What About the Kids?

If you have a job that requires a lot of time on the telephone, you should probably make arrangements for your children to be cared for outside of your home during the hours you are on the phone. If you are lucky enough to have an employer pay you to work from home, you don't want to blow it by having customers or coworkers complain about the screaming children in the background. Some people are understanding about this, but trust me, not everybody is.

There were times when one of my children was sick and had to stay home, or I had a problem and didn't have a sitter for a day or a week. I would talk to my supervisor as soon as I knew of the problem. We usually worked out that rather than taking personal or sick days, I would work as best as I could. It is vital in these situations to be honest with your employer. If you have a reasonable supervisor, he or she would probably rather have you working, even if it can't be a full day.

If you don't need to be on the phone and your job allows flexibility with your hours, then you may be able to work while your children are at home. This depends on the age and temperament of your kids (and you, too!) You know your family and yourself better than I do. If you can get your job done, and provide your children with activities to keep them busy while you get some work done-go for it!