[bendotero]

I've worked from home for 11 years. Wife and I established from the beginning that we cannot treat it as if I'm "at home". I now have 7 children. Occasionally there are some disruptions, but generally speaking, if you layout the ground rules early, it doesn't have to be a problem. Routine trips to the grocery store, helping with the homeschooling, and brief tickle sessions help to not be isolated in my case.

[sudosteph]

Yep, my Mom worked from home fairly often when my sister and I were growing up, and it was actually a really positive experience overall. We learned early on how to respect her boundaries (ie, keep noise levels reasonable, pass notes if we need something when she's on the phone and wait patiently for her to write back) and she communicated to us frequently, ie - letting us know when she was going to have a particularly long call or when she was planning on finishing up so we could help her get ready for dinner. We weren't home schooled though, so it was just typically afternoons after the bus dropped us off (3PM - 6PM) or during the summer / school holidays, so that probably made it more bearable.

I actually think in some ways, the time I spent overhearing her interact with coworkers - especially on conference calls where she often used speakerphone, was really helpful to my professional development. I learned all about setting a professional tone, call-muting etiquette, getting people's attention, and voicing disagreements in a professional setting long before I ever stepped into an office.

[scruple]

> Routine trips to the grocery store, helping with the homeschooling, and brief tickle sessions help to not be isolated in my case.

Doesn't that sort of betray your point that you're "at work" and not "at home?" I'm asking earnestly. I'm about to have twins and I work full-time from home, for the past 3 years and with no intention of going back to an office or to a co-working space.

I am trying now to get all of these sorts of ground rules decided on, and listed out, so that they can be established shortly after the children arrive.

My wife and most of my family already understand the "at work" vs. "at home" distinction and do their best to respect it on the rare occasions that they're around the house during a work day.

[basilgohar]

As a father of 5, I see these as the exceptions that prove the rule. Aside from these moments, there are few interruptions, so he gets to pick them or manages them, just as those of us at the office also know when an impromptu visit to the store or call with family will not disrupts our work or that of others on our team. We're not robots, after all, we need to be human/parents/children once in a while during our 8 hours service.

[bendotero]

This right here. On the occasion I go out of town to meet up with coworkers, we break to play foosball or just take a 10 minute walk outside. That doesn't mean that all we do is break. Same thing goes for family at home. With clear communication even my 2 and 3 year olds get it. Daddy is working and every once in a while he comes out to see how everyone is doing, talk for a few minutes and then back at it.

[scruple]

I've grown very accustomed to being the only person in the house during normal working hours. This is a really keen insight and puts it in to perspective for me. Thanks for that.