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It’s amazing that when you work from home, people don’t think you are actually working. In fact, I’ve had several people ask me, “What do you do all day?” Then, when I proudly say, “I complete my projects” they then say, “Ummm humm.” Then they proceed to call me during the day to ask me if I saw the latest Oprah show or soap opera or just show up unannounced.This used to irritate the heck out of me, but I now understand. Some people just aren’t going to get it, and that is OK. As long as I do what needs to get done then that’s all that matters.I typically work 7 to 10-hour days and do so around my kids. I typically have my toddler under foot all the time, and my other two kids when they return from school.

My day starts at 6:00 a.m. when I work for about one and a half hours, get them ready for school, work throughout the day, and then work some more, pick up the kids for school, make dinner, spend quality time with family, and then put the kids to bed and work another couple of hours.

My schedule is crazy and likely wouldn’t work for everyone, but it works for me.

The only childcare that my children have is me, my mother, and my hubby. I have tried daycare for each of my kids, but it honestly doesn’t work for us. My kids would cry all day and I would be so worried about them that I couldn’t concentrate on my work. So I make my schedule around their schedule.

That said, I’ve found that the best ways to handle people who don’t respect your home business schedule are:

1. Realize that not everyone will understand that you actually work from home and don’t just say you work at home while you’re really doing nothing at home, and that is OK. You can’t make people understand and it’s fruitless to try.

2. Set a realistic work schedule and allow some free time. Perhaps there are times when you want to do non-work-related tasks; well, allow time for that. Develop a schedule that works for you. For instance, if you want to volunteer at your child’s school every Friday, then do it. Just get your work done afterwards or take the day off.

3. Use humor. Now, when friends call me (who know that I work from home) and make unrealistic requests, I say something smart like, “I would love to help you today but I’ve got a ton of toe jam that needs to be removed and it will probably take me about eight hours or so. But after that I’m free.”

4. Deal with distractions and move on. No matter how hard you try, there will probably still be times when people will drop over unannounced or need favors. Just deal with the situation quickly and get back to your projects or drop your project and pick it up later. The key is to always stay on top of your projects so that you’re not stressed out when this happens, as it inevitably will.

Well, that’s it. I’ve gotta go and watch Oprah, Judge Mathis, and Judge Judy now!

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