Remote work from home - blessing or curse? | DadHQ

Remote work from home - blessing or curse?

Apr 101 min read

Been working remote for 2 years now and honestly it's a mixed bag. I get to see my kids more during the day which is amazing, but my work never really stops. My boss texts me at 8pm about stuff and I end up working weird hours. My kids think because I'm home I should play with them every second. Anyone else dealing with this? How do you draw the line between work time and dad time when your office is literally 20 feet away?

6 comments193 views

Comments(6)

MMikeRegularApr 11

The curse part is real though. Just because you're home doesn't mean you can always jump into kid stuff. Kids don't understand that you're still working even if you're not at an office.

RRyanRegularApr 11

What helps me is having a dedicated space and hard stop times. My kids know when I'm in my office that's different than when I'm out. Took a while to train them but it's made remote work actually manageable.

MMarcusNew DadApr 10

Man, I feel this. The work-life blur is real when your office is 20 feet from the kitchen. I've had to get real strict about closing my laptop at 5pm or I'm checking emails until midnight. Those extra moments with the kids are worth it though.

MMarcus L.RegularApr 10

The key is boundaries, my guy. I use white noise playlists during focus time so my kid knows dad's in the zone and can't be interrupted. Sounds weird but it actually helps me flip the switch better than anything else.

TTony F.RegularApr 10

Two years in and you're still figuring it out? That's normal. I'd say the seeing-your-kids-more part wins out, but you gotta protect your actual work time or you'll burn out fast.

CChristopherRegularApr 11

Mixed bag is exactly right. I've been remote for three years and while I love the flexibility, sometimes I miss having clear boundaries between work and home. The dinner table isn't supposed to be my conference room.