Thread: How do you handle interruptions?

Now that I work exclusively from home instead of part-time, I find that I hear "well, your home all day" all the time. Everyone thinks because I'm home that I'm not really doing anything. Well, not everyone but you know what I mean. Plus I have two kids that seem to think it's okay to constantly bug me and jump on the computer the second I leave it to use the bathroom. Then I get the "I'll just be a second, Ma" routine for the 15 minutes it takes of me complaining before they get back off. I wigged out on my daughter a couple of days ago over this as she's plenty old enough to understand what I'm doing.

I'm doing over a room to be my office, thank God, so hopefully this will be easier in a couple of weeks when I have a space of my own with a door instead of out in the family room.

Any suggestions on handling this other than creating my office space that worked for anyone here? The kids I think will be better from now on since I really went off on them but how do you address other adults? My mom and sister think I'm the go-to person all the time now that I'm home.

To get inspiration for your office look at .

Have you thought of buying another pc for the family room and have the office pc to yourself?

I think this lifestyle would be great because I could wake up in the morning, walk to get a paper. Spend a few hours waking up, drinking coffee, eating and reading the paper. After a few hours I would settle down and do some serious work for 5 hours (lunch break also), in the afternoon I would do at least 2 hours running, cycling or weights and then spend the rest of the night relaxing.

I know what you mean sometimes you just need a little peace and quiet when the house is empty is my most productive time what you could do is spend a few hours working in the evening when the kids have gone to bed.

I handle it the easy way.
I just shut down and go enjoy the grandkids.

Or shut down to do as the wife pleases.

There is nothing that is so pressing that can not be stopped for a bit and revisited to finish up.

Originally Posted by iowadawg

I handle it the easy way.
I just shut down and go enjoy the grandkids.

Or shut down to do as the wife pleases.

There is nothing that is so pressing that can not be stopped for a bit and revisited to finish up.

That depends, if your just on the net doing work for leisure then yes, you can do that. If you are working a full time job, online from home, then it's not possible.

I've had to deal with it for years, it can be a pain sometimes, but I just go ahead and ignore the interruptions. If I am not doing something that requires me to be on the phone then I plug in the headphones and listen to music.

Exactly, HL James - right now, if I take time off I don't get paid so that's not an option right now. My own business is building up but it's not at the point where I can just leave it quite yet. My day to day expenses income comes from the daily content production that I do for immediate income.

hold on, I'll answer that just as soon as I finish this phone call

Webworker,

It's difficult really, IMO, to set boundaries in working at home. I've constantly 'visited' by my 1.5 y.o boy happy enough to smash the keyboard of my laptop and top it with cookie crumbles :P

But, setting up an office like you did does help much - though you can't avoid interruptions at all.

For a suggestion, I set a scheduled working hours that I can't possibly be interrupted by anybody - except a force majeure happens - a.k.a. house on fire.. LOL

Cheers!

I suggest to buy another PC or laptop for your business or personal used and then putting up an office is a good idea for you to have your own privacy.

^yeah right. and once you have your own and still don't want to be interrupted, plug in your headset and listen to loud music so you wouldn't have to hear if they are calling you - that works for me anyway.

Originally Posted by webworker

Now that I work exclusively from home instead of part-time, I find that I hear "well, your home all day" all the time. Everyone thinks because I'm home that I'm not really doing anything. Well, not everyone but you know what I mean. Plus I have two kids that seem to think it's okay to constantly bug me and jump on the computer the second I leave it to use the bathroom. Then I get the "I'll just be a second, Ma" routine for the 15 minutes it takes of me complaining before they get back off. I wigged out on my daughter a couple of days ago over this as she's plenty old enough to understand what I'm doing.

I'm doing over a room to be my office, thank God, so hopefully this will be easier in a couple of weeks when I have a space of my own with a door instead of out in the family room.

Any suggestions on handling this other than creating my office space that worked for anyone here? The kids I think will be better from now on since I really went off on them but how do you address other adults? My mom and sister think I'm the go-to person all the time now that I'm home.

Why dont you just work school hours and dont work when the kids are home, they need your attention as well. Thats what mothers are for. Also you should buy another computer for them to use if your not prepared to share yours.
Also just tell your mother and sister, to leave you alone during the hours of ..... as you are working. If they dont like it, tough.

The whole thing is funny. It's like everybody thinks if you work at home, you got all the free time in the world. I think its the "I got a job" mentality. They got jobs with water coolers and most folks work just enough not to get fired (thank you Office Space). What they don't realize is if you run your own business, the moment you stop work, the money stops too. Worse, it can take a few days to get it ramped back up. Its frustrating to say the least.

I can understand how you feel. People always think that we are not doing anything when we stay at home all the time. They think that we will be available to do favor for them whenever they need it. Come on, I am working at home to earn a living. If you want a favor, you just got to pay for it.

When I started working at home my family couldn't understand how it's possible to be always at home, to do something with computer and do no home work 'cause "I'm working!" But now my wife and my little son do not bother me when I'm working and everyone really understand that working at home is still as important as working in office. And the money I earn "virtually" are completely real.

I solve this problem the following way - I just set up the time which I spend on my work and during this time everybody is prohibited to bother me.

Setting up an office is a must, but also ensure that everyone knows that once you're in 'the office' then it's work time and work time only. Once your routine is established the interuptions should decrease. I'd also add that you shouldn't neglect taking a break. There's a strong urge to work right through when you work from home, so don't be too hard on yourself.

When i'm working it's like, for the most part, i am in an office. I try not to be interrupted.
Sure, i might stand up and answer the phone if nobody else does, but i don't think it's too diferent to working in an office.

Yeah sometimes the interruptions can get to you, I work at home and all throughout the day I am helping attend to the kids, doing "chores" and errands and back and forth from there to my office.

When you work at home the "work" time and family time can get blurred and folks may often find themselves working erratically from the time they wake until they go to bed. But there are many advantages working at home too. I dont have to ask anyone for permission if I decide, or need, to make a trip or just go to the lake.

There are both pros and cons to working at home but nothing beats it.

Originally Posted by iowadawg

I handle it the easy way.
I just shut down and go enjoy the grandkids.

Or shut down to do as the wife pleases.

There is nothing that is so pressing that can not be stopped for a bit and revisited to finish up.

Unfortunately that isnt always easy to do or practical, especially when one is working at this full time.

in order to get least intrupped, i take my work data from the internet pc to my room's pc n work there by telling homies dat il b working so plz give me some time to work. otherwise i hv 2 b patient.

Hi there having 2 little ones I find it difficult to get near my power mac to do any work and have now repossessed my wife's macbook and set it up on the breakfast bar so that I can do all my work linked to the powermac so I have access to all m networked files, then I can play with the kids and have fun all day then when I stop for coffee and snack get on with the work, having everything networked is great so I can start work on either machine, sad to say have to use a macbook they are great but what a toy the kids have a new powermac kids these days maybe I should get them a zx spectrum that would slow them down a bit.

Good luck with the work and when I do my coding thats for the days the kids are out dont even try to do that with the kids around they always seam to want your keyboard not their own..

clubxdate