Work and Play

I l @ ve RuBoard

The next decision is one specifically for those home office types with kids . You need to weigh whether your office is going to have a play area or not. For some work-at-home Moms and Dads, the office is most decidedly an office. Children are free to come in and out and to draw pictures with office supplies ; however, when they're in the office, in some ways it is a treat. They are in the domain of a big person, in much the same way that children who get to spend the day with Mom or Dad at an off-site office consider that special, such as "Take Your Child to Work Day."

On the other hand, some parents load a corner of the office with toys and crayons and coloring books, designating a spot for a child or children to play quietly in full view of Mom or Dad.

So which philosophy on work/play space is better?

Much like our last chapter where we discussed personality type as a factor in the home office equation, the answer to this question also takes personality into account. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Can you work with low-level but constant child noise in the background?

• Can you tolerate clutter, as in toys scattered about?

• What about your children's personalities? Will they want to be with you all the time anyway, making keeping toys handy a smart idea?

• Does your work require using expensive equipment, such as a laptop, and are your children at the "need to touch everything" stage?

• Are your children at ages when they can be quiet, if need be, for more than five minutes?

Factor in the answers to these questions as you decide whether you want your home office environment to be a sacred place for you alone, or a shared commodity.

I l @ ve RuBoard