18 months ago I made the decision to move my recording studio business home. This decision came after five years of running my business from a rented commercial premises. I was spending too much time out of the house away from my wife & children missing important moments in their lives. I was averaging 18 hour commutes over 6 day working weeks. Now a year and half has passed I want to share my 5 tips for working from home with children.

At times I have found working from home with children to be a challenge but I have learnt it was and still is a challenge well worth taking.

Partnership

My wife Georgie supported my decision to move my business home and has continued to do so by getting to know my regular clients. Georgie has also been getting involved in the work I produce, some of which I've for Pro Tools Expert.

When I gave up my rented room moving the business home I thought I was losing something, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. In truth, I was gaining a partner, someone that can now see what I do.

My wife has worked from home for over ten years so the children didn't need any adjustment to me working from home but we did have to make them aware that when daddy is down the studio he is at work.

If you choose to work from home make sure you have the full support from your spouse and that you both teach your children about what working from home is all about.

Clock In Clock Out

I treat my home business hours as though I work in an office. I clock in at 8:30am and clock out at 4pm weekdays. These are the times the children go to school and return home. If I have urgent work that needs to be completed then I'll clock back in again after the kids have gone to bed. Working this way makes me fully available to the children and their routines.

Space To Create

We have a building at the end of our garden where the studio is. This is the physical space I create in but I want to quickly make aware the importance of having head space to create in. 

When I want some creativity time I make sure that there are no parenting duties outstanding. This limits the chance of distractions or demands from the children.

One Hand Feeds The Other

It's very easy to over work by breaking the clock in clock out method. Trust me, I have done this many times. When I do overwork my wife gently reminds me why I work so hard. It's for us as a family and I shouldn't forget to spend time with them as well.

Lead By Example - Work Ethic

Our four children are ages 2, 7, 13 & 15. The older two see what goes into being a professional by experiences first hand what me and my wife do for work and what we do for our clients.

Many of my friends that are parents work in offices out of their homes. Their children may never experience what their parents do for a living but my kids do. I try to involve my children by showing them the work I produce. I try to teach them about the benefits of doing a job you enjoy and if they work hard themselves at school they too can get themselves a profession that they will want and enjoy in the future.