AIBU meant to be working from home

[noneofyours]

I'm meant to be working from home the rest of this week due to an immense amount of paperwork and refurbishments going on at work. I have done no work this morning, just been on mumsnet because on my left (right was getting numb) arm is my gorgeous 'nephew' (not by blood, just best friend).

Apparently working from home means 'free' rather then actually working. Either I'm going to have to work my arse off this evening and afternoon or tomorrow evening. So annoying.

I can't be annoyed at my best friend, she's in meetings until after lunch so no-one can get hold of her. I'm annoyed with her sister whose son is at school and who has brought him around and left him with me rather then be the back-up childcare she promised.

I'm also bloody annoyed I let her guilt me into it, she said she desperately needed a food shop but funnily enough the cheeky has 'checked-in' on facebook at her gym! I'm going to make it clear to my friend when she comes to get her son, especially as she gives her sister money when she does act as back-up. I don't want the money but I'm bloody well telling her not to pay her sister.

I'm also annoyed because I'm broody and can't put him down- because he cries when i do and because he smells so good, most of the time.

AIBU to be annoyed at myself for saying 'yes' to the sister
AIBU to want to headbutt my friend's useless ex
AIBU to feel lied to by the sister
AIBU to think working from home means bloody WORKING and AIBU to ask if anyone else who works from home gets this
AIBU to refuse to answer the phone to anyone else while at work in case they want favors the rest of the week
AIBU to think babies smell so good.

Well you didn't say no because deep down you didn't want to.

Sounds as though you'll just have to make the time up.

Ilovesooty, you're right I didn't. I felt awful saying no initially because her sister was pleading at how she really needed to get some food in the house and how little guy would scream all the way around. She seemed so stressed and so desperate that I felt I couldn't say no.

And I am ttc myself, so I'm broody as anything and love baby hugs.

It just fucks me off that she lied and made shit up which made me feel like she really needed help when she's actually in the gym.

Never, ever tell people you work from home. That is all.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett Unfortunately I made that mistake, I won't do it again.

I actually work from home all the time, but I have a very thick skin. And also selective deafness.

Why couldn't she take him to the food shop?

Anyway I would be posting to her Facebook along the lines of "so glad you managed to get the "food shop" done."

(As long as your work allows you to post on social media sites during working hours.)

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett I need to get that! :)

It is a hazard when you work from home (or in your own business). I still answer the phone but have perfected typing in the background and sounding preoccupied. After less than a minute, the caller will say 'oh are you working/busy?' And I say 'yes, so I'll call you back tonight when I'm not working '.

Sometimes I don't even bother with the typing and just start my conversations with 'I'm actually at work, can I call you back later?'
It sinks in eventually.

YANBU - that goes for all of your points

atticusclaw, he's a bit of a crier, if he's not being held he does howl. It doesn't help that he's really windy too and often needs his back patted of rubbed. He was sobbing when she brought him over and that cry they make when they are so little really gets to me.

I'm very tempted, I've got to say. I work flexitime, so I can work late this evening instead. I managed to start before she came over, so at least I have things running that I need too.

APlaceInTheSummer That sounds like a good approach, it obviously works so I think I'll have to practice that alongside the thicker skin. I'm definitely not answering the phone or door to her sister if she comes again on friday.

It annoys me that people do seem to see working at home as doss day. Often I get more done at home because I work longer and have no travel time. Today's an aberration.

Booooooooooooooooooooooooo lol, thank you. He's just done a bit of a manky one so he doesn't smell as good right now but I'm going to change him so he's back to non-stinky soon as I've winded him.

Oh god I hear you. I work from home (in fact I am "working" now) and I have one particular "friend" (who I really should jettison, she's such a pain) who goes on and on and on and fucking ON about the fact that I changed the "coffee morning" that happens in my house from a certain day that she doesn't work to a day that she does because of my childcare arrangements. She acts like I did it deliberately and that I could choose to work another day if I wanted. I bloody well CAN'T!!! I cannot work with two children in the house, I have to work while they're at childcare, there's no two ways about it, and yet she still refers to it as though I've excluded her so I can faff around when I can faff around any day. God it riles me up. I'm WORKING!!
DH had the same attitude for a while - used to be late taking the children out of the house, expected me to hold DD while he got things ready. In the end I had to say "Sorry can't, working" over and over until he got the message.

The perils of WFH - for these reasons I would rather be in the office!

It's one of the things you need to be careful about when working from home. Some people will think that you're available for picking up their kids from school, or nipping around to theirs to let the plumber in, or giving someone a lift to the train station.

But if you can put a halt to that, working from home can be great. I get through stuff far quicker and can start earlier with no communting, so can finish up shortly after lunch sometimes and get on with other stuff. It's often a much more effective use of my time than commuting in and out to work and being pulled into office politics and chit chat in order to do a job that really doesn't necessitate a daily presence in the office.

My work is very flexible, I can WFH and have 1 day a week WFH written into my contract. I am at home now, but working.

I make sure I dont tell people when i am at home otherwise I get it from friends too - can you pick up so and so from school etc. I dont see why i should be unpaid childcare when I paying nearly £600 a month to put DD into full time nursery so i can work.

CailinDana, she sounds like a real PITA. I'll have to perfect the 'I can't's'

Glasgowsteven again- definitely a peril I'm going to try to avoid :)

Vintagejazz, thankfully the sister is the only one who has bothered so far but I am working from hom again for 2 days next week so if it gets made common knowledge....hopefully not, as others have suggested I will keep it to myself. I get lots more done as well, just so much better without the noise in the office. You have to be so disciplined, it's easy to slip! I'm guessing people have approached you in the past?

vodkajelly, yeah i would be very very resentful at that if I was you, that would be so unfair. Keeping to myself and ignoring people on those days and growing some balls seem to be the way forward from everyones advice.

Thank you to everyone btw :)

Thankfully I wasn't approach today although the sister (cheeky bugger) did call me twice this morning and text to ask if I was 'free' (though didn't specify why) but I ignored.

My resolution is ignore ignore, especially her when working.

My friend was mortified to find her sister essentially dumped her child and yet took the money that my friend pays her for doing emergency childcare. She's now questioning how many other times this has happened because her DM has admitted she's also had the same thing happen to her. So she's not impressed with her dsis and she's looking into alternatives. Until then, she has to suck it up and keep her sister but she did tell her she was not happy and looking for alternatives.

I told the sister I wasn't impressed either but got a whole 'woe is me' pity party from her so I pretty much cut her off quick and told her that she could have been honest to start and I wouldn't be so accommodating again. She's pretty spoilt though so i think it was like water off a ducks back!