Sure, it's easy to preach about home office productivity when your teenage kids depart home for school every day leaving six hours of uninterrupted work time. However, I've discovered this week that getting anything done with a toddler in the house can be a major challenge. My adorable nephew Patrick, a two year old bundle of non-stop energy, is staying with me this week. I'm tempted to ditch "work" and just go play on the swings for five days, but that wouldn't be too responsible of me. So I'm attempting to use this as a learning experience and an opportunity to empathize with those whose home offices also host the under three-year-old crowd. My own work @ home experience did not commence until my boys had started elementary school, so I'm a novice at trying to accomplish real stuff with a toddler in tow.
What I'm learning is that it is next to impossible to get anything done during his waking hours. I've tried the basket of toys next to the computer option, the "just ten minutes while Auntie Lisa sends this email option", and the blowing it all off option. None of them are helping me check anything off of my next actions list! The problem is that Patrick is just too cute – I'd much rather be singing "Wheels on the Bus" than checking inbound link stats or writing blog entries.
Thankfully, Nana (my mom and his grandma) is also visiting and has done the lion's share of the actual care taking. She has cooked his meals, washed his clothes and handled his baths. I'm mostly good for getting him giggling and stealing lots of kisses. So far, the experiment in being a home-working woman with a toddler is not proving too successful. For that reason, I'm going to share the following links with you from a few pros who seem to have it figured out better than I do. I've read their advice, and it all sounds really great. But for now, since Patrick goes home tomorrow, I think I'm going to head to the local playground and build some sandcastles. Blogging can happen anytime, but you only get to play with a two year old cutie every once in a while! You have to keep your priorities straight, right?
On the Bookshelf:
Mompreneurs: A Mother's Practical Step by Step Guide to Work at Home Success
Reading Room Resources:
Helpful Links about Working @ Home