Working from home is a privilege, but it’s one of those privileges that comes with pitfalls. When you finally find a job that allows you the freedom to work from home, it’s terrific. You can finally ditch the long commute while keeping the same salary level. You can save money for your next family vacation because you do not have to spend it on fuel or work lunches anymore. You get valuable time back that you didn’t have before because you were so busy in the office or commuting all the time, so you have the time to be Dad again. It’s amazing how you can be productive with your time, not spending it away from the kids.

The only downside is that your working persona and your ‘Dad’ persona need to remain separate under the same roof, and that’s not always easy. Setting boundaries with your work life are essential, and you have to maintain those boundaries where possible. Below, you’ll read some of the ways that you can separate your work and family life when you are working from your house.

• Keep Work & Family Paperwork Apart. You need a specified office space with room for all of your documentation. This requires you to invest a little in shelving and filing cabinets like this one. If you want to go one further with your mail not being mixed up with the family, you can take a professional route and buy a PO box with web access. It’s necessary for you to maintain a professional image to the outside world, and you can easily do that with some outside help. When you are a telecommuter, your office is everywhere. This means you can work from your local coffee shop if you want to. Even so, you need an office that holds your work and gives you a quiet space for telephone calls.
• Keep Office Hours. You need to act like you’re in the office during the office hours you usually work. You can, of course, be flexible. You can do the school runs and attend events for your children, but if you start doing it too often, it can really mess up your productivity. Try and keep a consistent schedule where possible so that your family is aware that you need to work and when.
• Ignore Household Distractions. Chores can wait when you are supposed to be working. The clean clothes that need putting away can wait until your working day finishes. Distractions can pull you away from your work, which will delay you in completing what you need to end your day. Ignore the distractions and wait until after work.
• Create Boundaries. Don’t mix work into household chores. Opening your laptop while you cook is confusing to the family dynamic. Leave your work in the office and be engaged with your family instead.

It may not always be easy to create a boundary with your family, but it is possible if you want to ensure you don’t bleed your two worlds together.