Working From Home

When I got my degree in graphic design back before kids and the thought of working from home were in existence, I imagined my life pretty typical. I would go work for a company, draw a 401k plan, have a child (two at the most) and life would be good. Oh how I was a dreamer.

After having three children, knowing those demands along with the ones of dealing with traffic and the undesirables of commuting or life at an office period, I decided I would look for ways to cut down on my life of self-inflicted pain...agh, thus comes work from home.

I knew that hello, most jobs can be done virtually. If you have the necessities of a computer, fax and phone - unless you are in public service, there are very few that couldn't be. I proposed this or at least to my co-workers at the newspaper I worked for and only got reasons for why it wasn't possible, or them just looking at me like I had lost my mind.

And the fact is, unless it's contracted or freelance work, I know many companies that prefer you to work on-site. Not to say that anything is wrong with people that want to dress up every day, feel they must have that people interaction with all those that you would throw darts on their pictures if they weren't around, or simply like paying maintenance on a car and to fill up their gas tanks. But shouldn't those of us that could care less, or not like to have a choice?

Apparently not from the world in which I was living. So I had to make a change, and I did. After a LONG search, I finally found the opportunity to work from home. At the time, I think that was the problem though, I only cared that I was able to work from home. I didn't take into account that it was something that I had to invest in as my own business, that I would only make $10/hour if I was lucky, with no benefits, no guaranteed hours (although I usually do get 40 a wk in) or that I there was absolutely no way that I would be able to cut out daycare expense unless my kids were 13 or it was for after-school only....sour.

And of course there are all the other annoyances that people don't take into consideration with working from home. There is often extra monitoring b/c you are working from home & aren't completely considered trustworthy to do the job as if you were on-site. Which BTW is a complete misconception, if someone is a worker, they are going to be a worker whether they are on-site or not. If they are going to find ways around working, this will be true as well.

There is also the fact that you are tempted often to sleep an extra hour or get side tracked with other stuff...the only thing pulling you back is you not getting paid. Then there is the fact that you sure can open your windows and feel the breeze, but remain in constant worry of the neighbor mowing their lawn, the loud old car that will inevitably pass by, the someone that is yelling something at the top of their lungs, or the child that gets home from school with a million questions.

Of course there are the many sweets concerning working from home. Office politics are eliminated, feeling pressure to be polite to people you could care less about or buying them a gift for some life event is no longer a hassle. You can work all day looking like shit - however against this I would advise, unless absolutely no other option. Often you will feel how you look, regardless of who may or may not be around. However to just shower & put on something comfy and clean, yet you wore last week is a great thing to yourself and your bank account. And even if it's just being there an extra hour or two than otherwise when the kids get out of school, it's nice.

If you have a job that is not only work from home but flexible with hours, it's nice b/c you can get some extra sleep or change up the 8 hour work day to fit your schedule...sweet.

And this dream of working from home has lead me to new, more advanced thoughts and endeavors. Like still being at home, yet working doing something I love, that is my business and that I can make what I want....that is the goals anyways, it's a process, just like finding an at home job. And there are always the more desirable work from home positions that are not contracting, have 401k & benefits. As of yet, I haven't found, but I haven't really looked either.

Something that would've never been possible for so many positions, is now completely possible today...and it's in my lifetime. How sweet is that?? Now if we can just get someone to pay for being a parent. Maybe my daughter's generation...hmmmm.