mhoff's blog

I love California. I love so many things about it starting with how it is nothing at all like Iowa. 

 

In fact the one short coming of the area I can think of (other than the Warriors) is the lack of places outside of the home for (my wife) Katie to work at. In Iowa it was no problem for Katie to hop on the bike and ride to the library, Starbucks, etc. It's not that these places aren't here or available--they are--it's only that parking is seldom reliable and is always at a premium. Further, it's difficult to find coffee shops, libraries, etc. that have a table open. 

 

Even getting to Katie's office is a chore as traffic en route to Cal can mount a serious obstacle and, once there, again, Katie has to pay for parking. 

 

All this means that more of Kate's work needs to be done from home. This has been a major cause of stress for the family as Katie is not able to get her work done (at least not without a great deal of distraction) and I feel my job as a Stay At Home parent (sahp) is to make it easier for Katie to accomplish her goals and to reduce her stress. 

 

I am writing to ask your advice and learn from your experience. Surely this issue crops up for every family, particularly in academia where a quiet working environment is important. 

 

Luke is 3.5 now. He is loud, rambunctious and is a real chatterbox. Paul, now one, is walking well and is into the "mobile without judgement" phase.  Even when I write this the boys are supposed to be sleeping but I am turning a deaf ear to their screaming, running and pounding. :-)

 

Specifically, I would like to know: 

 

Is it possible to work from home with kids?

Do you have a set schedule or do you just try to get things done in the time allotted?

 

Thanks in advance for your wisdom and sage advice!
--Matt