This afternoon as I got out of my car and walked towards the house, I saw Dylan standing on the deck with his Grandpa. When I got onto the deck, Dylan ran to me with open arms and said “I missed you Mommy, I love you”. I scooped him up for a long hug and I could tell that although he had enjoyed spending time with his Grandpa and Auntie while I was at court, he was glad that I was home. Blake was also happy to see me. When I got home, he was fussing in his Grandpa’s arms. His Grandpa had been rocking him gently to try and calm him. When he was passed over to me, the fussing stopped and I could feel his little body relax as he rested his head on my shoulder.
My kids are somewhat spoiled in that it is a rare occasion that Mommy has to leave them in the care of other people in order to attend to work commitments. They are even luckier in that when I do have business to attend to they are looked after by family members, usually a grandparent or an aunt. Today the boys enjoyed a one adult to one child ratio because both Grandpa and Auntie were available to come to our house and look after them. That was very important for my peace of mind because I knew that it could be a fairly long absence. During the seven hours that I was away from home I knew that my boys were in good hands. I also knew that if I were not fortunate enough to have family living nearby as well as my own parents, who have been known to drive the three and a half hours to my house in order to watch the boys for me, I would have to make other arrangements when my mostly home – based work required me to attend appointments or hearings outside of the home.
Home – based professionals often choose to work from home in order to combine working with staying home with the kids. When work requires them to spend time away from home, they must find child care. Other family members are a good resource if they live nearby and have a close relationship with the kids. If and when you need to find a caregiver outside of the family it is important to take your time and find someone that your kids like and who can give you the peace of mind that you need in order to focus on your work. A good caregiver can make the difference between a successful work outing and a stressful experience that causes you to question whether working from home is going to work for you.