Working from home - Not such a picnic!
Posted by Mary Rogul on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 @ 08:05 PM
I had all five days planned out. My husband had a business trip last week and it was me and the boys for the long haul (Sunday-Friday). I had a plan!
I told my boss, to be as productive as possible, I need to work from home the entire week so that I would not be wasting time in the morning -getting pretty for the office- as well as leaving early to get dinner ready for the kids.
My hubby left Sunday morning and I spent the day with the kids, reading, playing and trying not to think about the fact that we had not been outside due to torrential rain for three days.
The first night, alone with the kids, all was well until 1am when the fire department arrived at the end of our street checking in with residents due to the severe flooding. That was a bit unnerving. There is something about being home "alone", completely responsible for two little people that makes me a bit on edge.
Anyway, we made it through. Monday would be better! We set the clocks ahead for daylight saving time and I awoke to crying at 7:50am (normal rising for the boys is between 6-6:30am).
No need to panic. I can get myself dressed, both boys ready, fed and off to daycare in 15 minutes (typically takes about an hour and a half). At 8:15 Alex was just finishing breakfast and I was just about to load Nathan into the carseat when daycare called and said they were closed due to plumbing issues. Well this certainly put a wrench in my day. I'm sure my clients wouldn't mind babies crying in the background for our scheduled conference calls.
After rescheduling all of my appointments for the day, I accepted the fact that this is the way it goes and completely enjoyed another rainy day with my kids. It was actually a lot of fun!
Tuesday through Friday was quite normal, other than the slightly more hectic mornings and evenings, but we managed.
What I found particularly challenging though was how I felt continuous pressure to do housework and chores when in my domestic surroundings.
I'm so happy to be returning to the office on Monday where I can be focused, get some "work" done and talk to someone older than 3 for more than five minutes. As much as I love being home, I really enjoy being a working mom. I feel more fulfilled and relaxed as a mom when I get the social interaction and work stimulation from the office versus being at home.
Surprised? Me too! What do you guys think?