a husband who works from home - advantage or disadvantage?!
For the last 3 years my husband has worked from home for a small, but successful, web marketing agency. It gave us the opportunity to get our dogs, with the peace of mind that he would be at home to be with them during the day and after a year in the house, in a spare room, we converted the back of the garage to a perfect office space. It is everything he wants and I had no influence over the decor or finishing touches. Luckily as we have similar tastes, it is a modern, masculine but intimate space in a calming shade of duck egg blue, which I think looks stylish and sometimes I am slightly envious of.
I have worked form home myself since November 2010 and have given up the chance to have an office as the boys will get more benefit from having a great playroom. I generally work from the kitchen or when I have to look at large plans I use the dining table. One day, I would love an office of my own (I have a dream office pinboard on Pinterest) but I'm not sure I can convince him to do a little extension! Maybe when the boys are older and I can work more and earn the money to pay for it!
People often say it must be great having him at home and sometimes it is, but sometimes I just wish he had a "normal" job where he set off in the morning and we could welcome him home at night.
There is never a goodbye, a little face at the window waiting impatiently for Daddy, the conquering hero to return, and run into his arms like you see in the movies.
It does give us, as a family, an enormous amount of flexibility which I would find hard to live without, although it does mean he can see the times I am not coping with the children very well and when I am still in pyjamas well beyond breakfast time!
I worry that it is quite isolated for him, that he sits and stares at a screen all day, so it's a blessing we have the dogs, which gives him a reason to get out for a long walk at lunch times. He's waiting for a skateboard, yes you read right, to be delivered today which he is going to take on his trips to the dog park! But I suppose he doesn't get the opportunity to go out for a drink after work with his office colleagues and as soon as he finishes, we are into the bath and bed, wind down routine.
I've drawn up a list of pros and cons, have a read! Feel free to add any you feel apply to you if your other half also works from home!
I think on balance I like him being 2 minutes away and the fact that I can Skype him to come in if there is an emergency.
He's been able to be at a lot of the pre school events that most of the Dads missed, like the half hour Easter Hat Parade.
Sometimes, he has a shower at midday, so I won't feel too guilty if there is an odd occasion I rock pyjamas until lunch!
Do your other halves work from home or do you wish they did?!