The Pros and Cons of Working from Home

“What do you do?”

“I’m a freelance writer.”

“Where?”

“Oh, I work from home.”

Crickets. Then a snide smirk.

Yep, that’s the what usually happens when people ask me what I “do”.

When people hear you work from home it can go two ways. One is that they think you really do nothing all day but surf social media sites. Two is that they think working from home is a dream. Don’t get me wrong, for the most part it is great. Especially coming from a unique schedule where I used to get up at 4 a.m. for my 9-5 gig. People love the idea of working from home for many reasons. The biggies are that you can mainly make your own schedule, take vacation whenever you want, and can stay home when your kids are sick. Everyone wants to be on team work from home. But, like anything, it has its drawbacks. Drawbacks like not getting a steady paycheck because some weeks there ain’t much out there and you spend a lot of time cleaning your closets. Drawbacks like trying to balance the kids at “Camp Mom” while trying to be somewhat productive.

I started thinking about all of these pros and cons over the past few days when my kids had two snow days in a row. This after having a three-day weekend the previous week due to yet another snow day. The kids thought it was the best thing since “Frozen” came out. Me? I was hiding like Elsa when my kids kept asking me if I wanted to build a snowman. So what does a day look like when you work from home and unexpected days off arise?

6:55 Kids wake up even though there’s no school.

7:10 First round of “mommy let’s play a game” happens

7:11 Mommy makes a cup of coffee

7:30 Switch games

8:00 Breakfast

8:30 Mommy tries to get work done while kids play “nicely”

8:40 First round of “I hate yous exchanged” and “Mommeee” come from playroom

8:41 Mommy says go back and play and work it out until she’s done

8:45 “Mommy are you done working yet?”

8:50 Kids go back to playing and mommy goes back to work

9:00 Dance party karaoke begins

9:10 Mommy shuts down dance party karaoke because kids not get a permit

9:15-10:00 Kids play nicely and Mommy actually gets work done

10:01 Mommy plays for a bit

10:30-11:30 Mommy gets more work done! Yeah!

11:30-12:30 Prep, make and eat lunch

12:30-2:00 Playing & reading time

2:00-3:00 Mommy back to work, kids are once again trying not to kill one another

3:00-3:30 Cleaning the breakfast and lunch dishes to get ready for the dinner load later

3:30-4:30 Google Justin Bieber facts for daughter who is writing a book while trying to fix Baby Alive’s diaper and explain to daughter number two why we can’t feed her doll milk

4:30-5:45 Prep, Cook & eat dinner

5:45-6:15 Clean up

6:15-6:30 Sit down & chill out

6:30-7:00 Prep for day ahead, make lunches, pack snack etc.

7:00-7:30 Showers

8:00 Down to start the bedtime process

8:45 Mommy pours one…okay two glasses of wine…and tries to get more work done

9:30 Time to shut it down, watch TV and pray there’s not another snow day tomorrow

At some point it’s time for bed.

Trust me, I know it’s hard for parents who work outside the home too when a snow day pops up. I’ve been there before. Working from home brings a different set of challenges. In a nutshell you get an unorthodox work day interrupted by various rounds of games and dance parties, but you do get to stay home.

Kids’ scheduled days off when you work from home are also like trying to solve a Rubix cube. You work around the kids and hopefully send them to Grandma’s house for a few hours so you can get stuff done without Justin Bieber playing in the background.

Would I trade working from home for working a regular 9-5? Probably not now. It’s nice being your own boss even when your little bosses are around unexpectedly.

 

 

 

Why Snow Days Don’t Have to Suck

It is the morning of our fourth snow day in one week.

Sigh.

We all know this is what to expect in winter, but when it comes all at once it’s enough for parents to want to poke their eye out with a spork.

Yes, I said spork…a spoon and fork combo I always used to get in my lunch trays at school.

If you’re a working parent with no real daycare options, snow days can be hell on earth. I remember what it was like for my husband and I to juggle our daughter when I had to be at work at four in the morning in a foot of snow. Again, enough to poke my eyes out with a spork.

But, if you are lucky enough to have the day off too or work partially from home, I’m here to tell you, snow days don’t have to suck.

They can actually be enjoyable.

Here’s why:

Sleeping In

No fumbling around to finish packing lunches. No dumping half of a great cup of coffee down the drain. No brushing your daughter’s hair while she’s brushing her teeth because you need every second you can get before bolting out the door.

None of that.

You can sleep until you naturally wake up or one of your kids comes in your room and jumps on top of you. Whatever the case, you don’t need to rush. You can finish that cup of coffee. Heck, maybe you can have two!

coffee-151406_1280

The kids can play, watch TV, have breakfast, and get dressed (totally optional, jammies all day totally acceptable on snow days) when they want.

Not too shabby.

Arts & Crafts & Nails

Bring on the glue sticks and construction paper.

My kids and I are no Martha Stewart, but we haven’t met a craft set we didn’t like. We’ve glued and colored our way through two sets, as well as colored and painted until we ran out. Bring it on Mother Nature, we’ll just keep crafting.

Also, my girls love a good manicure. So, after we’ve washed off the glue and glitter, time for a little nail party!

Baking

Nothing says warm and cozy like some fresh baked goods. Although this does nothing for my never ending battle with my muffin top, it’s fun to bake with the kids. My kids love a good batch of brownies or cookies…or both…I do too!

Spic and Span

Snow days are great to get stuff done in the house. While the kids are busy playing, you can get that laundry done and maybe even folded.

I know, amazing.

cleaning-29040_1280

If you’re really crazy, you may be able to get some vacuuming, dusting, or mopping in too.

I have to say, some parts of my house have never looked so clean.

It’s Showtime…Actually HBO

Okay, so we just upgraded to HBO for a trial period. Let me tell you, it couldn’t have come at a better time! Movies and snow days are like peas and carrots.

We’ve watched “Curious George”, “Rio 2”, and “Dumbo” to name a few. It’s nice to spend some quality time with the kids and just relax with a movie.

Be a Kid

Snow days are great for just playing around and being a kid. Whether you’re building a snow man or squeezing Barbie into a dress that should be a shirt, it’s fun to just play around with the kids. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we sometimes forget how much fun this can be. Knowing you don’t have to run out to appointments or activities really means you can just have fun.

barbie

So do you still think snow days suck? I hope not.

When life gives you two feet of snow you don’t make a snow man…you make a snow family.