While there are many advantages to working from home, there is no point unless you can find an appropriate space to do business without interruption. Here are some simple recommendations on how to run a successful home office and keep the peace at home.
- Take periodic coffee breaks to visit with your kids. Let them know ahead of time how many breaks you plan to take; two in the morning, one in the afternoon. Thank them (in your special way) for their patience.
- Set clear boundaries with your family. Understanding why you are not available even though you are home is very difficult, even for your spouse! To limit interruptions during an important call, prepare them beforehand, and set your expectations for the duration of the call.
- Dedicate ONE space in your home for an office. Even though sharing an office space is more common than not, my advice is to keep all of your files, resources, and supplies in one location. The only work item that should move about the house is your laptop.
- Keep personal papers separate from your business files. If you share your office space, chances are there is a pile of personal files, bank statements, and your teenager’s project notes cluttering the desktop. Define a function for each desk drawer, bookshelf cubby, and filing cabinet drawer. Clearly label these areas for quick access.
- Don’t hesitate to get help from friends or hire a part-time sitter. Organize one playdate each week with a friend and schedule those ‘quiet’ hours accordingly. Find out what days your teenage babysitter gets home early from school, or better yet, the days she/he has off. Why not pay a sitter for a few hours every month? While you focus on your work, the kids could be playing at the park down the street—a win-win solution for a minimal cost.
The melting of winter into spring is a great time to bring order back into your home after the chaos that hibernation brings. Spring cleaning can be a daunting task, but you can simplify it by enlisting your family to help and make it into a fun activity. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to pull it off.
- Pick a date when you can dedicate the whole day. Be sure to have the supplies you need, including handy snacks and drinks. Work in teams of two or three and then switch halfway through the day. Don’t forget to choose some up-tempo music to keep the energy levels intact.
- Tackle closets first. Tell the kids you’re having a fashion show and let them try on all of their clothes. What doesn’t fit gets handed down to a sibling, or packed into a box for donation.
- Find all the toys. Create a treasure hunt for younger children with an appropriate incentive to find all those extra pieces of Lego and Polly Pocket clothes. When their basket is full, have them pile the toys in the centre of the family room, then sort them into ‘keep’ and ‘part’ piles. For the ‘part’ pile, separate the toys into bins for garbage, donations, and a garage sale. Make sure to deliver these bins to their final destination, so that they do not clutter up your garage, or find their way back into the house!
- Sort through books. Locate all the books and spread them on the floor (parents’ books, too). Donate as many books as possible to a local daycare or charity and toss the ripped and damaged ones.
- Deal with the memorabilia. Keep arts, crafts and papers from school in one large storage bin and then have your kids sort through the bin, keeping only a quarter of the pile. Put a few special items out on display, and store the rest in a folder.
Finally, at the end of a productive day, reward your team with dinner out at a favourite restaurant. You won’t feel like cooking—or worse—cleaning up after the dinner mess!
