As you know, some of the work that is done by home – based professionals takes place outside of the home. As part of my home – based law practice, I must occasionally leave home to go to court. There are both positive and negative things that come along with leaving home to go to work every once in a while.
On the positive side, spending time around other lawyers and courthouse staff helps me to feel connected to my profession. Seeing my clients in person helps me to build important connections with them. Being challenged to think on my feet keeps my professional knowledge active and keeps my courtroom skills fresh.
Getting out of the house to go to work is a great energy booster from a professional perspective, but it also has important personal benefits. It is important to me to be recognized by others as a professional and as an adult. Working outside of the home occasionally helps me to feel reassured that I am, in fact, more than just “Mommy”. Not that being “Mommy” is not important, in fact it is very important and there is no more poignant reminder of just how much I enjoy being a stay at home mom than the feeling of missing my little boy like crazy after only a few hours away from him. I return home refreshed, reenergized, and reminded that staying home with him is in fact a treat even when it is not the easiest job in the world.
On the negative side of things, there are also things that are professional as well as things of a more personal nature. The court system is an adversarial one, and I do not always enjoy the way in which some of the players in the courtroom game interact with each other and with me. I have to make judgment calls about whom to trust and when. Although my skin is thicker than it used to be, it still hurts when others treat me like I am being unreasonable when all that I am trying to do is represent the interests of my clients. I know deep down inside that these people do not hate me, we are each just doing our jobs and we each do them in our own way.
On the personal side of things, there is the guilt. If Dylan is at home with Daddy, I have no worries and I feel happy that they are enjoying some special “guy time” together. If I have asked another relative to care for him, though, I feel guilty for asking them to take time out of their day especially when I am away for longer than I originally anticipated. That is minimal, though, compared to the complete and total heartbreak that I feel when I am away longer than I had planned and I can just sense that my son is missing me very much. For example, the other day I went to court and Dylan stayed with Grandpa. When Dylan got tired for his nap, he cried inconsolably until he finally fell asleep. When I heard that, I cried.
Do you work outside the home for your home – based business? What do you like or dislike about it?