Wherever I lay my laptop that’s my office
Posted on: June 10, 2009
Working from home means different things to different people. Some may have a garage full of stock, a bedroom converted into an office or a purpose built workshop at the bottom of the garden. But for many work at home mums their workspace is their dining room or kitchen table.
In my case I have a laptop on the dining room table, a kitchen cupboard full of stock and a laser printer tucked away in the corner of the dining room – and hey presto, I’m a self-employed business woman!!
Mum’s The Boss would love to hear about your home working arrangements. From the mundance to the bizarre, we’d love to know how all you WAHMs are balancing family and work.
Please leave a comment on our blog and share your resourceful brilliance with our readers!
12 Responses to "Wherever I lay my laptop that’s my office"
June 10, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I have t-shirts and bibs stuffed everywhere in my flat. My poor dining table is home to my machinery and various stationary. Most of the time my computer table is the place I eat, drink and sleep (well nearly!)
June 10, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Since we both work home and have done for 10 years, now, we made sure to buy a house with space for a separate office. Ours in our attic and is a lovely room, with three windows. We have three desks, each with a computer on, a colour laser printer and a scanner, as well as multiple bookcases and shelves.
When I first started, I had half the living room as my office. In our previous house, we had an office each, but it’s nice working in the same room and being able to chat.
June 10, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I was working on my dining room table where I too ate, worked and often slept!! I converted the garage to be a stock room complete with carpet and heater to keep damp away and books and I loved it. I have recently moved to my parents to act as carer and have my own little lounge which doubles as my office and books are in the closed in porch and the heater has come too!!
June 11, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I have a gigantic metal cop desk next to the picture window in our 1 BR apartment. Ideally, we’d get an apartment with a separate office space, but this is pleasant for now.
I’ve discovered that the beauty of working from home is setting my own schedule. That can mean working a couple nights until 2 AM to spend the day with my girl on her birthday. I can’t imagine going back to a cubicle each day.
June 11, 2009 at 2:26 pm
In my previous life as a freelancer (before kids) we had a home office, but this time it’s going to have to be the dining room table because the spare bedroom will soon be a child’s room. This might be good because I can watch the kids playing in the same room as I’m working (if I’m REALLY lucky) but I’m not sure how I’m going to adjust to not having my own work space. I guess I’ll have to grab a corner of the table and a box of paperwork and call that my temporary office!
June 11, 2009 at 3:19 pm
I have a desk in the corner of my sitting room with my trusty computer and overflowing drawers to one side! I find it quite relaxing working here as I have patio doors to the right of me, so it is lovely and bright but tricky to work when kiddies are around as my one yr old son Robbie tries to climb the drawers and my 4yr old daughter insists on trying to swivel the chair when I am on it trying to check emails! Needless to say my patience comes to an end after a few minutes and I resort to simply working while they are asleep/at nursery LOL!
June 11, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Having recently moved into a new home (and to single-mum status), I now have set up the desk in a corner of the living room – which is fine during the school day, but not so sure about the holidays. Much as I will want and try to not work, it’s going to have to happen – so moving my bedroom around so that I can move the pc into there if I need to. Oh this juggling! I figure I’ll just about get it right by the time they leave home. Have been running a business since before the children came along and certainly not getting any easier (but then life’s kind of like that).
Wouldn’t change it for the world!
I am in such awe of the mums that have the energy left over after “bedtime” to work – there is no way I can do more than the odd blog
June 11, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I’ve been working from home for several years now – starting as a Shiatsu Practitioner in 2002, and a few years later moving into working some amazing Natural health products which changed my life.
Before all that I was working freelance as a designer in Educational Publishing – so I’ve always been self-employed – I blame it on my dad – he was a farmer, and very independently-minded 🙂
I wouldn’t change it for the world either, but it can be tough
to keep yourself focused and ‘on track’ sometimes can’t it? So I was so pleased to find your website through the Enterprising Women events page!
I really like your blog, because it’s so friendly and welcoming – I recently launched a Complementary Therapy blog – I”m really enjoying it – it’s good fun.
I’d really like to come to one of your meetings – when is the next one?
Best wishes,
Liz
Liz Knox
Shiatsu and Natural Health Solutions
http://www.cambhealth.co.uk
http://www.complementarytherapyblog.com
June 12, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I am lucky to have a home office. However it is tiny and we struggle when my other half is working from home (he’s also self employed & works from home about 50% of the time). This is when I am relegated out of the office – mainly because he is full time & I’m part time and slot in work around the kids, so it’s best for him to shut himself away for the day & for me to be the portable one. I used to work from the kitchen table, but recently set aside a corner of our bedroom for a small desk… less distractions and far less chance of one of the boys messing up the client’s paperwork.
June 13, 2009 at 2:11 am
When we moved into our house, I thought I’d have an office – but a third baby on the way means my stuff is all tucked into a corner of my kitchen/dining room! It’s actually a pretty nice setup, though, because it allows me to do my work and still be able to see my kids at all times.
June 30, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I sstumbles on this site – I am not a “mum” of young children anymore, but am working from home – a great resource for me!
Mums The Boss - The Blog 
June 10, 2009 at 4:09 pm
My office is part of a spare bedroom filled with stock and a three seater sofa that has folders full of paperwork on one seat with a basket full of pens etc, and my laptop sits on my knee in the middle! Very disorganised to the untrained eye but I know where everything is. Does need a tidy up though, it all tips when I sit down!