Fall Break: A Welcome Distraction

My children have been home with me on Fall Break since last Thursday. All four of them. This is new for me – we didn’t have Fall Break at their old school in Atlanta. No worries, I’m working from home, so I’ll adjust. Believe it or not it was much easier working at home with my kids when they were smaller. They had fewer expectations of me while I worked. I took a few well-placed breaks to get them outdoors, to a local park or the library and they were happy. They’re pretty much “stair step” in age range, so they kept one another company quite well.

Now they’re older. My 11 year-old and eight year old twins now expect to be entertained. They complain of boredom and disagreements flair frequently. The five year old doesn’t want to be left out, so he focuses on annoying to his older sister and brothers. If you have kids, you understand the picture I’m painting here.

Today we’ll spend the afternoon exploring our new city a bit deeper. I still need to work, so I got up before fajr to squeeze in a couple of hours before we leave for our first destination, and then I’ll work again later in the evening once I get everyone to bed. I’m really looking forward to a day of just hanging out with my kids. It’s so easy for me to get caught up working on a project in front of the computer all day if I don’t watch it. My kids are pretty good about understanding my work responsibilities, but they need and deserve time where I give them my undivided attention too. I want us to create fun memories that they’ll enjoy retelling one another and their own families some day.

This is the work/life balance I seek. There are days where I seem to do better than others, but each day is another chance to get it right. I don’t want to miss out on these important years in my children’s lives. They’re growing so fast, masha’Allah. I have to constantly remember that just because I work from home doesn’t automatically mean I’m present at all times. Being present means making an active choice to set work aside to focus on the people I love. Separating work time and family time can be challenging when you work at home, but doing so means a much more harmonious life.

Do you have any tips to share about how you maintain regular family time while running a business from home?