Parenting Australia

Having been a WAHM (no, sadly, not “what a hot mummy” as I had originally thought, but rather a “work at home mum”) for near on five years now, I have come across many ways in which one can work from home.

Some are fairly obvious and standard, and others a little more out of the box. Or in the box. Literally.

There are many, many options you can choose from to be working from or at home:

• Negotiate with your employer some hours at home (and ask for a new laptop, iPhone and foot massager)
• Start up your own business, such as admin work, selling stuff or making stuff
• Subcontract to others businesses, and help them out with the above mentioned
• Become a consultant for a direct selling or party plan company

… to name a few.

But ways to work from home … hmmm, that can be more difficult. Especially when the kids are around.

Having your own space is essential. Preferably a separate room with a lockable-from-the-inside door. No room?

Well, the kids will take over the living areas with their toys, anyway, so why not convert the wardrobe or bookshelf in their room to sleeping space (for them) and convert the rest of the room into an office (for you).

Walk-in wardrobes and ensuites work really well as Your Own Space to work. You will require a laptop and wireless internet connection (how else will you maintain a social life if you can’t access Facebook and Twitter?!) and simply slip in and get some “quiet” time to work.

Of course, I use “quiet” in the sense of  “children bashing on the other side of the door demanding food and/or attention”. Still, they won’t be climbing all over you and answering your emails in Toddler.

In smaller residences, a wardrobe, stand alone toilet or pantry (this will also have the added benefit of chocolate at hand) will suffice.

If you’re all out of ideas, and run out of places to set up, think outside the box and climb into the box. Any box, so long as it will fit you , your laptop and a glass of wine.

Alternatively, kids love boxes, so why not make the most of that particular little love affair and get some uninterrupted work time?

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Mad Cow (also known as Amanda) is the mum to three boys, wife to a chef, writer, speaker, founder of Australia’s Bad Mother’s Club and Real Mums, a Live Positively Ambassador for Coca-Cola and, in her spare time, she creates sculptures from left over WeetBix. Her (almost) daily accounts of parenting can be found on her blog Diary of a Mad Cow.

2 Comments

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1. Kelly makes this comment

   Friday, 06 August 2010

   Amanda or should I say correctly "mad cow". Thank you so much for a really good laugh. I am newly widowed with the thought of returning to work. My daughter is in childcare 3 days a week and it's either return to an office 3 days a week while she's at childcare or find a career in my wardrobe with my glass of wine beside me!
   
   I like the way you think.
   
   Thank you
   
   Kelly

2. redterror makes this comment

   Tuesday, 10 August 2010

   Hi I'm new to parenting australia, I am on lots of other parenting websites but just discovered this one. I work from home with my own home based business. Feel free to email me if you would like the opportunity to work from home too or want to swap tips about working from home. It is challenging I have a four year old who at the momnet thinks the whole world revolves around him so I do alot of my work at night time and also when he is at daycare 2 days a week.
   My email address is:
   pippadavis@iinet.net.au
   
   Cheers Pippa

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