One of the most advantageous aspects of working from home is the ability to work in very flexible hours. Is this really an advantage or only a way to multiply the tasks you have each day?

Flexibility, or bending backwards

The flexibility of working at home is usually what attracts many parents to this option.  But the flexibility may also be a disadvantage (you might be surprised to hear).  You might find yourself working many more hours a day than you expected!  It's very tempting to do some extra things you wouldn't usually have the time to do. Spending time with your children, getting a few errands done and cleaning up a bit can take a lot of time. To compensate for lost working hours, you might find yourself working late into the night after your kids are asleep.  It may be good once in a while, but it can be exhausting on a daily basis.  You will have more time to dedicate yourself to house and family, but you still need to leave yourself some breathing space.

You should make a point of setting a strict schedule for yourself. You can give yourself days off, arrange lunch breaks with friends or fun days with your kids, but you should still have a daily routine.  When you are your own boss, you can set working hours to suite your preference. You can choose to work a number of hours each day, or you may decide to take a couple of days a week off and compensate by working extra on other days, nights or weekends.  The important thing is to keep to your decision and plan your life around work.

The importance of a working routine

It's not always easy to keep up the same work discipline at home as you had at your work place out of home. A carefully planned schedule will help you organize your day-to-day life. It may sound silly, but you also need to set some rules for yourself to follow to improve your working discipline in the house, and a routine is the best way.

Having a routine will also help your family know when you are working and when you are free. Your children will definitely benefit from an ordered working schedule, but so will you and your partner. 

Enjoy the flexibility of working from home, but don't let it become a burden. 
Set the rules you feel most comfortable with, and follow them.

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