WORK IN PROGRESS: Please contact me if you have any suggestions or comments on contact@athomemums.com

Work at Home Checklist

Working at home sounds great in theory, but in practice it just doesn't suit a lot of people. You need to decide whether working at home is right for you from a practical and personal perspective. Consider the following:

Do you enjoy working alone?

Is part of the desire to return to work, the drive for adult company? If so, a lot of work from home options will not give you this.

Can you motivate yourself to work at home?

One of the single most difficult things to overcome when working from home is procrastination.

You can test this. Set yourself a challenge, for example, to come up with a list of possible work at home options within a two week period. You will need to do some research - on the internet, in the library, talking to other mums, looking at the job ads. Then assess what you want to be doing. Write down your characteristics, skills, interests, and qualities, all of which must be reflected in what you do, to make it fully successful. Can you take any of these interests or skills and translate them into a work from home option?

If you are able to complete the above challenge, you are motivated enough to overcome the procrastination. If not, you need to think about how you work best. Do you need a bit of external pressure to get you going - a boss asking for results, a deadline to meet, a meeting to attend.

This doesn't necessarily rule out working from home, but would perhaps make running your own business too much of a challenge.

Will you be distracted in the home environment and find it hard to concentrate?

There are always going to be chores to do, so you need to actively set aside time to 'work' and not do those chores. If you haven't done it already, now's the time to think about getting a cleaner. Think of it as an investment in your future.

The other obvious distractions are the television, the good book you started last night, today's newpaper in the letter box, the neighbour hanging out the washing and wanting a chat, and the phone calls from friends.

All you need a bit of discipline and the knowledge that there is time later in the day or the week for some of those other things. Hopefully you are enjoying getting back to work and these aren't an issue. If you find any excuse not to sit down and get on with it, maybe you haven't come up with the right solution for you yet.

Working from home still requires time without the children.

You will not be able to focus on work and look after pre school age children, unless you choose to work in Family Day Care.

Personally I have not found it viable to work when the children have their rest, or in the evening. I think you have to accept that the first two years of a child's life, at least, are very tiring and the main challenge is to keep day to day life running smoothly.

What is possible, is to get a bit of help to get started. If you can find a few hours per week when someone can help with the kids, you can start off on the path towards working from home. This time must not be used for any chores, it must be your time for 'work' and as such, you can use it for research, work experience, training, reading, or whatever is required to get you started.

I use the excellent Occasional Care near us for my 19 month old for 6 hours on a Monday, while his sister is at pre-school, and this is my work time. As the children get older, this time will increase, and as I persuade the little one to sleep through the night and get my energy back, working in the evening becomes a real option.

Do you have a space you can you to work in?

In order to avoid some of the distractions of the home, you ideally need a space that is dedicated to your work. If you have to clear away everytime the table is needed for a meal or homework, it will be harder to maintain focus. If you can't shut the door on the household noise for a few moments you will find it hard to concentrate.

Think about the environment you like to work in, where you work best. Have space to store things so you can be orgainsed and structured in your approach.

So are you ready to get started? Let's look at the Work From Home Options out there.

Not for you? What about Part Time Work?