Work At Home Parents Many Benefits - Being There for Their Sick Children

Margate, FL (May, 2008) Working parents everywhere are realizing the extra benefits of working from home including being there for their children when they are sick. In fact, Diana Ennen, president of Virtual Word Publishing was recently featured on CBS Channel 4 News in Miami, http://cbs4.com/video/?id=53473@wfor.dayport.com on a segment on working parents and handling sick children and states that one of the biggest advantages to being self employed is the ability to not send her kids to school sick.

Ennen states, “I’ve walked to school and seen the agony on a parent’s face when they have had to drop their children off at school ill, just because they couldn’t take time off from work. Not only is it sad for the parents, but also the other children in the classroom are now exposed to added germs as well. Changes need to be made.”

Apparently lawmakers think it’s a good idea too. Officials from 11 states are considering a bill that would make paid sick days a basic labor standard. Even Presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are involved, coming out in support of mandatory paid sick days. Also Congress may vote on the Healthy Families Act, which would require businesses with fifteen or more employees to give workers at least seven paid sick days per year.

These are changes that all should support. However, businesses don’t need legislation to make a change. A simple change in company policy is all that is needed to protect the health and well being of their most valued assets, their employees and their families. If companies allowed sick days for employees when they kids were sick, we would see a dramatic drop in diseases, and also employees would be more satisfied at work.

Some might also find it beneficial to do as Ennen did and consider working from home. By staying at home, Ennen has been able to work while caring for three children including her 10- year-old daughter Amber. “My hours are my own and the flexibility is just great,” said Ennen. Amber appreciates the added attention she gets and has told me that one of the greatest things about me working from home is that I’m there for her when she is sick. For her to realize that is gratifying.” added Ennen.

Ennen has been working from her home since 1985 when she decided to quit her job and start her own business as a virtual assistant, writing press releases, marketing authors and their books and offering coaching. Ennen has written several books about starting a virtual assistant business including Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA and The Corel Word Perfect, Virtual Assistant Solution Pack.

To read more about Ennen or view the CBS video in more detail go to Ennen’s site at Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com

Productivity Tips for Work-at-Home Parents

This article was submitted by Heather Johnson. Thanks Heather. If you have articles you'd like included, please do email me at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com. And with that ... our article!

Productivity Tips for Work-at-Home Parents

Many parents dream of being able to work from home so that they can be the primary caregivers for their children. Thanks to a recent increase in available telecommuting positions, such as being a virtual assistant, that dream can be a reality. However, working from home with the kids can be extremely challenging at times. It takes an industrious freelancer to balance both work and family at the same time. Below are five productivity tips for work-at-home parents.

Establish Work Hours – Not only do you need to commit to a certain amount of work each day, you also need to know when to "clock out." While working from home, you may be compelled to keep working, even after you put in a full day. Let your family know what your work hours are and make yourself stick to them.

Take Advantage of "Nap Time" – If your children are still young enough to take naps during the day, consider yourself lucky. You can use this time to devote to work that requires silence, such as phone calls or intense concentration.

Set Boundaries – You need an area that is designated as your workspace. While you don't want to be a tyrant about this, your family should know to ask before they move/use anything in your home office. This is the same courtesy you would receive from coworkers in a traditional office.

Keep Emergency Distractions Nearby – If you really need to commit to some mission-critical work and your kids have other plans, make sure you have some sort of toy or movie that can entertain them for a bit. While you don't want to park them in front of the television all day, sometimes you will need to distract them while you put your nose to the grindstone.

Remain Flexible – Sometimes, even the tips above won't work. There will be days when your kids are screaming, your work is due and you haven't had a good night's sleep in a week. Don't panic! Instead of trying to make your family fit your schedule, just go with the flow until you can get things back on track.

Even though working at home will afford you many creature comforts and perks, there are unique challenges involved with the lifestyle. The most important thing to do is relax and be diligent. With the above tips, your work life and home life will hopefully have a more peaceful coexistence.


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Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and credit writer, as well as a regular contributor for Business Credit Cards, a site for comparing best business credit cards. She welcomes questions, comments, and freelancing job inquiries at her email address heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com .