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Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Work

Working from Home

17 replies

Spoo · 07/02/2007 19:20

This week I have started working for myself from home in order to be a bit more flexible around the kids. (DS1 - 2yrs DS2 - 9 months). I am lucky that I can get work as a consultant and the kids are in nursery three short days a week. I will be working from my laptop on the dining room table. I know it is the right solution for me and the kids but I am bit worried that I will get a bit lonely. I am a very sociable person. Does anyone else do this sort of thing and do you get lonely?

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ItsMeMellowma · 07/02/2007 19:23

Yes and yes I do. Hence me looking for a job outside the home atm.. perhaos it will be better in the summer though

funnypeculiar · 07/02/2007 19:26

I do ... and no I don't
I'm lucky - moat of my work is in some kind of external team, so I'm in contact with the team anyway. I also have one friend I work with a lot, and even if we're not working together we catch up often. If we are working together we're on the phone the whole time!
Will you be TOTALLY on your own??

Btw, what I DO find difficult is setting up a workstation & staying in it - have you got anywhere you can set up that you could leave more permantly, rather than the dining room table ( I did that for a year, am now trying to set myself up with a little work corner in dd's room - much nicer not to have to clear everything totally away, ime, and also you 'go' to work, iykwim??

Spoo · 07/02/2007 19:28

What do you do at home mymemellowma? (that not easy to type!) I thought about taking my laptop to the coffee shop in town, just so I can see people. I have good friends around but I don't want to invite them for a quick coffee incase they never leave. At the moment I am enjoying the peace and quiet of the kids in nursery.

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ItsMeMellowma · 07/02/2007 19:30

It usually just admin work, databases etc. emailing sometimes chasing things on by telephone.

I need to change my name back...very lazy.. I think if you still make a point of getting out and about it is fine..

I probably just feel it more atm as I don't hang around at school etc as it is too cold for chatting

Spoo · 07/02/2007 19:33

FP I will be working as part of team. E.g. tomorrow I am going into an office for a team meeting and a bit of a briefing about the next load of work. I hear what you are saying about the workstation situation. I am a fanatically tidy person and person and I always cleared my desk when I left for home from work. that said - I might not get that luxury at home. I am looking into changing the spare bedroom into a better space, but that requires a lot of clearing that I can't do at the moment. I think I will eventually look at creating a work space but at the moment I think I just need to bring in some cash.
Have you found it works for you and the kids?

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Spoo · 07/02/2007 19:36

thanks for the advice MMM. Its just so different from being in an office environment. At least I don't have to worry about work clothes!

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DimpledThighs · 07/02/2007 19:39

I worl from home and the best thing is that I have met a few people round here that do too. We meet up once a week for lunch and often I see one of them for coffeee and a chat - good to have it on hand if you need a break.

All of them were met through preschool, school, word of mouth - all doing for the same reasons I am and yuo are too!

ItsMeMellowma · 07/02/2007 19:41

Can be a bit stressful trying to work when ds is ill. Or they are fighting!! otherwise its fine most of the time..
Using the phone is a nightmare all of its own...

scatterbrain · 07/02/2007 19:41

I worked solely from home form 3 yrs - as a consultant and felt very islolated. Although the flexibility was fantastic I did miss the interactions with other adults ! I went back to work full-time at the office almost 18 mths ago and now regularly work from home either 1 or 2 days a week - that is much much better and I still get to catch up on things like washing while working !!

I think you will be OK as you have to go in for team meetings etc - so at least you will have some interactions - I had none at all and that was dire !!

Good Luck x

funnypeculiar · 07/02/2007 19:41

Ah. I'm a fantasically UNtidy person, so maybe you won't have my problem
If you're still going to be actively invovled in a team,you may well find you're fine - I was really nervous I'd miss the social aspects - and miss things like training & mentoring. The advantages for me SOOOO outweigh the disadvantages - love it, would never go back to 'proper' work if I can help it

Bekks · 07/02/2007 20:53

I work from home, sometimes I'm out and about, other times I have quite long periods at home. I'm also a single parent so don't have anyone at home in the evenings either. It doesn't bother me. (Although I'm wondering a bit whether I'm a bit of a freak!) I try to get out to the gym if I'm here all day, and also try to arrange social stuff so I'm not completely on my own all week. Sometimes I have a walk around the park. I think it's more about a change of scenery for me than necessarily contact with people, although chats around taking and picking up dd from nursery probably help - if I didn't speak to anyone at all I might go a bit mad. I occasionally phone my mum and dad for a chat too.

Good luck with it!

hoolagirl · 09/02/2007 09:40

I work from home as well. I still need full time childcare but thats cut down with no travelling time.
I get very lonely and will be looking for anything outside the home in the following months.

Clarinet60 · 09/02/2007 10:19

I used to work from home and was the happiest I've ever been.

I'd like to find more work, but keep drawing a blank. Where is the best place to look?

Gobbledigook · 09/02/2007 10:20

I work from home too. You could get lonely but I don't. My eldest is in school and I've got a good network of friends there. I'm also on the PTA committee so I get the 'team working' aspect from that. It can be tough going when they are little but it's worth it when they get to school and you have a good chunk of time in the day but are still able to do school runs, after school activities etc.

I wouldn't change it for the world - it's the ideal solution for us.

Gobbledigook · 09/02/2007 10:23

It would drive me nuts if I didn't have an office though - I couldn't have my stuff all over the dining room. Definitely clear that spare room if you can. I've got a separate office with a huge office desk and chair - just like the ones you have at work! I started off with just a small workstation but if you are working a lot it's just not comfortable and you've nowhere to spread out all your papers.

hoolagirl · 09/02/2007 13:29

Droile, I work for the same company I did prior to being a mummy. I was about to jack it in when they were about to advertise for a home worker (totally different job to what I was doing) so I was lucky that way.
Another girl there is managing to do the same job but works in the office half the week and from home the other half.
We are all networked to the office.
What about exploring this option with your present employer, or could you go self employed doing something?

Clarinet60 · 13/02/2007 12:16

Thanks. I can't do this job from home, so would have to start from scratch.

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