Think Out Loud #17: Confessions of a Work at Home Mom #2

 Think Out Loud is a weekly meme created by

 Thinks Books 

to break out of the blogging bubble. 

Consider your Think Out Loud posts a time to do WHATEVER YOU WANT!

You can find more information and how to participate on your blog HERE! 

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So, here is my Think Out Loud for this week!

 

Confessions of a Work at Home Mom

I am a medical transcriptionist who has been working from home for the past nine years.  Over those years I've learned that although working from home is a blessing, it also has brought many challenges.  I have decided to put some of these challenges, as well as the blessings, into a weekly post.   

Some of the topics I will write about are learning to balance work, family, and home without burning out; learning to say no to friends; and when to turn work off.  My goal of these posts is to share some helpful hints with other work at home moms that will hopefully help make their work at home experience even more productive and successful. 

Confession #2:  

I wish school was year-round 

 
Don't get me wrong…I love my children.  I love having them home and being able to be at home with them.  I love that our house is the neighborhood hangout.  I love knowing who they are spending time with and what they are doing.  I love everything about them (well, at least when they are behaving).  But, to be honest, we are all happier when they are at school during my work hours.  When they are home, they are running in and out of the house, fighting with each other, wanting snacks, fighting with each other, interrupting my work to ask to go to a friend's house, fighting with each other…you get the picture. 

Some days I can deal, but some days I just want QUIET!

 

I have learned by trial and error over the last few years ways to manage this, and here is a list of ground rules (subject to change based on my mood on any particular day) that must be followed on days when there is no school but mom is still working:

1.  No friends in the house while I am working. 
If you want to play with friends, you must play outside.

2.  No running in and out! 
If you come in for any reason other than to use the bathroom, you stay in.

3.  Big brother (age 14) is "in charge" while I am working. 
He can give permission to go to a friend's, ride bikes, or get a snack, and deal with generally anything else that doesn't involve cooking, a lot of blood, or door-to-door salesmen.

4.  If Dad is home, ask HIM!

These rules generally make summers and other school breaks run smoother, and everyone stays happy :)

That’s it for confession #2!  What are your thoughts?  Have you ever worked from home?  Do you have any rules you would add to my list?