Home Work

How to succeed when you share your office with your family

Conrad Theodore

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Photograph by Bill Bilsley

As I pumped my car's brakes during their morning stop-and-go workout, the hour-long commute downtown wasn't the only thing blocking my peace of mind. Envy was also taking its toll. With each flicker of brake lights ahead of me, I longed for an arrangement similar to the one my wife enjoyed. I wanted her comfy, home-based business—or at least my own version of it.

While I rode the brakes, she enjoyed breaking with a bowl of Cheerios, the morning paper and my recliner. While I suffered a suit and tie all day, her suits sported a zipper and a logo that swooshed. And as I worked surrounded by cubicle walls of an indeterminate color, she looked out on our multicolored landscape—in which I do all the weeding.

So rather than keep fighting Chicago traffic and my growing sense of envy, I decided to take my show off the road. Now, although Mary Beth and I work in different rooms and on separate projects, we occasionally take time for joint ventures such as emptying the dishwasher or paying the bills.

Our at-home schedule has given us a chance to tap into a whole new lifestyle. We wake up together and find ourselves just a flight of stairs away from our offices. But it has also meant opening up a can of work-related worms.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a "glass-is-half-empty" kind of guy. In fact, there are many advantages when both partners work at home. We can be spontaneous—getting away for a leisurely lunch or running a non-business errand during "normal" working hours. We don't have to wait until the end of the day to share a business victory or to be consoled if we lose an account. And we can knock off early since we've eliminated the long commute, endless water-cooler gossip and catch-up-on-my-sleep committee meetings.

There have, however, been a few obstacles. If you, like Mary Beth and I, spend your working hours at home, here are four simple steps that can remedy potential mishaps.

1. Call Ahead for Reservations

I had my day all planned out. Several hours of Internet research in the morning, then a short break followed by an afternoon of writing to meet a fast-approaching deadline. But as I headed toward the computer, I noticed something different. Oh yeah, my wife was using it—sending e-mail correspondence that simply couldn't wait. We do have two computers. But only one of them is tucked away in a quiet office, away from the bustling thoroughfare of television, snacks and kids.

Linda Kroll, a family therapist, mediator and attorney in Deerfield, Illinois, says this scenario is to be expected. "It takes a great deal of communication and respect for each other's time and space when you both work from home—especially if you're sharing equipment," she says. "It may be best to set special times for each person—checking in first if you need something during his or her time. And you may have to prioritize what urgent means."

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Originally published in: Marriage Partnership, 2000, Summer

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