Is your family ready for your telecommute home life?
In your mind, there is no doubt that working from home is a good decision. That being said, you may not be the only person involved in this lifestyle change. How does your family feel about this? Are they excited to have you at home during the workday? Or is this setup going to take some getting used to?
If there will be other people at home with you during the day – a spouse, children, or both – you need to consider the many ways that your new work schedule is going to affect them.
Some people will find it simple to work at home, regardless of how many others are around. On the other hand, this adjustment will not be nearly as simple for others. Here are several points to touch on as you discuss your new work arrangement with your family:
- You are at home to work. In other words, just because you are working from a home office does not mean you can slack off. This holds true no matter if you are a full-time telecommuter or own your own business.
- A dedicated space is important. Where do you plan on spending most of your time? There is nothing better than having a dedicated office space. This could be anything from a den to a spare bedroom to a basement. As long as there is a space for you to keep your stuff and set up shop, you will be just fine. Of course, you may need to get creative. Do you have a closet that could act as an office? How about setting yourself up in a corner of a room (bedroom, for example) that is currently being used for something else?
- You have more flexibility than ever, but only to a certain degree. If you are going to work from home, you might as well take advantage of one of the biggest benefits: freedom and flexibility. But as noted above, you are at home to work. You need to do your job, whatever it may be before you focus your attention on a non-related work task.
As the person who will be working from home, it is easy to look at this adjustment from your point of view. What happens when you put yourself on the other side of the fence? Imagine you are the person who will be at home during the day with somebody who is working.
As considerate as your family members will be, there are going to be times when you are disturbed. This is all part of the work at home lifestyle. At first, it will be difficult to adjust and settle in. Over time, everybody involved will become more comfortable with the situation and things will begin to go more smoothly.
If you don’t keep the lines of communication open, it will be next to impossible to know what your family is thinking about your big decision. Have you asked them how they feel? In addition to asking questions, make sure you are always available to answer them – as long as you are not in the middle of a super important call.
Just because you initially discussed your new work lifestyle does not mean you never have to revisit this topic in the future. Situations change, circumstances arise, and you must be able to adapt alongside your family.
For those who are home alone all day, there is never any concern regarding family interference. But this is not the reality for a lot of work at home professionals. If you telecommute at home – and at least one family member is present on a regular basis – let this advice guide you towards the best possible arrangement.
When you focus on the right details and communicate with all parties involved, it will be easy for you and your family to enjoy your work at home lifestyle.
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