Work from Home

Working from home is not all that it’s cracked up to be. Sure, initially it seems like an amazing thing: work in pajamas, shower at 1:00 pm, take as many breaks as you want as long as the work gets done. But for me, getting the work done is more than half the battle.

You see, I also care for my two sons, both of whom are under the age of five. It is nice that I do not have to send them to daycare. The expense of that alone would suck up my entire month’s salary. Plus, they can remain here with me in a safe and viral-and-bacteria-free environment.

However, as a writer, the creative juices flow best when there are few interruptions. This is hard to accomplish with the boys seemingly requiring my attention all day long. My oldest—who easily qualifies as an interpersonal type—does not like to play alone. When he is not at school two days a week, I am his playmate of choice. I sincerely enjoy spending time with him, but not for the 12 hours per day that he desires. On top of this, he also loves to talk. I cannot stress the word love enough. When asked if he can stop talking for a little while, he typically responds, “No, I can’t.” So I often find myself typing a sentence two, three, maybe four times before I can move on.

My two year old was born with Trisomy 18 (an extra copy of the 18th chromosome in every cell of his body). Because of his condition, he has a number of special needs: tube feedings four times a day, which takes up quite a lot of time; at least two appointment per week (sometimes more); and unresolved acid reflux, which means he often throws up a couple of times a day. I will be in the middle of a well-worded sentence, only to be immediately on my feet at the slightest indication of vomit. By the time I return, the well-turned phrase is long gone.

Now when you’re working from home, people tend to forget that you are working: calls from the spouse, friends ringing to chat, and the day-long expectation that you can drop everything at a moment’s notice to, say, help unload groceries or deal with an insurance issue in the middle of your work day.

And if that is not enough to completely detract from productivity, there are always the chores: dishes, laundry, general cleaning, bed making, bath giving, cooking, and mess picking up. Since I do not have an official full-time position for my at-home job, these duties fall under my job description, as well. It is amazing that I get any writing done at all. My most productive times fall between the hours of 10:00 pm and midnight when everyone is finally tucked safely into bed.

While it may sound as though I am complaining, I am not. Despite the challenge of being a work-from-home writer, I would not trade it for the alternatives: a desk job at an office or my kids being in daycare instead of with me. So I will continue to write during the late hours of the night in the hope that I get a decent book deal one of these days. That way, I can hire an assistant to deal with the phone calls, a housekeeper to do the chores, and a nanny to watch the boys for a few hours while I write. Uh huh...dream on!