ThePhdMom

These last two semesters I have been "working" from home more than I have gone into the office. While I do admit having the ability to work from home is a luxury that many people do not have, it does have it's set backs. The major setback is coming up with A PLAN FOR PRODUCTIVITY. Through my trials and tribulations I've come up with a blueprint of sorts, and I'm happy to share it with you all. :)

As I've mentioned before in my blogs the first step to completion of the dissertation is setting a schedule. In my opinion, and it is just that, having a flexible schedule works the best for student parents, especially if you have children who are not ready for school and/or do not attend daycare. For those parents that have a flexible schedule and who follow the lead of their childs schedule, you will find that you tend to work in short spurts of time-usually when the children are sleep or managing to play alone. You may also find that your work more at night, when everyone is sleeping, than during the day! This may seem ok or even ideal, but if you are home with the family during the day as well, you may find your energy drained during the day. This can create a cycle of non-productivity and frustration. For those who have school aged children, a set daily schedule may be of more benefit. You will be able to work for longer periods of time without distraction. Personally, I've found that working from home with a newborn can be difficult-VERY DIFFICULT, but it is doable. I find that for the most part, I work sporadically during the day and more at night when dinner is done and the little one is sleep.

If you are going to work from home, I think it is important to have a designated "office" space where you can work and "close" the door from time to time. When thinking about having a work space at home keep in mind it is just a "space" and can be anywhere-a spare room, the dining room table, the living room sofa or even your bedroom, but it needs to be YOUR space. It needs a space where you can think, write and get the job done. I use the guest room as my office space and it functions the same as an office away from home would-If I am in the office at home I am only available for emergencies, or feeding the baby. Now I will admit that this rule is sometimes broken from time to time, but the separate office space in the house does afford me the ability to "work" at home (with the door closed) and still be there with the kids when I need to be

Once your are done working for the day-leave your work in the "office" and enjoy your time with your family. I cannot stress this point enough. The one pitfall of working from home is that your "work" is always with you, and sometimes you can spend much more time than you anticipated working, after all a half hour here and there really do add up. This can cut into the time you spend with your family and actually make working from home less productivity.

In the end you have to find what works best for your family and your writing/working schedule. Again I cannot stress the importance of being flexible. As I've learned-what works once may not work twice, and things change daily when dealing with graduate school and raising a family.

Recap:

1. Create a realistic schedule that works for you and your family
2. Find a work/office space at home that allows for personal space and time if needed