Dad's Working from Home

I'm making radical changes. I've been working from home for quite a few years and I've found that my connection with my children is not what I want it to be. At first working from home created a sense of closeness. Always home, my children naturally gravitated to me when school let out or they woke up.

Then I began to feel unproductive because of all the interruption and I cloistered myself away. Out of sight does not translate into out of mind with children, so I would close my door (an ineffective move), then I got to the point where I locked my office door when working.

The real issues manifested when I worked from sun up until after the children went to bed. Work became a constant albatross that not only hung around my neck, it greeted me in the morning and went to bed with me at night.

I recently came to my senses and realized I have outgrown my house. I need an office where I can do what I do, so that when I come home, I can focus of what is truly important - my family. Even this will be tough as I am a writer/publisher and my work tends to follow me wherever I go.

Since I committed to this new office, I have taken a lot more time to shoot hoops with my son, I just took a lengthy vacation with my four-year-old daughter and I've gone to the pool with the entire family about six times in two weeks. This is a dramatic change from the 'hermit' dad I had become.

This week's blog is an encouragement to fathers everywhere to separate from work and connect with your family. The time I've spent with my family this past month has been rewarding. I feel much more connected, relaxed and in tune with life. Work has stepped up and regained its "passion" status and even in a crazy economy, I feel I have everything I need - namely my wife and children.

If you work from home, make sure you step away from it and connect, not superficially, but one-on-one, as a group, in pairs, whatever it takes. Your work level will improve, your attitude will lighten up and life will be a joy!