Remote work saved my sanity but killed my boundaries

DanRegular

1w ago1 min read

Anyone else struggle with the home office setup? I'm in the spare bedroom and my kids know I'm here so they think I'm available 24/7. Had a client call yesterday and my 4yo was literally banging on the door asking for snacks. My wife was downstairs but apparently that doesn't count. The flexibility to work from home is amazing for school pickups and being present, but man it's hard to actually get work done when your family is in the same building. Started blocking off my calendar and putting a sign on the door but it feels like I'm being a jerk in my own house.

7 comments230 views

Comments(7)

CChris M.Regular1w ago

I had to get noise canceling headphones and actually announce when I'm 'leaving' for work even though I'm downstairs. Sounds silly but it helped my kids understand the context. Remote work is amazing but yeah, the boundaries thing is real.

CChris T.Regular1w ago

The boundary thing is brutal. My kids will literally scratch at the door asking for juice while I'm on a video call. I've learned to schedule my heavy focus work during their screen time and save lighter tasks for when they're bouncing around. Not perfect but it works better.

NNolan D.New Dad1w ago

The sanity part is real though. Being home with them nearby is better than commuting, but you gotta protect your work time or you'll go crazy trying to do both. White noise helps too if they're old enough to understand headphones mean dad's busy.

CChris M.Regular1w ago

Everyone thinks remote work means you can just watch the kids while working and it's absolutely not true. You need either childcare or a spouse who handles the kids during your core hours, otherwise everyone suffers. Don't try to do both. It'll burn you out.

MMike R.New Dad1w ago

The spare bedroom work situation is tough because they literally see you there and think it's playtime. My kids took a while to understand that closed door means I'm at work even though I'm home. Set hard boundaries on your work hours or it'll bleed everywhere.

BBradRegular1w ago

This killed me too. My solution was getting a separate door lock and treating it like an actual office. Can't have the kids just wandering in whenever. Takes discipline but it's the only way to actually work.

MMike R.New Dad1w ago

Remote work is a trap. You're never really off the clock and the kids don't understand that closed door means you're working. We ended up setting super strict hours and making it clear that before 9am and after 5pm, dad is off duty. Even then it's hard to shut it down mentally.