By David Reed, President of Remote Office Consulting, LLC

I would estimate that over 50% of us who telecommute have families at home. It can be challenging to balance our role as spouse and/or parent with that of being an employee or consultant. There are, however, some things that you can do to make working from home a positive experience for the entire family.

1. Recognize that having an office in the home impacts the entire family. Be realistic with your expectations. You should not expect to have as much peace and quiet as if you were in a secluded office building.

2. Create a "contract" with your family. It is important that your family, especially children, understand that it is necessary to give you quiet time during certain times of the day. You should commit to take regular breaks and reserve several hours for family time each evening. You can create a simple agreement that each family member can sign. (If you would like a sample contract, send an email to dreed@RemoteOfficeConsulting.com)

3. Develop a system to let your family know you can't be interrupted. With the use of headsets, it is often difficult to tell when you are on an important phone call. Create a simple way of alerting your family that you are working. This could be a sign with a red "Stop" on one side and a green "Go" on the other. This is something that even small children can be taught to look at before barging in to your office.

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