"If work spills into playtime, apologise to those around you and try to minimise its impact"
Family issues usually boil down to one problem – sharing your home lifestyle with your business. No matter who shares your home – or who doesn't – there has to be a balance between work and play. It is vital that you do not shut people out of your new world.
It is equally vital that they respect your space when you are working and do not sprinkle the day with interruptions about the faulty washing machine, asking you to pick up some shopping or collect the dry cleaning.
If you set aside certain days or hours for work, insist that they are respected. But that goes for you too. It is no good insisting that the office is a no-go zone all day and then, when it is time for family in the evening, spend your time just popping into the office to finish something off.
If work spills into playtime, apologise to those around you and try to minimise its impact. This is the kind of issue that soon grows out of all proportion and causes real family strife.
Partners need to be part of the deal. Discussing business is easy for some and difficult for others but is often essential as a way of blowing off steam at the end of a hard day – this goes for homeworkers too. Without the office banter to provide light relief, working alone can build up pressures.
Use your partner as a safety valve but, of course, in moderation. They may have had a tough day too.
Also think about where your office is in relation to the rest of your living space. Can you shut the door behind you and leave work behind? Do you want views of the neighbours' garden and the sounds of their screaming kids? Does your office space impact on the family by depriving them of another bedroom, or a playroom? Make sure they are happy with where you work and are able to respect your need for peace and quiet during office hours. You can not expect to work in isolation if you do the paperwork at the kitchen table.
