April 3, 2008

The Truth about Working from Home

As I emailed a fee agreement to a potential new client this morning, Lil C whined in her booster seat that she had cinnamon on her jammies, that she wanted more cereal (even though she still had a bowl full), and that she was "sirsty" having just downed her cup of milk. When I asked her if she could just wait one minute for Mommy to finish emailing something for work, she yelled "NO!" at the top of her lungs and continued to whine. For all I know, I may have sent an email that says, "Attached please find the fee agreement as requested. Now sit down and finish your cereal!" It’s entirely possible.

I started working from home as a recruiter when Big I was about two years old. It was challenging. Although I made my own hours, I was learning a new industry from scratch. The fact that the job was commission only made it even more challenging. After five months of busting my butt and begging Big I to please watch a movie so Mommy could call a candidate quick, I got my first placement and paycheck. I was hooked.

For a stay at home Mom, recruiting was great money. . . if you had the time and effort to put into it. With one child, it was challenging; with two it’s downright impossible sometimes. However, the money that can be made with only a placement or two a year is much better than if I had a part time job out of the house. So, I do it. I work on my laptop from home, frequently with the Disney Channel as my background music. Instead of coffee breaks, we have diaper changing breaks and time to pick Big I up from school breaks.

This week, Mr. BBM has been away on business and it has been rough. I used to be accustomed to him traveling all the time. Now big trips throw us for a major loop. Mr. BBM takes care of getting the girls their baths and into bed each night. That’s my work time. When he’s not here, work doesn’t happen. This week, I have four new job orders to fill and a potential new client to make happy as well. Instead I’ve been falling asleep in cribs and just trying to keep up with the colossal mess that little girls make faster than you can say "fairy princess."

In the past few years, I have negotiated fee agreements in my bathroom with a locked door, knowing that might be the only peaceful place in the whole house that wouldn’t erupt in a temper tantrum at some point. Sometimes, one or both of the girls would bang on the door of my hideout and I’d have to negotiate faster. I’ve placed candidates with cats and kids on my lap. When people talk about their office jobs and the "distractions" that happen during the day, I don’t have much sympathy. Truly, they have no idea. I highly doubt they have a cat doing his daily duty in a litter box beside the desk, or a girl fight to break up over a Barbie doll. All par for the course with me and my daily life.

Mr. BBM works from home two days a week so that I can go to PT without the girls (I have to take them with me today which should be great fun). Often, when I arrive home, his hair is sticking straight up in the hair from rubbing his hands through his hair in frustration that the girls: can’t get along, can’t be quiet, can’t stop screaming, won’t leave him make a phone call, won’t let him get anything done etc. He gets just a small taste of why my job is extremely part time.

No office job has a demanding two-year old asking you to find her Donald Duck. There are no interruptions for french braids, Dora yogurts, or knock down all out temper-tantrums. So for all those who think that working from home is a cake-walk, I’m here to tell you it’s quite the opposite.

***The latest review is up at The BBM Review. Today is your last chance to enter to win a Turtle Press Ultimate Flexibility DVD or book. Just leave a comment at The BBM Review. Drawing takes place tomorrow night!