I have no problem with it. I can see S benefits from more structure. I’ve suggested he keep to the same time schedule he had at school even thought the course work is just available online so technically he could be watching / reading things whenever. It would be really easy to get behind with this format and cram later but that’s not good for ultimately learning the material.
One class is actually offered live online in the same time slot as he would normally have. The rest are recorded and just put online. I asked why and the answer made sense which makes this online replication of college work more challenging. The answer was so many kids live in different time zones it would be really hard to have a live class. Makes sense. It’s a shame because his school has a lot of small classes with a discussion component (even the lectures get interactive). In theory office hours could work via face time.
My H’s occasional work from home space is in the kitchen, which definitely doesn’t work long term. I kicked him out and he agreeably moved to the dining room. I’m taking over the upstairs, come down for lunch and to use the printer, and we spend evenings together. A daily walk seems to be our new ritual.
Yeah, my H kicked himself into the guest room to work. He was in the kitchen and attached family room on calls which was not easy for the rest of us tip toeing around getting food or drink. So he cleared out some workspace in the guest BR and it’s better for all of us!
Opened the window! Its amazing what fresh air after a rain does to your psyche.
The day started with a Zoom meeting so I got dressed and put on make up. D moved back home to work remotely, too. She’s set up one two laptops in her bedroom and works straight through with one or two quick breaks. I don’t know how she does it.
I’ve broken the habit of working through til I’m done. Breaks are so important.
A drink routine? A regular work routine is a 32 oz. Hydroflask filled with water. It helps me keep track of my water intake although I was so tempted to make myself a mimosa for the Zoom meeting just because.
Thanks for this. I just got notice that I will be working at home starting tomorrow for the first time in over 20 years. Because of all my weird software, I have to take home my whole desktop set-up and it needs to be wired into my modem. That leaves me in the den. I hadn’t even considered the kids’ classes. Older S is still on break and is home this week. He will go back to his apartment at school next week when online classes begin. Younger S will be here. Both of them had several non-core AP classes online in HS, so they are used to it. They’ve always done their own thing in their bedrooms, and I haven’t checked up on them in forever. I hadn’t thought about clogging the internet at the same time, but younger S tends to work at night. He goes to bed a couple of hours before I get up. H is a teacher and on spring break. But, he teaches PE and is not a heavy internet user. I do most of his computer work for him.
My biggest fear is that I will feel compelled to be a lot more productive than I am now and that stresses me out. I am planning on keeping my normal hours of getting up and exercising before work and beginning the work day at 8am.
I wrote this out earlier and never posted. Now, I’ve moved everything out of my office and it’s in crates in my den. It feels really weird. I’ve sat in essentially the same spot at work for almost 23 years. I know this is temporary, but who knows how long.
If you are easily distracted by things like needing to do laundry or anything else set a timer. 30-45 min where you will sit and work. At the end you can “ reward” yourself by doing whatever was distracting you. Set a 10 min timer then back to it. Also I find To Do lists helpful though I don’t use them when working in the office. It’s a WFH thing only.
@ClassicMom98 I have a WiFi adapter for the computer I use at home so I don’t have to be plugged into the modem. I don’t know how easy it would be to get one, but just wanted to let you know, they do exist.
Set boundaries. I have worked from home in some capacity (when I’m not out in the field with clients or traveling) for many yrs. You can be very productive. In fact when I moved my office a few yrs back, I specifically moved to a facility without an office for me. I made sure my staff had what they needed but I realized I’m either on the phone, on the computer, or with a client. So I had a nice conference room but no office for me, and I would come in for client meetings, make the employee rounds to say hi and then leave.
That said, you can easily fall into the trap of never shutting down. I used to do that and found myself working on things after dinner until 11 pm or so. Got a lot done but never really broker away. Make sure you break away. It’s healthier. Especially if your core family is under one roof now, schedule time to watch movies, play games, whatever.
That ping pong table is going to get a lot of use (just like the old days!)
I’ve worked a lot at home the past 10 years (including one year where I did not have a desk at the work site). Most of my work is meetings and interrupt-drive n support work (with peers, online chats etc)… and LOTS of hours, sometime offshift. So usually I don’t have too much problem with distractions. It’s harder when I have to concentrate on solo work, especially if not interesting. During those time, I turn on the radio and listen to NPR.
One key to my home productivity is an external monitor (and I use Windows extend screen, work on laptop and 2nd monitor). It’s not as good as my office with 2 external monitors, but LOTS better than just working from the small laptop screen.
My normal work from home (I usually do 2 days per week) is the dining room table, which is fine when nobody else is home, but I might have to rethink this. People walk around talking before checking to see if I’m on a call.
I still get up early, work out, and put on jeans. Working in pajamas is a recipe for me not realizing how much all this mindless snacking is creeping up on me. Oh, yeah - another drawback to the dining room is it’s right off the kitchen, which lends itself to mindless snacking.
The nature of my job is such that there aren’t good boundaries, but that’s OK. I have been used to the lines between home and work being blurred, and this virus situation has magnified it. Issues are arising day and night and I need to be responsive. I can handle that. If I want to go run or walk the dogs, I do it. When I watch TV I have my iPad available in case something comes up.
I have never understood the “working in PJ’s” probably because I never hang around in my pj’s! I literally, every day - weekday or weekend - get up and get dressed.
I’ve been doing a “comfortable but neat” dress code for myself. I may have yoga pants on but it’s with a nicer t and quarter zip rather than a hooded sweatshirt or whatever.
@abasket I don’t think so. I’m literally logged into my work computer just viewing it on my laptop and typing of course. the office one is set up with 2 monitors and I can scroll from one monitor to the other. And honestly, if I could do a split screen I don"t think it would work. I have large monitors at work I don’t think I could see the input screens on my tax and accounting software if I had things on a split screen. I’m already finding it hard to see my spreadsheets.
If this goes on for long I will happily buy 2 monitors if I can figure out how to make it work. I actually looked online today and some that were on a good sale are out of stock. Couldn’t help wondering if it’s cause so many people are working from home.
Day two and already off to a better start. Little S and I are showering before bed so no arguing about who needs to be up when. Dh is a morning person so he is usually up and showered by the time the rest of us are rising from the dead. Yet again, it’d all be easier in the new house since everyone would have their own bath, and it has a tankless water heater!
(Can you tell I’m displacing all my frustration and anger on this house?! It was the best option available when we moved here, but I REALLY can’t wait till our house is done!!)
S19 had a loooooooong class last night and they decided to continue that as well as twice weekly labs online. Fabulous. :neutral: We’re finding out this poor kid has the worst class schedule.
But he used his headset last night and didn’t get distracted. So that’s progress!
I think you also have to sort of keep some blinders on with multiple people in the house and remember that one persons roadblocks with school/work is not another person’s worry. We all have these on a daily basis when we are out in the normal world working/going to school - and we solve them on our own. So try not to absorb the challenges of everyone in the house.
My daughter’s college jazz ensemble is planning on playing together over the internet. That will be interesting.
She knows she’s lucky to have such a nice place to shelter - our house is isolated and we have a big wooded lot that backs up to a river. Lots of room to play with the dogs and take photos (she’s a photography major). But she warned me that she will probably get grumpy in a couple of weeks. I suspect things will get tense once her older brother is here starting on Sunday. He can get awfully prickly. ?
I’ve been working from home for 12 years. Getting dressed every day - for me, I need to put on “real” clothes-not yoga pants, not pajamas-pants with a zipper! My finding is that if you wear your pj’s all day, you don’t get that cozy feeling when you put them on at night. My other tip is to make a little ritual for yourself. Every afternoon around 2 I make a cup of tea and sit in “my” chair in my living room and just take a break for 20 minutes or so. It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole and not look up all day, eat at your desk, etc-take a break. I know I get everything done much more efficiently working at home because generally I have less distractions than when I worked in an office. My last tip is…try to enjoy it! Working from home is not like working in an office. Throw in a load of laundry first thing in the morning and take a break and fold it at lunch. Take a break and get outside. I’ve read that a lot of employers are worried that people are chaining themselves to their desks at home. You know your company best, but try not to do that.
Good tip.