work well under those conditions, and some can't. I can concentrate
pretty well, and some of the writing was just filling in the blanks on
forms so I could listen to the conversation with one ear and still
write sensible stuff, but when they decided that we all had to come in
every day, case production dropped drastically. (I had by that time
moved closer to the office as I saw it coming) I also had a computer
and printer of my own, so I could type the case narrative and print it
out at home.

wrote:

>
>Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang wrote:
>>
>> While I would jump at the chance to telecommute part-time again, I
>would
>> never become a full-time telecommuter (unless the job and
>organization is
>> set up specifically for and of telecommuters).
>>
>> Jeanne
>
>Yes. I did this in some form for some 5-7 years. It met my needs at the
>time, as well as being a low-cost option for my employer. But isn't
>something I prefer. It isolates me from my colleagues, especially the
>informal interchanges, restricts my chances of hearing something new
>and interesting (which for me is important to learning and growth),
>puts me at a great disadvantage when anything disruptive -- like a
>takeover or merger -- is happening. It's much more boring than working
>in an office.
>
I didn't find this to be the case. But of course my colleagues were
also field people and so we wouldn't have more than about half of us
in the office at a time anyway. It was a government office, so no
problems with take-overs - just with the cycling out of the top people
when there was an election. Also we were periodically sent for
training and we often discussed our cases with our supervisor and with
case processing. I studied on my own to become certified, and after
that, I was allowed to travel to conventions and attend seminars
without having to take vacation time to do it.

>On the plus side, it's a lot easier logistically (and easier now than
>when I did it). If the office is open-plan, it's sometimes less
>distracting and easier to concentrate at home (though usually not if
>the kids are around), especially if the work is creative. I like the
>idea of being able to work from home occasionally at need, but not
>every day.
>
I would not have wanted to telecommute when the kids were around. At
the end, I wrote my cases on-line by modem from my home (which I
thought was very inefficient, but the purchase of the mini-computer
that they had -by the time the bids were submitted and the proposal
approved and the money allocated etc the computer was already
obsolete), and they were printed out in the office and submitted to my
boss for review.

>When I did it, though, I did have someone looking after the kids.
>
>Rupa

grandma Rosalie

shinypenny

March 6th 05, 02:52 PM

wrote:
>
> Yes. I did this in some form for some 5-7 years. It met my needs at
the
> time, as well as being a low-cost option for my employer. But isn't
> something I prefer. It isolates me from my colleagues, especially the
> informal interchanges, restricts my chances of hearing something new
> and interesting (which for me is important to learning and growth),
> puts me at a great disadvantage when anything disruptive -- like a
> takeover or merger -- is happening. It's much more boring than
working
> in an office.

Yes, that can certainly be the case. IME, it depends on the company and
situation. In my current situation, I report out to HQ which is on the
other coast. The majority of the people I deal with on a daily basis
are in another state. Whether I go into the office or work from home, I
am working with them over the computer and phone by necessity.

On the plus side, few meetings are ever scheduled before 11 AM so
mornings are free and clear to actually do real work, or, if the week
is slow, sleep in/clean up/run errands/go to dentist/surf the
internet/etc. On the down side, every now and then I need to attend a
meeting that has been called during my dinner time, which can be a pain
especially since dinner time is sacred in our house. Most days I'm
finished by 5:30, so it's not too bad. If a meeting is scheduled for
4:30-5:30, I much prefer to work from home that day because if I go
into the office, then I end up having to do the meeting by cell phone
while I commute back to get the kids. I don't like to use a cell phone
and drive at the same time - it's dangerous even with hands-free!

I do go into the office once or twice a week for a change of pace. I
prefer to do so on days when I do not have tons of meetings scheduled,
so I can walk around and chat up my other co-workers instead of sitting
chained to my phone. Takes a little pre-planning to figure out what
days those co-workers also plan to be in the office, since all of us
telecommute most days. If I miscalculate, I'll be the only one in the
office anyway, and coming in turns out to be a waste of time!

Otherwise, we use instant messenging quite freely during the workday.
Once you get used to it (took me awhile!), it is sorta like the
equivalent of walking over to someone's cube to strike up impromptu
office chit-chat. That's how you stay clued in on the politics and
gossip and office rumors.

jen

Nikki

March 6th 05, 02:53 PM

shinypenny wrote:

> "Just because I work at home, does not mean mom is automatically
> available to volunteer in your classroom tomorrow.

Not with my kids as they are still very small but I have struggled with this
one and my dh.

> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I can't be totally
> exhausted and feel like collapsing and doing nothing tonight."

Yes...the same mental energy is expended, same work stresses, etc.
regardless of wear my rear is parked :-)

> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I haven't been so busy
> today that I didn't get a chance to figure out what the heck we are
> having for dinner."

Ys - and I can't have dinner ready the minute I get off work because...well
I'm working up until I get off, not cooking supper! I have some extended
family that figures I can magically cook supper and work at the same time.

> Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?

Oh yes. It has been very difficult at times. I had a really hard time
getting my kids to understand my work time when they were under 3yo. It was
hard for them and we had a small house. I had my own office but it wasn't
away from them. It is getting much easier as they get older.

It is also very isolating. I work so am not available to participate in the
social activities SAHM's access, yet I don't have any co-workers or office
chit chat to entertain myself with either.

--
Nikki

Rosalie B.

March 6th 05, 03:14 PM

"Nikki" > wrote:

>shinypenny wrote:

>> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I can't be totally
>> exhausted and feel like collapsing and doing nothing tonight."
>
>Yes...the same mental energy is expended, same work stresses, etc.
>regardless of wear my rear is parked :-)
>
I did not find this to be the case because my commute was so stressful
in itself. Going onto the DC beltway or traveling on I-95 as I had to
do, adds at least (on good days) an hour each way to my work day.

>> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I haven't been so busy
>> today that I didn't get a chance to figure out what the heck we are
>> having for dinner."
>
>Ys - and I can't have dinner ready the minute I get off work because...well
>I'm working up until I get off, not cooking supper! I have some extended
>family that figures I can magically cook supper and work at the same time.

When I was doing it - dh who did NOT telecommute, but who had a very
much quicker commute going the opposite direction from most other
commuters and taking only 20 minutes was cooking.

My boss's boss worried that I'd be doing the laundry or watching soaps
while I was home, and I probably could have done that (the laundry
anyway - I didn't watch soaps), but I didn't. I did listen to the
radio.
>
>> Do you other telecommuters have these issues too?
>
>Oh yes. It has been very difficult at times. I had a really hard time
>getting my kids to understand my work time when they were under 3yo. It was
>hard for them and we had a small house. I had my own office but it wasn't
>away from them. It is getting much easier as they get older.
>
>It is also very isolating. I work so am not available to participate in the
>social activities SAHM's access, yet I don't have any co-workers or office
>chit chat to entertain myself with either.

We had to call in to work every day we were at home, and the secretary
would give me all the gossip at that time.

grandma Rosalie

shinypenny

March 6th 05, 03:18 PM

Nikki wrote:

> Ys - and I can't have dinner ready the minute I get off work
because...well
> I'm working up until I get off, not cooking supper! I have some
extended
> family that figures I can magically cook supper and work at the same
time.

Well, unless you have a crockpot. :-)

Crockpot saves me several times a week.

> It is also very isolating. I work so am not available to participate
in the
> social activities SAHM's access, yet I don't have any co-workers or
office
> chit chat to entertain myself with either.

I think that probably is the biggest downside, especially when kids are
young and if one of the reasons you want to work is because you crave
stimulating adult conversation during the day. Telecommuting will not
provide it as easy as going to work in an office or being a full-time
SAHM.

I have "telecommuted" on and off since the late 80s (before we had cell
phones and internet). Back then, I would do it for a few months at a
time, when I had a project that required a high level of concentration
that was easier to achieve at home (my routine was to come in the
office Mon and Fri for meetings and to circulate the writing projects
for review, and work Tues-Wed-Thurs at home to churn out the writing).
I used to say that I much prefer going into the office because working
at home was so isolating. I am an extrovert and like socializing with
people.

My view has changed over time and now I don't find telecommuting quite
as isolating as before, for three reasons: 1) the technology, once you
get the hang of it, can help you socialize with co-workers (but it
requires a high level of self-initiative and extroversion - enough to
pick up the phone and call or instant message colleagues just to chat -
that's how you get clued in on the office rumors and keep yourself in
the loop); 2) as the kids have grown, our life after hours has become
so packed with activities, it suits my need for social stimulation; 3)
the kids are older and now quite interesting to talk to. :-)

More and more these days, family life meets my needs for social
stimulation so I don't need it as much as I did back then from my job.

jen

shinypenny

March 6th 05, 03:37 PM

Rosalie B. wrote:
> >Yes...the same mental energy is expended, same work stresses, etc.
> >regardless of wear my rear is parked :-)
> >
> I did not find this to be the case because my commute was so
stressful
> in itself. Going onto the DC beltway or traveling on I-95 as I had
to
> do, adds at least (on good days) an hour each way to my work day.

For me I find that because I don't have that hour drive when I work
from home, I end up using that hour for more meetings and more work, so
it *is* just as stressful, only a different sort of stress.

Most telecommuting days I find it is harder to transition from work to
family mode. As sucky as commuting is, at very least, it helps me
transition from work mode to family mode. By the time the hour drive is
over, I have gone from thinking about work to thinking about what is
for dinner. Not so with telecommuting: often I am on a call right up
until the very last minute to get the kids from school. I am 5 minutes
from the school. I will arrive there still distracted and thinking
about work, sometimes fretting to myself because I know I need to jump
back on the 'puter once I get the kids in the door and fire out one
last email before I can start dinner.

A lot of that has to do with the fact that at HQ there's still 3 hours
left to their day, even though mine is ending. There's no time built
into my schedule to take 30 minutes and think through priorities for
the next day, etc, as there was when working for locally based
companies.

> When I was doing it - dh who did NOT telecommute, but who had a very
> much quicker commute going the opposite direction from most other
> commuters and taking only 20 minutes was cooking.

My DF works 9 to 5 in an office and commutes by bike every day. Takes
him about 40 minutes and it's great exercise. It works out well - I get
the kids home and settled, start dinner, and by the time he arrives
home, it is almost ready. Unless I've had a really hectic day or
deadlines are nearing or a call scheduled during dinner time, in which
case, DF gets home, there's no dinner, and we go out, because by then
we're all starving.

> My boss's boss worried that I'd be doing the laundry or watching
soaps
> while I was home, and I probably could have done that (the laundry
> anyway - I didn't watch soaps), but I didn't. I did listen to the
> radio.

I do laundry but really it only takes minutes, and it is easy enough to
fold laundry while listening on a call. Nobody is the wiser! (Just
don't run the vacuum!)

As for watching t.v., I never do this while telecommuting, but then I
don't watch t.v. much in general. I will take breaks throughout the day
to surf usenet (obviously I do that since I post so much <grin>) and do
routinely stop at the dr phil web site to efficiently get my fix
without wasting an hour watching it on t.v.

My goof-off time in office vs at home is probably about even. Since all
my coworkers telecommute frequently, when we are in the office
together, we tend to goof off and socialize a lot! We will grab lunch
together and take a long time eating it, go hit the company health club
together, chit chat about our personal lives, and catch up on office
gossip. My boss is just as guilty and usually instigates all this as a
form of "bonding" and "team building."

jen

Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang

March 6th 05, 04:07 PM

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang wrote:
>>
>> While I would jump at the chance to telecommute part-time again, I
> would
>> never become a full-time telecommuter (unless the job and
> organization is
>> set up specifically for and of telecommuters).
>>
>> Jeanne
>
> Yes. I did this in some form for some 5-7 years. It met my needs at the
> time, as well as being a low-cost option for my employer. But isn't
> something I prefer. It isolates me from my colleagues, especially the
> informal interchanges, restricts my chances of hearing something new
> and interesting (which for me is important to learning and growth),
> puts me at a great disadvantage when anything disruptive -- like a
> takeover or merger -- is happening. It's much more boring than working
> in an office.
>

That's pretty much what I found. I missed the interaction with my
colleagues and I really needed to talk with researchers (I'm a SAS
programmer) about the output I get (e.g., showing the printout) for
clarification. We emailed output a lot but often versions of output got
mixed up.

OTOH, I got a lot more done at home without the distractions of the casual
interactions of colleagues ("you want to go get some coffee?") and endless,
pointless meetings ("we need to meet to discuss the font size of our
report"). Also at the time, I had a supervisor who could chat away an hour
or two (!) . What I really really liked about telecommuting was the
elimination of my hour and half commute (one way).

Jeanne

toto

March 6th 05, 05:48 PM

On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 08:53:43 -0600, "Nikki" > wrote:

>> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I haven't been so busy
>> today that I didn't get a chance to figure out what the heck we are
>> having for dinner."
>
>Ys - and I can't have dinner ready the minute I get off work because...well
>I'm working up until I get off, not cooking supper! I have some extended
>family that figures I can magically cook supper and work at the same time.

Crockpot? <bg>

--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

Nikki

March 6th 05, 05:55 PM

Rosalie B. wrote:

> I did not find this to be the case because my commute was so stressful
> in itself.

Our commutes aren't stressfull in my area because there isn't that much
traffic but then again, I'm very thankful I don't *have* a commute. It is
definately a huge time saver.

> My boss's boss worried that I'd be doing the laundry or watching soaps
> while I was home, and I probably could have done that (the laundry
> anyway - I didn't watch soaps), but I didn't. I did listen to the
> radio.

I never watch TV but I can move the laundry around (I save folding for off
hours time). I need to get up and move around every hour or so anyway or I
go a little bonkers. In the main office I'd make a trip to the copy room or
something, lol. I don't do that much when the kids are home though because
if I poke my head out they immediately want access to me. I have a hard
enough time with that issue. That is getting better as they get older
though.

> We had to call in to work every day we were at home, and the secretary
> would give me all the gossip at that time.

:-) I go to my main office 2-3 times a month and since I used to work
there full time I know enough people to get some chit chat :-) I see people
a lot more often then that of course but those are clients so I don't chit
chat with them.

--
Nikki

Nikki

March 6th 05, 05:58 PM

shinypenny wrote:
> Nikki wrote:
>
>
>> Ys - and I can't have dinner ready the minute I get off work
>> because...well I'm working up until I get off, not cooking supper!
>> I have some extended family that figures I can magically cook supper
>> and work at the same time.
>
> Well, unless you have a crockpot. :-)
>
> Crockpot saves me several times a week.

I need to learn to use a crock pot :-) Also, my dh is home during the day
so theoretically I shouldn't have to worry about that ;-)

I am an extrovert
> and like socializing with people.

I'm not even that extroverted but before kids I did a lot of evening
socializing :-)

>> More and more these days, family life meets my needs for social
> stimulation so I don't need it as much as I did back then from my job.

I find that more true this year even then last year and mine are only 5 and
3yo (soon to be 6 and 4) so I bet things will just keep improving on that
front - plust they will have activities I'll be involved in etc.
--
Nikki

Nikki

March 6th 05, 06:01 PM

toto wrote:
> On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 08:53:43 -0600, "Nikki" > wrote:
>
>>> "Just because I work at home, does not mean I haven't been so busy
>>> today that I didn't get a chance to figure out what the heck we are
>>> having for dinner."
>>
>> Ys - and I can't have dinner ready the minute I get off work
>> because...well I'm working up until I get off, not cooking supper!
>> I have some extended family that figures I can magically cook supper
>> and work at the same time.
>
> Crockpot? <bg>

I've never made anything I like in a crock pot so I gave it away :-) I need
to get a new one (and better one) and start experimenting. My schedule has
changed now though so the majority of the time I'm out of the office and
just answering the phone after 3:30 (pick up kids) so supper isn't such an
issue anymore.

I also have a timer on my oven. I can set it to start and stop at anytime I
want. If I was more organized I could prepare oven meals at night and just
stick them in the oven some time the next day and it'll cook even when I'm
not home :-) I've never actually used that handy feature though!
--
Nikki

Nikki

March 6th 05, 06:04 PM

Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang wrote:

> OTOH, I got a lot more done at home without the distractions of the
> casual interactions of colleagues ("you want to go get some coffee?")
> and endless, pointless meetings ("we need to meet to discuss the font
> size of our report").

No Kidding!! I really didn't realize how much wasted time there was in a
typical office setting until you see how productive you can be away from all
the pointless meetings and endless distractions/impromptu meetings.
Especially if part of your job is writing reports or other things you simply
don't need anyone else for.

--
Nikki

Banty

March 6th 05, 07:00 PM

In article >, Nikki says...
>
>Bruce Bridgman and Jeanne Yang wrote:
>
>> OTOH, I got a lot more done at home without the distractions of the
>> casual interactions of colleagues ("you want to go get some coffee?")
>> and endless, pointless meetings ("we need to meet to discuss the font
>> size of our report").
>
>No Kidding!! I really didn't realize how much wasted time there was in a
>typical office setting until you see how productive you can be away from all
>the pointless meetings and endless distractions/impromptu meetings.
>Especially if part of your job is writing reports or other things you simply
>don't need anyone else for.
>

Here here!

It's amazing how many people work in effect two-to-a-job. Two engineers working
over a design. One is doing checks; the other is watching. Someone looking
over someone else's shoulder while they do layout. Hallway traps where I get
asked things which are in the official design manual. Someone pulls me into an
office for a consult and look something over, I answer, then they continue work
on it, and look suprised when I walk out (I say "huh? - oh, if you have more
questions as you work give me a call or IM me..." ) Etc. etc.

*Some* of this is good and necessary as people exchange ideas and put heads
together. But a lot of it is just how to work at a lazier pace.

One job I left, I was replaced by two people. I want that other salary!

Banty

Rosalie B.

March 6th 05, 09:07 PM

"Nikki" > wrote:
>shinypenny wrote:
>> Nikki wrote:
>>
<snip> and I'm not sure I haven't screwed up the attributions but oh
well

>I am an extrovert
>> and like socializing with people.
>
>I'm not even that extroverted but before kids I did a lot of evening
>socializing :-)
>
>>> More and more these days, family life meets my needs for social
>> stimulation so I don't need it as much as I did back then from my job.
>
>I find that more true this year even then last year and mine are only 5 and
>3yo (soon to be 6 and 4) so I bet things will just keep improving on that
>front - plust they will have activities I'll be involved in etc.

One of the things my boss brought up to me as a concern when I was
first hired was whether I could work by myself. His wife apparently
could not stand to work at home - she had been a nurse and was used to
being around people. I think this depends on your personality.

Since I was a field person, even though I wasn't in the office, I was
interacting with people (although sometimes it was a bit
confrontational as I was an inspector who issued citations if I found
wrong stuff) regularly. It just wasn't often the same people. Dh and
I would discuss work at dinner and the field work was better really
because when I'd talk about the office, the politics would make him
angry on my behalf.

I found that the need for interaction with people was much greater
when the kids were tiny and I didn't see anyone to talk to - sometimes
for several days if DH was out at sea.

There's a story I've always liked about a lady with a small child who
had a chance to go shopping in the city sans child. She's riding on
the bus, and it stops for a train to go by. Without thinking, she
turns to the man next to her and says "See choo-choo?"

grandma Rosalie